35 min
Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
Italian sausage, broken lasagna noodles and tomato broth deliver the comfort of lasagna with a ricotta-mozzarella finish and one pot to wash.
Photo: zenjiro / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Instant Pot Family Dinners
Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Mild Italian sausage, penne, tomato sauce and sweet roasted peppers make a one-pot pasta built for nights when cleanup matters.
Directions
Brown the sausage
Select Sauté and cook sausage and onion for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking the meat into bite-size crumbles, until no pink remains. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
Deglaze
Pour in 1 cup broth and scrape the base until completely smooth. Add the remaining broth and cancel Sauté.
Layer pasta and sauce
Scatter penne evenly over the liquid and press gently so most pieces are wet. Spoon marinara over the pasta and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Do not stir.
Pressure cook
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. Allow a 5-minute natural release, then vent the remaining pressure in controlled bursts, pausing if starchy foam appears.
Fold in peppers
Open when the float valve drops. Stir thoroughly from the bottom, then fold in roasted peppers and spinach. Rest uncovered 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce clings to the pasta and spinach wilts.
Finish
Stir in half the Parmesan and serve the rest at the table. Taste before adding salt because sausage, sauce and cheese are already seasoned.
Why this works
Why it worksJarred roasted peppers add sweet pepper flavor after pressure cooking without becoming watery or mushy.
Why it worksDeglazing after browning sausage prevents stuck proteins from triggering the burn warning.
Why it worksThe sauce thickens during a short rest as the pasta releases and reabsorbs starch.
Useful kitchen gear
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Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use fully cooked chicken sausage sliced into coins; sauté only long enough to brown it.
- Substitute rigatoni or ziti with similar package cook time.
- For a creamy finish, stir in 1/3 cup half-and-half only after pressure cooking.
Cook notes
- This recipe uses mild sausage; serve red-pepper flakes separately.
- Roasted peppers go in after the pressure cycle for better texture.
- Do not fill above the half-full line when cooking foaming or expanding pasta.
- Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker; follow the minimum-liquid, fill-limit and release instructions for your exact model.
- Never force the lid. Open only after pressure is fully released and the float valve has dropped.
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 4 days and reheat to 165°F with a small splash of broth. Freeze for up to 2 months; pasta will soften slightly after thawing.
Questions
Can I use fresh bell peppers?
Yes. Sauté strips for 3 minutes before browning the sausage, remove them and fold them back in after pressure cooking.
Why is the sauce thin when I open the lid?
Stir and wait 3 to 5 minutes. Pasta continues absorbing liquid; use Sauté-Low for 1 minute only if it remains too loose.
Can I add cheese before pressure cooking?
No. Dairy can separate or scorch. Add Parmesan, mozzarella, cream or ricotta only after the lid is open.
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Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers Pasta
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1. Brown the sausageSelect Sauté and cook sausage and onion for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking the meat into bite-size crumbles, until no pink remains. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
2. DeglazePour in 1 cup broth and scrape the base until completely smooth. Add the remaining broth and cancel Sauté.
3. Layer pasta and sauceScatter penne evenly over the liquid and press gently so most pieces are wet. Spoon marinara over the pasta and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Do not stir.
4. Pressure cookLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. Allow a 5-minute natural release, then vent the remaining pressure in controlled bursts, pausing if starchy foam appears.
5. Fold in peppersOpen when the float valve drops. Stir thoroughly from the bottom, then fold in roasted peppers and spinach. Rest uncovered 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce clings to the pasta and spinach wilts.
6. FinishStir in half the Parmesan and serve the rest at the table. Taste before adding salt because sausage, sauce and cheese are already seasoned.