Instant Pot penne pasta with jar sauce and ground beef is a simple one-pot meal that everyone enjoys. It’s similar to Ninja Foodi spaghetti made with the pressure-cooker function, but uses penne noodles for a slightly different texture and bite.
You can make this dish plain with butter or boosted with jarred spaghetti sauce and meat. Use the meaty version as a complete dinner and the buttered version as a quick, inexpensive side. Both are fast to prepare in a pressure cooker and work well with leftover cooked meat or a vegetarian option when meat is omitted.
Ninja Foodi Penne Pasta
This recipe works in most electric pressure cookers, including the Ninja Foodi. If you use a Foodi, the high-pressure function and cook times are the same. You can adapt this method to your preferred brand of pressure cooker without changing the timing.
Ground beef is a family favorite and the most commonly used protein in these kinds of recipes, but you can swap in half beef and half spicy ground sausage for more flavor, or use fully cooked leftover meat to skip the initial sauté step. You can also leave the meat out for a vegetarian version—this is essentially a base of three main ingredients: pasta, sauce (or butter), and liquid.
Ingredient Notes
A few notes on the ingredients and substitutions that keep this dish flexible and fast:
- Ground beef is the default, but ground sausage works well for a spicier flavor. If your meat is already cooked, add it after the pasta step and skip sautéing.
- Penne pasta is the suggested shape, though similar-sized shapes like medium shells or spirals will cook in the same time. Smaller shapes will hold sauce nicely; avoid very thin pastas that overcook quickly.
- Water or broth can be used for the liquid. Broth adds more flavor but check sodium levels when combined with jarred sauce to avoid oversalting.
- Jarred sauce is convenient; if you prefer, prepare a homemade spaghetti sauce first and continue with the same method. From-scratch sauce takes longer but improves flavor.
In general, pasta shapes of similar size will behave similarly under pressure. If you want a different texture, experiment with small changes to the liquid amount, but the method and timing here are reliable for most medium-size pastas.
Instant Pot Penne Pasta with Meatballs
You can substitute frozen meatballs for fresh ground meat for an even easier version. Thawed or frozen meatballs can be placed in the pot before cooking; if frozen, they will cook through with the pasta and sauce without needing an initial sauté.
Top servings with freshly grated Parmesan if desired. For a basic buttered noodle version, omit the sauce and meat and finish with butter and seasonings.
This dish stores and reheats well. Cool completely before transferring to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat in a microwave-safe bowl for about a minute, stirring once halfway through, until warmed through.
Once liquid amounts are learned, you can cook meat, pasta, and sauce together in one pot. If you prefer grains instead of pasta, try similar methods for ground beef and rice dishes using adjusted liquid and timing.
What is the ratio of penne pasta to water?
When using jarred sauce, estimate roughly a 1:1 ratio of pasta volume to liquid because the sauce contributes liquid as well. If you only use water or broth, aim for about double the pasta volume by weight for sufficient cooking liquid. Broth enhances flavor but check salt levels to prevent oversalting.
Tips
- When making the meaty version, the sauce will thicken as it rests. If left on “keep warm” for a long time, food can stick—unplug the device once finished if it will not be served immediately.
- After cooking, resealing the pot briefly and letting the pasta sit can help it absorb sauce and thicken nicely between servings.
- If you want a cheesy browned top, use an air-fryer or oven-safe step after cooking to melt and brown cheese.
Instant Pot Penne Pasta Recipe
Author: Justine
How to make Instant Pot penne pasta with ground beef or plain buttered noodles. This one-pot method works in most electric pressure cookers and delivers a fast, family-friendly meal.
Equipment
- Electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or similar)
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 lb ground beef or ground sausage
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 24 oz jarred spaghetti sauce
- 1 3/4 cups water or low-sodium broth
- 2 cups penne pasta (uncooked)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 small onion, diced
Instructions
- Set the pressure cooker to sauté and heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef, diced onion, and garlic. Break up the meat and cook until no longer pink on the outside. Turn the pot off and use a wooden spatula to scrape up any stuck bits from the bottom.
- Pour in the jarred sauce and the water or broth. Add the pasta on top and gently press it down so the noodles touch the liquid, but do not stir.
- Seal the lid and close the steam valve. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Perform a quick release, open the lid, and stir to combine. Serve immediately with shredded Parmesan if desired.
Variations
For a meatball version, add thawed or frozen meatballs to the pot before cooking and follow the same timing. For buttered noodles without sauce, cook smaller pasta shapes with more water, then finish with butter and seasonings.
Nutrition (approx.)
Serving: 2 oz equivalent; Calories: ~244 kcal; Protein: ~14 g; Fat: ~18 g; Carbohydrates: ~7 g. Nutrition values are estimates and should be used as a guideline only.
Additional Info
Course: Entree, Main Course. Cuisine: American, Italian.
To make buttered noodles without sauce, use about 3 cups of smaller pasta shapes (small penne, shells, or egg noodles) and 5 cups of water or broth. Add a splash of oil to prevent sticking, season with salt and pepper, pressure cook for 2 minutes with a quick release, then finish with butter. If desired, add jarred sauce after cooking instead of cooking it together.
Pasta reheats well—cool completely before storing in airtight containers and refrigerate for a day or two. Reheat covered in the microwave for about one minute, stirring halfway through until warmed evenly.
