Easy Instant Pot cavatini recipe that’s made entirely in one pot! This easy pasta turns ground beef and pasta into a quick dinner.
If you’ve never had cavatini, you’re in for a treat! Cavatini is usually a casserole that’s made with pasta, a meat sauce, and cooked veggies like onion and bell pepper.
Cavatini is sort of like a supreme pizza meets a pasta dish. The great thing about Instant Pot cavatini is that everything is made entirely in one pot, it’s ready in about 30 minutes, and because the pasta cooks in the sauce, it’s packed with flavor.
How to make Instant Pot cavatini
Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot. When it is HOT, add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the inner pot.
Cook, stirring to break the ground beef and sausage up, until no longer pink. Drain the fat and return the ground beef and sausage to the inner pot.
Stir in the onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic, and cook, stirring the entire time, for 30 seconds. Press CANCEL.
Pour in the red wine, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot. Add dry pasta, 2 cups water, tomatoes with juice, and spaghetti sauce.
Close and lock the lid. Turn the pressure release valve to SEALING.
Press MANUAL high pressure and adjust the time to 4 minutes. When the cooking time is finished, carefully release the pressure by turning the pressure release valve to VENTING.
Add the chopped pepperoni, 2 cups of mozzarella, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Stir in.
Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.
Tips
- Ground beef: I use either 85% or 90% lean ground beef in this recipe. I don’t use leaner ground beef in this recipe because it can dry out.
- Italian sausage: You want the ground Italian sausage. You can use regular or hot.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add in 1 cup of washed and sliced button mushrooms along with the onion and green pepper.
- Red wine: You can use chicken or beef broth in place of the red wine.
- Pasta: If you use another type of pasta, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Italian tomatoes: The tomatoes that I use have basil, garlic, and oregano in them. If you want to use diced tomatoes, add ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and increase the garlic to 3 cloves.
- Spaghetti sauce: Feel free to use any sauce you like.
- Pepperoni: The pepperoni that you want to use is cooked and sliced pepperoni.
Serving suggestions
I serve this pasta with a simple green salad for a quick weeknight dinner. If I have more time, I add some homemade garlic bread or garlic knots on the side.
Storage
The cavatini will keep for up to 4 days when stored covered in the fridge.
Instant Pot Cavatini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced green pepper
- ¼ cup red wine
- 8 ounce package penne pasta
- 2 cups water
- 2-14.5 ounce cans Italian diced tomatoes
- 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 8 ounce package sliced pepperoni chopped
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot.
- When it is HOT, add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the inner pot.
- Cook, stirring to break the ground beef and sausage up, until no longer pink.
- Drain the fat and return the ground beef and sausage to the inner pot.
- Stir in the onion and green pepper.
- Cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook, stirring the entire time, for 30 seconds.
- Press CANCEL.
- Pour in the red wine, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add dry pasta, 2 cups water, tomatoes with juice, and spaghetti sauce.
- Close and lock the lid.
- Turn the pressure release valve to SEALING.
- Press MANUAL high pressure and adjust the time to 4 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, carefully release the pressure by turning the pressure release valve to VENTING.
- Add the chopped pepperoni, 2 cups of mozzarella, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.
- Stir in.
- Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Ground beef: I use either 85% or 90% lean ground beef in this recipe. I don't use leaner ground beef in this recipe because it can dry out.
- Italian sausage: You want the ground Italian sausage. You can use regular or hot.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add in 1 cup of washed and sliced button mushrooms along with the onion and green pepper.
- Red wine: You can use chicken or beef broth in place of the red wine.
- Pasta: If you use another type of pasta, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Italian tomatoes: The tomatoes that I use have basil, garlic, and oregano in them. If you want to use diced tomatoes, add ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and increase the garlic to 3 cloves.
- Spaghetti sauce: Feel free to use any sauce you like.
- Pepperoni: The pepperoni that you want to use is cooked and sliced pepperoni.
- Nutritional values
Julie
Hi, I'm in Australia and am unable to purchase ground Italian sausage. Can you tell me what I can use please. We have ground pork so am thinking that I can add something to it maybe. Thanks
Kate
Hi! The easiest substitution would be to use ground beef in place of the Italian sausage. Ground pork could also work. If you use ground beef or ground pork, I would recommend adding a pinch of fennel. Hope that helps!
Sarah
Huge hit with the fam! Thanks for sharing!
Kate
Thank you!
Lily
Better then the Hut for sure!
Kate
Thanks!
Brittney
Better then Pizza Hut buffet!
Kate
Thanks!