Instant Pot ground beef pasta is a quick weeknight dinner that’s made with a few simple ingredients. This easy dinner recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Pasta is one of my favorite things to make in the Instant Pot. The Instant Pot is a super simple, hands-off way to make pasta.
This Instant Pot ground beef pasta recipe is an easy weeknight dinner recipe. The pasta is made with just a few simple ingredients, but it has great flavor.
It’s also pretty quick. The recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes!
How to make Instant Pot ground beef pasta
Step 1: Press sauté. When the Instant Pot reads hot, add the ground beef.
Step 2: Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the meat has browned.
Step 3: Stir in the onion, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the garlic, and cook, stirring the entire time, for 30 seconds. Press cancel.
Step 5: Add 1/2 cup broth, and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Step 6: Add the pasta, and pour the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups broth over the pasta.
Step 7: Add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Do not stir.
Step 8: Close and lock the lid. Be sure that the pressure release vent is set to sealing. Press manual high pressure, and adjust the cooking time to 4 minutes.
Step 9: When the cooking time has finished, carefully do a controlled quick release. Unlock and remove the lid.
Step 10: Give the pasta a good stir.
Step 11: Add the heavy cream, and stir in.
Step 12: Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips
- I use 85 or 88% lean ground beef in this recipe. It’s lean enough that there isn’t a lot of fat but not so lean that it dries out.
- Ground Italian sausage would also work well in this recipe.
- I like to use reduced-sodium beef broth to lower the sodium level.
- For less noticeable pieces of tomato, use petite diced tomatoes.
- If you use a smaller shape of pasta, like elbow macaroni, decrease the cooking time to 3 minutes. If you’re using a larger shape, like rigatoni, increase the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- The recipe can be doubled in a 6 quart Instant Pot. There’s no need to adjust the cooking time; the pot will just take longer to come to pressure.
Storage
Store any remaining pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The pasta will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored.
Instant Pot Ground Beef Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta like penne
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Press sauté.
- When the Instant Pot reads hot, add the ground beef.
- Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the meat has browned.
- Stir in the onion, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook, stirring the entire time, for 30 seconds.
- Press cancel.
- Add 1/2 cup broth, and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the pasta, and pour the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups broth over the pasta.
- Add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Do not stir.
- Close and lock the lid. Be sure that the pressure release vent is set to sealing.
- Press manual high pressure, and adjust the cooking time to 4 minutes.
- When the cooking time has finished, carefully do a controlled quick release.
- Unlock and remove the lid.
- Give the pasta a good stir.
- Add the heavy cream, and stir in.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- I use 85 or 88% lean ground beef in this recipe. It’s lean enough that there isn’t a lot of fat but not so lean that it dries out.
- Ground Italian sausage would also work well in this recipe.
- I like to use reduced-sodium beef broth to lower the sodium level.
- For less noticeable pieces of tomato, use petite diced tomatoes.
- If you use a smaller shape of pasta, like elbow macaroni, decrease the cooking time to 3 minutes. If you’re using a larger shape, like rigatoni, increase the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- The recipe can be doubled in a 6 quart Instant Pot. There’s no need to adjust the cooking time; the pot will just take longer to come to pressure.
- 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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Used penne and it was still pretty hard after a 4 minute pressure cook. 5 minutes seemed to be the right time for mine. Great recipe otherwise, just might depend on the exact brand of pasta!
Hi! Thanks! Yes, there does seem to be some variation between brands and shapes. If you find that the pasta isn’t quite as tender as you’d like, you can set the lid back on and leave it for about 5 minutes, and that will usually do the trick.
Why do you say a “controlled quick release” in your instructions? I thought there was only “quick release” and “natural release”. I don’t see anything like “controlled quick release”!
A controlled quick release is when you turn the valve to pressure release until it starts to spurt liquid. You then turn it to sealing and then back to release after a few seconds. This helps to minimize the starchy water spray that often occurs when making pasta in the Instant Pot.