Start by add 3 cups of water to the Instant Pot. If you are using stock, you can simply add stock instead of water. Then add the bouillon to the water. You can also skip the bouillon, I highly recommend it – it takes the flavor to a whole new level.
Then add the onion powder and garlic powder.
Add the olive oil and then the marinara sauce/pasta sauce.
Then add the pasta and mix with a spatula. The penne should be just under the level of the water.
Then cover the lid of the Instant Pot and Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. As soon as the cooking cycle is over, perform a quick release of pressure and open the lid. Hit cancel to turn off the Instant Pot. Do not let it continue to cook in ‘Keep Warm’ mode, as this will cause the sauce to dry up.
Add the parmesan cheese and the cream and mix gently to combine. Your creamy Instant Pot pasta is done. Serve hot!
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Notes
Make sure that the level of water in the Instant Pot just covers the level of dried pasta. If there is not enough liquid in the Instant Pot, the pasta can be undercooked.
Sometimes when cooking Instant Pot pasta, the IP can trigger a ‘Food Burn’ error. This can happen if you are using a very thick tomato-based sauce or if your sauce has too much cheese or cream. You need to also check to see that there is no residue stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot, as this will also trigger a Burn notice.
You can replace the penne in this recipe with spaghetti noodles, however, you need to break up the spaghetti in half and spread them in the Instant Pot. This will prevent the noodles from clumping together.
To add to the nutritional value of the dish, add a handful of baby spinach or broccoli florets or peas at the end of the recipe after you open the lid. Then close the lid without letting too much steam escape. Open the lid after 4 minutes. The veggies will cook in the residual steam of the Instant Pot, and you can then mix them in with the pasta.