How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot: We're talking the magical formula for making perfectly cooked pasta in the Instant Pot that involves no stirring, babysitting, or foamy overflows all over your stovetop! All made possible by my true love, the Electric Pressure Cooker.
This recipe has been updated for even better, al dente, less foaming pasta. See notes in the recipe for more info.
Why make Perfect Pressure Cooker Pasta when the most common method is simply a matter of boiling water? I've got reasons for days.
Nothing drives me more crazy in the kitchen than dealing with a pot of pasta on the stove that WILL NOT STOP FOAMING! You stir, stir, stir, and when that doesn't work, you take it off the heat, let it settle, only to put it back on the heat and have it quickly foam to the top and you repeat the entire process all over again.
I've tried all the gizmos, the wooden spoon trick, the oil trick, etc, etc, and I have resolved to lose the stovetop pasta battle.
To my rescue, totally awesome pressure cooker!
I can throw the pasta, salt, and water in and walk away. In fact, I can even have my daughter do it while I take a nap!
There are several different cook times and water to pasta ratios out there, and after a lot of experimenting, I've finally narrowed it down to my ideal time. Lots of good info here, let's get started!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE MAKING PASTA IN THE ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER
- Your days of babysitting pasta are OVER. Add your ingredients, push some buttons, do some yoga
- NO MORE STARCHY WATER FOAMING OVER ONTO YOUR STOVETOP – that's the golden reason right there
- With this magical formula, you are almost guaranteed perfectly cooked pasta every time. As always, times may vary slightly depending on the brand, model, and altitude
- So easy your kid can do it. That's worth the cost of an Instant Pot (or 2) right there
HOW TO COOK PASTA IN THE INSTANT POT – THE MAGICAL FORMULA
Let me leave a caveat here and say that this method may not work on every single pasta variety out there. There's lentil pasta, quinoa pasta, buckwheat pasta, and so on. HOWEVER! I do think this is a perfect starting place for all of these kinds of pasta. If you find your favorite version of pasta was slightly under or overdone, then just make a note to add or subtract a minute the next time. Easy Peasy.
- Add pasta to the pressure cooker pot
- Add liquid: 1 1/2 cups of liquid for every 4 ounces of pasta
- Add salt: 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt for every 1 1/2 cups liquid and 4 ounces of pasta
- Add fat: 1/2 tablespoon oil or butter for every 4 ounces of pasta
- Cook pasta for half the lowest package time, minus 2 minutes (examples below). When pressure cooking is complete, do a quick release of pressure (see below for what to do if starchy liquid spurts through valve)
- Reserve some of the starchy pasta water if you're combining it with a sauce, then drain the pasta. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process if you're not using it right away. A light drizzle of oil will keep it from sticking
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
And there you have it! Perfectly cooked pasta without the mess!
HOW TO DETERMINE COOK TIME FOR INSTANT POT PASTA
To determine the best cook time, check the suggested package cook time. Take the lowest package time, divide it in half and subtract two minutes. Here are some examples so you can feel confident in choosing the best time.
- The Whole Wheat Spiral Pasta here says to cook for 7-9 minutes. Take the lowest time (7 minutes), decrease it to 6 to get an even number, divide in half (3 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 1 minute cooking time
- The Brown Rice Macaroni Pasta here calls for 15-16 minutes. Take the lowest time (15 minutes), decrease it to 14 to get an even number, divide in half (7 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 5 minutes cooking time
- The Whole Grain Penne pasta here has a cook time of 10-12 minutes. Take the lowest time (10 minutes), divide in half (5 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 3 minutes cooking time
HOW TO REDUCE PASTA FOAM
I've learned some great tips and tricks from all of you in the comments below, here is a summary of the knowledge I've gathered over time:
- Add Fat
- Oil or butter will reduce foaming. I add about 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of pasta
- Rinse pasta
- Rinse the pasta 2 – 3 times before you cook it – I wouldn't say this is the perfect solution, but it does seem to help
- Place a trivet over the pasta
- As bubbles start to rise, the trivet will pop them and keep foam from reaching the valve. This doesn't work perfectly every time either, but again, it seems to help especially if you use a slow pressure release (discussed below)
- Intermittent Pressure Release
- Turn knob to quickly release the pressure. If starchy water starts to spray through the valve, switch the knob to a sealed position, wait 30 seconds, then switch the valve back to release, repeating this process as many times as needed – usually 2 -3 times
- Slow Pressure Release
- Turn the knob only slightly so the pressure is released slowly. This will take a bit longer but will cut down on foaming considerably and prevent overcooked pasta
- My personal go-to method
- Add fat, place a trivet over the pasta, use a quick release of the pressure and wait and see if there is going to be enough starchy water spraying out for me to want to close the knob again. Then I use the intermittent or slow-release method to release the remaining pressure.
BEST TYPES OF PASTA FOR THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Short cut pasta is ideal. Examples are elbow macaroni, penne, cavatappi, small to medium seashell, rotini, rigatoni, ziti, wheels, farfalle (butterfly), and cavatappi
- Small, delicate pasta like alphabet pasta will overcook too easily
- Gnocchi, stuffed pasta, and homemade pasta will fall apart. Add these varieties after pressure cooking is complete, then use “saute” to simmer for a few extra minutes to cook the pasta
- Long strand pasta like fettuccine and spaghetti work okay, but you need to break them in half, scatter them unevenly into the liquid so they're not in one big clump, and know there is a risk that they might stick together a bit
BEST COOKING LIQUID FOR PASTA
The best liquid for cooking pasta is water and broth, with perhaps a splash of lemon juice for flavor. Recipes that call for cooking pasta in marinara sauce or milk need to be diluted with water or broth to avoid the starch and sauce from burning to the bottom of the pot.
FAVORITE PASTA BRANDS
- Favorite Everyday Brand: De Cecco
- This brand has great flavor and the most perfect al dente chew. It also comes in a huge variety of shapes and sizes
- Favorite Whole Wheat Brand: Simply Balanced
- This brand can be found online or at Target. They have the greatest shape and size variety of whole wheat pasta for a good price
- Favorite Gluten Free Brand: Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta
- This is actually my all-time favorite pasta. It is whole grain, but mildly flavored with a wonderful soft chew
- Favorite Bean Pasta: Banza
- This is by far the best tasting and textured bean/legume pasta out there with a nice variety of shapes and sizes
IS PASTA HEALTHY?
This is a bit of a loaded question, right? Like so many foods, it depends on how they are processed and prepared. Here is my personal statement on the matter.
Refined/Enriched pasta tossed in a heavy, salty cream and butter sauce = DELICIOUS, but not so healthy.
On the other hand, Whole Grain Pasta is lower in calories and higher in fiber which is already a better scenario. To make your bowl of pasta even healthier, serve it with a vegetable-based sauce (like this Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce or Tomato Marinara) and load it with steamed or roasted veggies and healthy proteins like meat or tofu.
If that's what pasta eating looks like at your house, then high five to you, pasta is absolutely a healthy choice!
EASY PASTA RECIPES FOR THE INSTANT POT
- Whole Grain Mac and Cheese – lots of intense cheesy flavor at a fraction of the calories
- Sweet Corn and Tomato Pasta
- Pizza Mac and Cheese
- Spring Minestrone with Ricotta Chicken Meatballs
RECOMMENDED TOOLS/INGREDIENTS TO BUY AND MAKE INSTANT POT PASTA
FREE PRINTABLE: FORMULA FOR PERFECT INSTANT POT PASTA
Never look up how to cook pasta in the Instant Pot again! To receive your handy Pressure Cooker Pasta printable, simply fill out the form below.
Perfect Instant Pot Pasta
Cook your pasta to perfection without stirring, watching, or spilling starchy water all over your stove top! Pressure Cooker to the rescue!
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- pasta
- water – 1 1/2 cups for every 4 oz of pasta
- kosher salt – 1/2 teaspoon for every 1 1/2 cups of water and 4 oz of pasta
- 1/2 tablespoon oil or butter for every 4 oz of pasta
Instructions
- Add pasta, water, kosher salt and oil or butter to the pressure cooker pot (see ratios in the ingredient list).
- Note: Pasta should be just barely covered by water. If there is pasta above the water, add extra to cover.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for half of the pasta package cooking time minus 2 minutes (see notes for examples of this).
- When pressure cooking is complete, use a quick release. If liquid sprays from the knob, close knob, wait 30 seconds then release pressure again. Repeat until foam stops coming through valve. May also turn knob half way so only a small amount of steam is being released.
- Use pasta immediately or rinse with cool water to stop the cooking.
Notes
- When I published this recipe in 2017 the directions were to use 2 cups liquid to 4 ounces of pasta. I've decreased that to 1 1/2 cups liquid now because it cuts down on foaming and still cooks the pasta perfectly without sticking. I also originally wrote to divide the box cook time in half and subtract by 1 minute. I now subtract by 2 minutes for perfect al dente pasta. Feel free to use this original method if it works for you or give this new method a try and let me know how it compares for you!
- Nutritional Facts are for 1 cup of dry whole wheat pasta. Facts will vary depending on what kind of pasta is used
- Cook time Examples from above for easy reference:
- The Whole Wheat Spiral Pasta here says to cook for 7-9 minutes. Take the lowest time (7 minutes), decrease it to 6 to get an even number, divide in half (3 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 1 minute cooking time.
- The Brown Rice Macaroni Pasta here calls for 15-16 minutes. Take the lowest time (15 minutes), decrease it to 14 to get an even number, divide in half (7 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 5 minutes cooking time
- The Whole Grain Penne pasta here has a cook time of 10-12 minutes. Take the lowest time (10 minutes), divide in half (5 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 3 minutes cooking time
Keywords: pressure cooker, instant pot, instant pot pasta, easy pasta, perfectly cooked pasta
I cooked mini shells from a box meal. Cook time is 7 minutes. I cooked for 2 minutes and it still was soft. So cook for 1 minute. I bet it would be perfect. I drained excess and added a cheese sauce and it was delicious. Thank you. It was 12 oz of pasta and I used 4.5 cups broth.
Rachel, Yep, I think 1 minute will be right on the money. Was it a homemade cheese sauce?
Hi! I’m excited to try this and have a question – I’d like to add pasta to an IP chicken soup recipe. Any suggestions for putting the pasta in the soup uncooked? Or should I cook it first then add it later? Cook time for the soup is 10 minutes. Thanks~!
Long, if the cook time is too long for the pasta, I simply cook the pasta on the stovetop while the pressure cooker is cooking the soup, then add the pasta after. It’s an extra step but better than overcooked pasta :). Or you could always add it to the soup after it’s done and use the Instant Pot to boil it until it’s done. But that could over cook the other ingredients. Let me know if that helps or if I misunderstood your question!
Perfect! As suggested in previous comment, stir up the pasta in the water before cooking.
Just tried this on spaghetti and it worked wonderfully. I broke the spaghetti in half and used 3/4 cup water. I was so happy it worked, thank you so much for this post!
Karens, It’s pretty great, right!? I’m glad you liked it!
I usually like your recipes but this one was a miss for me. I cooked elbow macaroni according to your recipe and the pasta came out really soft. I definitely wouldn’t call it al dente pasta. The pasta was still edible but too soft for my liking.
For reference, I used a 16oz box of elbow macaroni and 6 cups a water, cooked it at high pressure for 2min (OG time is 8), and used quick release.
Mary Beth, Oh no, I’m sorry it didn’t work for you! Was it just regular pasta or a bean or rice pasta?
Sounds like you put too much water. Recipe states 1.5 cups per 8 ounces of pasta. I’ve seen some that say two cups. Either way, if you used 6 cups, that is at least twice the amount of water called for. If you put too much liquid, your instant pot would have taken longer to come to pressure, cooking the whole time. That could be why your pasta was overdone.
Correction to my last comment (if it happens to show up here), the recipe doesn’t state 1.5 cups per every 8 ounce, but I still think the problem is too much water.
Perfect!!! I’ll never cook pasta the old fashioned way ever again!
I love this much. Thank for sharing!
★★★★★
Kelly, it’s so handy, right!?
This was amazing. I forgot to save pasta water but it was still good. I added some vegan Italian sausage 🙂
Sounds like a great recipe. I like the idea of cooking the pasta separate from the sauce and I plan to try it soon. I was wondering how I would add some sliced mushrooms or green beans to this recipe. I am pretty much a newbie and I’m using the 3 qt. IP. I can’t wait to try this recipe. You explained everything so clearly. Will be hard to mess up. Thanks.
★★★★★
Chelsea, I’m sure you could just throw them on top of the pasta to cook, or you could saute them on the side and stir them in at the end. Depends how you like them cooked!
Worked perfectly! It was my first time trying the instant pot. I make pasta frequently and this is so handy to do it all in one pot. Perfectly cooked and not too watery. Thanks.
★★★★★
Have you tried cooking lasagna noodles?
I haven’t, I suspect they would stick together pretty bad.
I was dubious about this but it came out really great. I thought it was just a tad sticky so I may add back a little of the water, but over all I was super pleased with it. Perfectly al dente penne so simply!
★★★★★
I am. Following a keto diet. There is a very low carb pasta out there. It’s put out by the people that own the Gnom-gnom site. The pasta is called Gnooda. (I really like it). The primary ingredient is lupin flour. Would you know if this is able to be cooked in the IP, or do you think it might fall apart?
Carol, I’ve never heard of this pasta. I would very curious how it did. I’ve tried many different types of pasta though and haven’t had issues really. I’ve noticed I have to cook garbanzo bean pasta an extra minute less, but that’s about it. So maybe try it with one less minute and see. Let me know if you try! I’d love to try that pasta out.
I find every noodle works great except Spaghetti or linguine-and no matter if i break up the noodles or not, it still seems to clump, which is annoying! The recipe works amazing with all of the other ones though, I wonder if it is due to them being a bit thicker? My fam has just gotten used to me making spaghetti with rotini noodles and that’s just fine with them!
Yes, I prefer other pasta anyways! It definitely likes to clump unless I have lots of water.
I love pasta and I always want to try new versions. Thank you for your sharing because I can cook it for my family.
★★★★★
This recipe seems to be faster to cook the pasta in an instant pot than a normal pot or a pan. I can make other dishes while doing this pasta. Thanks for your sharing!
★★★★★
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Moved to 9000+ feet above sea level over a year ago, and boiling pasta is a nightmare. I don’t think I’ve even heated the water to 212 degrees yet (but boiling starts much sooner). This looks like a great option for high altitude living… and we’re looking to build at almost 11,000 feet, so I’ll need it!
I just received my new Insta pot mini ultra today and this was the first recipe I made. It sputtered and spewed foam with the quick release but I threw a towel over it and let it go. I used 2 cups of water for 8 ounces (one cup) of pasta because at 2 cups the pasta was already well-submerged. Could that have been the reason for the sputtering and spewing? I normally cook this pasta for 15 min on the stove so I did this one for 5 min pressure cook high.
★★★★★
Michelle, some pasta foams more and it might have also been the smaller pressure cooker since there wasn’t much room for the foam to expand before coming out of the valve. If thee pasta was submerged, I wouldn’t have added the extra water either, so I think you’re good there. Next time just flip the valve back shut and wait a few minutes for the bubbles to settle. The 5 minute cook time for 15 minute pasta sounds great.
This was such a lifesaver! It’s september, and our air conditioner has been out for a week. I had no desire to fire up the gas stove to boil some pasta for dinner, and this was great. Not only for not hearing up the house, but it also cold the noodles perfectly. I think it’s even quicker than on the stove because my Instant Pot builds up pressure faster than my stove can get a pot of water boiling. It also uses less water. Super efficient!
★★★★★
Beryl, yes! Exactly, so many positives to this method. Also, my daughter can do it and I don’t have to worry about her getting distracted and leaving a foaming pot of pasta on the stove.
Not al dente enough for me. Maybe next time, I will try 45 seconds rather than a minute (which was the time the formula gave me). Agree? Anyone have a better idea? Thanks!
★★★★
It worked for me so well. I am not sure the taste for many time I did but this time, it came out so impressively
Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★