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Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan options)

September 20, 2016 By Johnna 32 Comments

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Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan options) | In Johnna's Kitchen

Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan options)

The past couple of months, I’ve been experimenting with the Instant Pot. I have not come across a single kitchen tool that allows me to so effortlessly cook healthy meals in a minimal amount of time. Plus I don’t have to stand there and tend it–it takes care of itself. Think of it like a Crockpot or slow cooker, only in a very short amount of time.  I call my Instant Pot the Time Machine. It is like it travels forward in time and beep, beep, beep…dinner is ready! I’ve enjoyed making macaroni and cheese in just a few minutes, making refried beans that provide great burrito fillings all week long and lots of cheese grits.

Today I’m sharing my 5-ingredient recipe for Pasta with Meat Sauce. Once the Instant Pot comes to pressure, it’s 8 minutes of cook time, 8 minutes of natural pressure release, then a short quick release and it’s ready to eat. How about that? And if you are like me, eating a meat substitute instead of browning ground meat, you won’t need to do a single thing ahead of time. (Don’t worry, omnivorous friends, it will only take a few minutes longer for you and no additional pans or cookware…)

Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan options) | In Johnna's Kitchen

Let’s talk a minute about the Instant Pot. I have the six-quart duo, which means it has high and low temperature settings. I haven’t come across many recipes that use the low temperature setting except yogurt.  If you don’t plan to make yogurt, you’ll do just fine with the basic six-quart Instant Pot which will save you a few dollars. I got mine on Prime Day from Amazon and am so hopeful it will soon be offered at that incredible price again so more of you can get in on this goodness.

And a few words on ingredients: It’s not often I include instructions for adding meat to a recipe because I am vegetarian. But I have to tell you, many meat eaters enjoy my recipes with simple additions of meat.  This recipe works with ground meat, Beyond Meat which is a meat substitute or crumbled tempeh, which is a cultured soy alternative to meat. Something to work for everyone here.

As for pasta, I’ve used Banza. I just don’t find myself enjoying other gluten-free pasta as much as Banza. The ingredients are super simple, it’s high in protein and lower in carbs than the alternatives and the texture is nice. It also reheats well when we have leftovers, which is pretty important in our small household where leftovers are common.

Sauce! I used the organic marinara from ALDI for the first couple of batches of this, then switched to a pasta sauce from Trader Joe’s and finally tried a canned pasta sauce made with a friend’s garden harvest.  Every sauce I’ve tried has worked just fine.

Alright! Ready for the recipe? I am! Click below for the super easy, quick and simple recipe to make Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan options)!

click here for recipe

Pages: 1 2

Filed Under: In the Kitchen Tagged With: banza, crockpot, dairy-free, dinner, egg-free, entree, instant pot, pasta, slow cooker, vegan, vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Jenni says

    September 21, 2016 at 8:23 PM

    I keep hearing awesome things about Instant Pots! I need to look into one!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      September 22, 2016 at 1:35 PM

      I am sure enjoying mine, Jenni!

      Reply
  2. Megan @ MegUnprocessed says

    September 22, 2016 at 5:12 AM

    Looks great!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      September 22, 2016 at 1:36 PM

      Thanks!

      Reply
  3. Christie says

    September 22, 2016 at 5:37 AM

    I need to get an instant pot! I have a pressure cooker so I think they’re pretty much the same, but everyone is talking about these!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      September 22, 2016 at 1:37 PM

      I do think they are much like a pressure cooker, only with more bells and whistles. I had used a traditional pressure cooker for canning before and also for cooking dried beans. The Instant Pot also works like a slow cooker, has a saute feature and a yogurt setting, as well as lots of other things I haven’t even figured out yet. Some models are even Bluetooth-enabled!

      Reply
  4. Samantha | My Kitchen Love says

    September 22, 2016 at 12:43 PM

    These instant pots are really getting around! I need to get one to see what all the fuss is about. Your pasta dish looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      September 22, 2016 at 1:38 PM

      I wasn’t convinced I needed another kitchen gadget, Samantha, but now wish I would have bought one sooner! Yesterday I cooked a whole butternut squash in it. Makes so many things super easy. (Also, I feel like I’m on an infomercial every time I get so excited about this thing. 😉 )

      Reply
  5. cheri says

    September 22, 2016 at 9:29 PM

    Never heard of the instant-pot before, looks like it does an amazing job, looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      September 26, 2016 at 2:53 PM

      Such a handy kitchen appliance! Certainly not the stovetop pressure cooker that caused much anxiety in the old days!

      Reply
  6. Laurie says

    October 24, 2016 at 9:28 PM

    I recently bought an off brand pressure cooker after seeing all the great things you’ve been making with your Instant Pot. Today I made my first meal in my cooker using this recipe. It was awesome! I used ground beef and substituted the noodles for non GF noodles. The instructions worked exactly the same as the Instant Pot. Thanks for this!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      October 27, 2016 at 12:53 PM

      Yay! I’m so excited it worked well and really glad to hear a review from a brand other than Instant Pot.

      Reply
  7. Carla says

    March 6, 2017 at 4:52 PM

    Have you made this using brown rice pasta? How did it come out? I can’t have chickpeas and I think the brand you recommend is made from them. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      March 7, 2017 at 12:32 PM

      Hi Carla! This recipe has been used by so many people now using a variety of pastas, from “regular” (with gluten) pasta to quinoa/rice pastas. I have personally used the brown rice spaghetti from Trader Joe’s with this recipe and it turned out great!

      Reply
      • Carla Martin says

        March 7, 2017 at 1:43 PM

        Great, thanks for the fast response!

        Reply
      • Andre L. Tosch Jr says

        April 5, 2018 at 7:51 PM

        What size instant pot are you using?

        Reply
        • Johnna says

          May 8, 2018 at 12:48 PM

          I am using a six-quart Instant Pot.

          Reply
  8. Roxanna White says

    March 9, 2017 at 3:47 PM

    Quick question. The gluten free pastas can get soft really fast. I haven’t tried my GF Pasta in the instant pot because I only like gf pasta al dente. Does doing it in the IP make it a softer pasta or no??

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      March 12, 2017 at 1:46 PM

      I am having better luck with gluten-free pasta in the pressure cooker than other cooking methods. That said, I am a big fan of Banza chickpea pasta because it tends to maintain a good texture, even when being re-heated.

      Reply
  9. Jo Zimny says

    March 4, 2018 at 7:18 AM

    I cooked some gluten free pasta in my instant pot and it came out mushy, same with white rice. I don’t see any recipes for either of these things in the recipe book (I have a Mueller) I am in the experimental stages with my pot and recommend that if you’re going to cook white rice or gluten free pasta lower the cooking time/temperature since these products are delicate and can’t handle the pressure like higher gluten products. This is what I’m doing and hopefully next time things will come out better. But, I have to say, after I cooked a Field Blend of brown rices in my pot it came out “perfect!” Was I pleased. So you learn what works and what doesn’t.

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      March 12, 2018 at 9:44 AM

      This recipe was made with gluten-free pasta, Banza to be specific. It’s also been tested by my team of cookbook recipe testers (so excited about this upcoming pressure cooker cookbook!) with multiple brands of gluten-free pasta, including Barilla and the Trader Joe’s private labeled offerings. No one has had trouble with the times included in this recipe turning the pasta to mush. I don’t recommend adjusting the time or pressure level in this recipe, as it works well as shared here.

      Reply
      • Myrna says

        May 18, 2020 at 8:50 PM

        Agree, Johnna. The times you provided in your recipe work perfectly with the Banza pasta, which is chick pea based.

        Reply
  10. Kit says

    June 17, 2018 at 7:00 PM

    Is there a way to make meatballs with this instead of just meat sauce? Can it all be cooked as a one pot meal?

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      August 1, 2018 at 11:59 AM

      I’m not sure on the meatball question. I only make it with ground “meat” (a meat substitute).

      Reply
  11. Sutton says

    October 29, 2018 at 12:07 AM

    Do you need to alter the time and liquid if you’re only cooking the pasta?

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      March 22, 2019 at 10:46 PM

      Do you mean only cooking pasta in tomato sauce? If so, no, you don’t need to alter the time. I don’t recommend cooking pasta in water only in the IP though. It’s a foamy mess and takes a long time to safely release the pressure.

      Reply
  12. Erica says

    October 11, 2019 at 3:43 PM

    This is a weekly meal and a family favorite! Any idea if you could do a double batch for a crowd in the 6qt? And if the liquid or cooking time would change?

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      October 29, 2019 at 7:08 AM

      I haven’t had good luck doubling this. I doubled everything exactly and left the cooking time the same, but had issues with pasta clumping.

      Reply
  13. Erica says

    January 6, 2023 at 2:51 PM

    What are the nutritional stats and servings for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      January 6, 2023 at 3:37 PM

      Hi there! Thanks for dropping by. The nutritional stats would depend on what type of pasta, what brand of sauce and what meat or meat substitute is used. There are many nutritional calculators available online that are helpful with the specific ingredients used. As far as servings, that is up to you. That’s going to depend on how hearty an eater you are serving. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Jason says

    February 8, 2023 at 9:13 PM

    This is a fantastic recipe. We use it over and over again. We start with sweating a half onion then adding the protein. We exchange 2/3 cup of the 2 cups of water for red wine. We often add sliced red peppers and sliced small carrots. So good and so easy to make after a long day at work!

    Reply
    • Johnna says

      February 13, 2023 at 1:13 PM

      Oh, how I love reading this! Thanks for sharing your modifications and delicious additions. This has to be heavenly!

      Reply

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sidebarWelcome! I'm Johnna and this is my kitchen... You'll find gluten-free food, fun and travel here, from original recipes to travel and dining recommendations along with tips on simply having fun. Pull up a chair, join me at my kitchen table! Read More

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