This easy Instant Pot Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with spinach comes together in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect one-pot meal for busy weeknights. It’s satisfying, quick, kid-friendly and so good you’ll want to make it again and again.
Table of Contents
Do you love easy recipes? This one is a true weeknight winner: simple to make, family-approved, and ready fast. The Instant Pot lets you cook everything in one pot—no separate boiling of pasta, no extra pans, no starchy splatters.
This Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is reliably good and fast. After testing the pasta-to-water ratio a few times, the method here gives tender, well-cooked pasta without excess liquid. A quick stir when it’s done separates any clumps, and finishing with spinach and Parmesan creates a creamy, flavorful dish the whole family will enjoy.
Tips for Cooking Pasta in the Instant Pot
A few practical tips before you start—especially useful if you plan to tweak the recipe:
There’s a particular pasta-to-water ratio.
Ratios vary by pasta shape and whether you want extra sauce. For a one-pot dish that absorbs most of the liquid, use about 1 cup of water per 4 ounces of dry pasta. If you don’t mind extra liquid or plan to transfer the pasta, use 1¼–1½ cups per 4 ounces for more even cooking.
Season with salt.
Season the cooking liquid as you would pasta water. Add about ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt for every 1–1½ cups of liquid per 4 ounces of pasta, adjusting to taste.
Add fat to prevent sticking and foaming.
Pasta cooked under pressure can stick or cause foaming. Add ¼ to ½ tablespoon oil or butter per 4 ounces of pasta and mix gently so the noodles are coated. Long pasta shapes benefit from being broken in half and fanned out to avoid clumping.
Determine the cooking time.
A simple rule: take the lowest cook time on the package, divide by two, then subtract two. Use that number of minutes at high pressure. Make small adjustments (+/- 1 minute) based on your texture preference and pasta type.
Want more easy Instant Pot recipes?
Try other one-pot Instant Pot favorites for quick, family-friendly dinners. These meals are simple, flavorful, and great for busy nights.
Instant Pot Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
This easy Instant Pot Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is the perfect one-pot meal for busy weeknights. It’s satisfying, quick, kid-friendly, and so good you’ll make it again and again.
- Prep Time:
15 minutes - Total Time:
30 minutes - Makes:
4–6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil (from one 8.5-ounce jar), drained and chopped, plus 2 tablespoons oil reserved
- 8 ounces uncooked sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 4 1/4 cups water
- 16 ounces dry linguine, penne, rigatoni or pasta of choice (white or whole wheat)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon flour (optional)
- Juice from ½ lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Sauté the sausage, onion and garlic. Set Instant Pot to Sauté (Normal). Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil. When hot, add sausage, onion and garlic. Break up the sausage with a spoon and cook 7–9 minutes until the sausage is cooked and the onion is tender. Press Cancel.
- Cook the pasta. Transfer the sausage mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the other tablespoon of reserved oil to the pot, then add the water, salt, and pasta. Break longer pasta like linguine in half and fan it out so it’s not all aligned. Gently stir to coat, secure the lid, and set to Pressure Cook (High) for 8 minutes.
- Do a 1-minute quick release. When cooking finishes, wait 1 minute, then quick-release the remaining pressure. Open the lid and stir the noodles to separate any that stuck together.
- Finish the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (Low). Add the flour (if using), lemon juice, half-and-half, reserved sausage, spinach, and Parmesan. Stir frequently for 2–3 minutes until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts into a creamy sauce.
- Garnish and serve. Divide among bowls and top with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Ingredient tips
- Pasta: Linguine, rigatoni, and whole wheat ziti have all worked well with 8 minutes high pressure and a 1-minute quick release.
- Sausage: Chicken or pork Italian sausage both work. Cook extra sausage ahead and freeze any leftovers.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Jarred tomatoes in oil provide the best flavor. If using dried tomatoes, soak them in olive oil for several hours or in a mix of hot water and oil for 15–20 minutes. If you don’t have oil-packed tomatoes, use olive oil when sautéing and pressure cooking.
Prep
- Chop the onion and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Peel or press the garlic.
- Shred the Parmesan.
Kids can help
- Toddlers can measure ingredients, peel garlic, and help with simple tasks.
- Older children can help chop (with supervision) and assist with measuring and stirring.
Nutrition note
Nutrition values are estimated for six servings made with sweet Italian chicken sausage and whole wheat linguine.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 476
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 763 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
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