Easy Instant Pot cheesy kielbasa pasta recipe! This quick pasta recipe takes less than 30 minutes total to make. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Instant Pot cheesy kielbasa pasta is a family favorite! My kids love the cheesy pasta, and I love how easy it is to make.
The pasta makes a great weeknight dinner because it takes less than 30 minutes to make. This simple, kid-friendly pasta dish is easy to change up to suit your tastes and what you have on hand!
Ingredient notes
- Kielbasa: You can use any type of kielbasa that you like.
- Onion: I use white or yellow onion.
- Penne pasta: Feel free to use a similar short pasta, like ziti, if you prefer.
- Chicken broth: I use reduced-sodium chicken broth.
- Diced tomatoes: You can use regular diced tomatoes, Italian diced tomatoes, or diced tomatoes with green chiles if you would like.
- Milk: Any milk – from skim milk to whole milk will work.
- Cheese: I like to use extra sharp cheese. Mild or medium would also work. Also, feel free to use less cheese if you would like.
How to make Instant Pot cheesy kielbasa pasta
Step 1: Press sauté. When hot, add the sliced sausage.
Step 2: Stir the sausage as it cooks. When heated through, remove the sausage to a dish.
Step 3: Add the diced onion to the now-empty inner pot. Scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pot as you cook the onion. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring regularly. Press cancel.
Step 5: Add the pasta to the inner pot.
Step 6: Pour in the chicken broth. Gently press the pasta into the broth.
Step 7: Pour the diced tomatoes with juices over the pasta. Do not stir.
Step 8: Press manual high pressure and adjust time to 4 minutes. When the cooking time has finished, quickly release the pressure. Unlock and release the lid.
Step 9: Give everything a good stir.
Step 10: Add the milk and cheddar cheese. Stir in until the cheese has melted.
Step 11: Add the cooked sausage, and stir in.
Recipe FAQs
You can! Sometimes I sauté diced bell peppers in with the onion.
No, you can use less cheese if you would like.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The pasta will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored.
More Instant Pot pasta recipes!
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Instant Pot Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-12 ounce packages kielbasa sliced
- 1 ½ cups diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounce box penne pasta
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup milk
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Press sauté.
- When hot, add the sliced sausage.
- Stir the sausage as it cooks.
- When heated through, remove the sausage to a dish.
- Add the diced onion to the now-empty inner pot.
- Scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pot as you cook the onion.
- Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring regularly.
- Press cancel.
- Add the pasta to the inner pot.
- Pour in the chicken broth.
- Gently press the pasta into the broth.
- Pour the diced tomatoes with juices over the pasta. Do not stir.
- Press manual high pressure and adjust time to 4 minutes.
- When the cooking time has finished, quickly release the pressure.
- Unlock and release the lid.
- Give everything a good stir.
- Add the milk and cheddar cheese.
- Stir in until the cheese has melted.
- Add the cooked sausage, and stir in.
Notes
- Kielbasa: You can use any type of kielbasa that you like.
- Onion: I use white or yellow onion.
- Penne pasta: Feel free to use a similar short pasta, like ziti, if you prefer.
- Chicken broth: I use reduced-sodium chicken broth.
- Diced tomatoes: You can use regular diced tomatoes, Italian diced tomatoes, or diced tomatoes with green chiles if you would like.
- Milk: Any milk – from skim milk to whole milk will work.
- Cheese: I like to use extra sharp cheese. Mild or medium would also work. Also, feel free to use less cheese if you would like.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
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Did You Make This?
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Can you double the recipe? And if you do, does the cooking time remain the same or do you have to double it as well? Want to try this for dinner tonight and am feeding 5 (one being a hungry teenager).
You can! I’ve doubled this recipe, and I keep the cooking time the same. The pot takes longer to come to pressure, but the cooking time will be the same.
So easy to make and it turned out awesome
Thanks! I’m so glad it worked well for you!
It was a bummer that the cheese separated and became so grainy. I’ve always waited for pasta to cool before adding cheese (and milk), or add dairy that’s been warmed. The entire pot was too far gone to save. Do you add the cheese and milk cold to the piping hot pasta? Or do you wait? Would love to know how you avoid this issue!
That is a bummer! I always add the cheese while the pasta is warm, and then I stir in the milk (cold). I’ve never had any issues with it separating, and the warmth helps the cheese to melt. What type of cheese did you use? I’ve seen other people say (in an Instant Pot Facebook group) that they’ve had issues with the cheese getting grainy, so I wonder if it’s certain types or brands.
Do you use fresh cheese and grate or shredded cheese? If shredded what brand
I’ve used both at different times in this recipe. I’ve used Great Value, Hy-Vee’s store brand, and Kirkland shredded cheese when making this recipe. I’ve never had an issue with any of those brands.
What size instant pot did you use? Can I use a 3 quart instant pot?
Hi! I use a 6 quart for this recipe. I haven’t tried a 3 quart with this recipe, but I think it would be pretty full. If you halve the recipe, I think that would work better for a 3 quart.
It’s a bummer, but this one was a dud for me. Not sure what I did wrong, been cooking with a pressure cooker for years, but the end result was soupy. I’ll try a variation of this on the stove top again to see if it’s just my jnstant pot
Did you use a different sized box of pasta? Many of the pasta companies have gone to a 12 ounce box of pasta. Otherwise, I’m not sure why this would have turned out soupy as 4 cups of cooking liquid to 16 ounces of pasta is the standard ratio for the Instant Pot.
I only have a crockpot but this sounds delicious. Can I make it in a crockpot instead? What adjustments would need to be made ?
Thanks! I haven’t made this in the crock pot to say for certain. I can tell you when I make ziti in the crock pot (8 ounces) that it takes 3 hours on high, but, again, I haven’t converted this recipe to say for certain.
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Yes, you can halve the ingredients. The cooking time will remain the same.
Do I have to use the milk and what can I used in place of the milk?
Are you looking for a milk replacement due to dietary concerns? If so, using a plant-based milk like unsweetened almond milk would work.
Bomb Dot Com!
Thank you!
I halved the recipe since it’s just my daughter and me, and made it in a 3 quart instant pot. I followed the instructions to a T. Very good, will make it again. Thank you!
Thank you! I’m glad that you enjoyed it!
This was fantastic. I used fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes which gave it a good flavor as well. My kids enjoyed it!
Thank you!
This was a big hit with the kids. Even my picky eater wanted seconds. Thanks for the recipes!
Thanks! This is one of my kids’ favorites, too.
I love your recipes and have just subscribed to your blog. Are you on Pinterest with this blog so I can follow?
Thank you.
Christy S.
Thank you so much! Yes, you can find me here on Pinterest.