Bow Tie Pasta with Sauce | Instant Pot
This recipe for Instant Pot Bow Tie Pasta features a rich, savory meat sauce that cooks at the same time as the pasta for a super-fast weeknight dinner that’s kid- and adult-approved.
Why You’ll Love Making Bow-Tie Pasta in an Instant Pot
This recipe uses ingredients that you likely already have on hand, including canned tomatoes and pasta. It’s a forgiving dinner dish that comes together in one pot in a few minutes.
We originally developed this recipe years ago using a Cook’s Illustrated recipe in combination with my go-to easy pasta sauce.
We’re always using our Instant Pot to make easy pasta recipes for family dinners, and this is one of our favorites, along with Chicken Bacon Pasta in a Garlic Cream Sauce and Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo Pasta.
We’ve updated this post with new photos and tips to make this the snappiest dinner you’ve ever made!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
Here’s what you need for easy Instant Pot bow tie pasta:
- Olive oil. You’ll need this to saute your sausage or beef in the pressure cooker.
- Sausage or ground beef. We use ground sausage or lean beef.
- Alliums. Flavor your pasta dish with onion and garlic.
- Farfalle. Also known as bow tie pasta!
- Seasonings. We flavor this pasta dish with dried basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
- Crushed tomatoes. Look for pureed tomatoes for the sauciness.
How to Make Sausage Pasta in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
You’ll start making the pasta sauce by sauteing the aromatics. Add the olive oil to the pressure cooking pot and select Sauté to heat the pot. Then add the sausage, onion, and garlic and cook until the meat is starting to brown, stirring occasionally.
If a lot of fat or liquid has accumulated in the bottom of the pot, drain it. Then add the water, pasta, spices, and salt and stir well. Finally, add the can of crushed tomatoes and dried parsley on top, and do not stir.
Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and select high pressure for 5 minutes. When the cook time ends, release the pressure with a quick pressure release, then carefully remove the lid.
Stir your pasta. If the noodles are less cooked than you’d like, select Sauté and bring the sauce to a simmer for a few minutes, stirring, until the noodles are tender.
Serve up your meaty bow tie pasta and enjoy!
Important Tips for Making Instant Pot Bow Tie Pasta
- The quick step of sauteing the pasta and aromatics at the beginning of the recipe is key for developing caramelized flavors and for softening up the onions before pressure cooking.
- After pressure cooking, you can reduce the sauce and cook the noodles a little further by using the Saute feature with the lid off the pressure cooker.
- You can omit the crushed pepper flakes if you don’t want any spice in this dish.
- Serve your pasta with a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese on top!
Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Bow Tie Pasta
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to four days.
Yes, you can use any kind of short-cut pasta for this recipe. Just be sure to use the easy formula for perfect Instant Pot pasta if you need to adjust the cooking time by a minute or two.
Yes, you can make a meat-free version of this recipe by simply skipping the ground beef or sausage.
We don’t recommend freezing cooked pasta, as the freezing and defrosting process can leave the noodles soggy. Luckily, this is such an easy recipe, you can throw it together on busy nights!
MORE Instant Pot Recipes
We have dozens of quick and easy Instant Pot pasta recipes, including:
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs features large, meaty homemade meatballs and a rich tomato sauce.
- Rigatoni alla Vodka has a creamy, savory sauce that’s always a family favorite.
- Tex-Mex Chili Mac has a bit of a kick and a gooey, cheesy sauce that’s cozy and warming.
Bow Tie Pasta with Meat Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground sausage or ground beef
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 box 16 oz bow-tie pasta (aka farfalle)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes in puree
Instructions
- Select Saute to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the olive oil and sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain if necessary. Add water, pasta, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt and stir to combine.
- Add crushed tomatoes on top but do not stir. Select High Pressure and set a 5 minute cook time. When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Stir mixture. (Keep in mind the pasta sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If it's thinner than you like it, place the lid on top and wait 5 minutes. If you'd like it much thicker, select Saute and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Nutrition
- How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Penne Pasta
- Chicken Enchilada Pasta
- Bow Tie Pasta
- American Goulash
Even more Instant Pot / pressure cooker pasta recipes in The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook:
- Baked Cheese Ravioli (page 124)
- Spaghetti with Ragu (page 125)
- Anytime Spaghetti and Meatballs (page 126)
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta (page 165)
- Linguine and Clam Sauce (page 181)
- Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage (page 182)
- Monterey Chicken Pasta (page 183)
- Pasta Primavera (page 184)
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (page 195)
- Spicy Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti (page 197)
- Tuscan Garlic Chicken Fettuccine (page 198)
- Grown-Up Mac and Cheese (page 268)
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So easy and delicious! However, I had one issue I’m looking for help with. I followed the recipe to a tee, but right after my Instant Pot Rio was fully pressurized (<1 min after it started the "cook" cycle) I received a burn notice and discovered the dish was burning because it was
already fully cooked – noodles already soft (well past al dente) and liquid already reduced (a perfect sauce). In other words, it seems the dish fully cooked during the pressurization cycle. Any ideas on why this might have happened? My only idea is that I used hot water in step 1 – could using hot water in a pot that was already hot from sauteeing have
dramatically accelerated the cooking time during pressurization? I appreciate any insight!
Hi Beth – my guess is you didn’t have a good seal and it lost too much liquid while it was coming to pressure. Did you see steam coming out from around the sides of the lid? You’ll want to do a water test and make sure you don’t see any steam around the sides of the lid https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/instant-pot-water-test/
I had this same thing with my Rio. Its valve is hidden and it’s hard to tell if it is up. Water was gone, food was mushy. Something weird about Rio. I’m no newbie at this either. I bought my first Instant Pot in 2019 and before that I used a Fagor 6qt on the stove. I usually don’t make mistakes.
This was so delish and easy peasy! Thanks for an amazing recipe.
Thanks for the awesome review Ally!
Hello. Can I used ground pork if I don’t have sausage? If so, should I adjust seasonings? Thank you.
Hi Sharon – yes, you can make it with ground pork or even ground beef. I’ve made it with ground beef before without making any changes. If you want to spice it up a little bit, you can add more red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Hi Barbara…do you add any water to the Instant Pot along with the 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes in puree?
Will be trying this tonight for supper!
Hi Barbara – yes, the water is listed right above the pasta – 3 1/2 cups. Enjoy!
Oh now I see… 3.5 cups of water…! 😉
Hello there, I’m loving all the recipes and ideas on your website. I’m in Australia and ground sausage isn’t readily available, can I substitute ground beef?
Thanks Fay! Yes, ground beef would work well in this recipe too. Enjoy!
Made this for dinner tonight. It was *insanely* easy and delicious. I used mild Italian sausage. I halved the recipe ’cause it was only for my son and myself and my son won’t eat leftovers. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and no adjustments were necessary! This is definitely being added to my repertoire!
Hello!
I have got a brandnew Instant Pot Duo and wanted to try this recipe. But I can’t find any Simmer or Cook button on it. Sorry if this is a stupid question. Could tha button have any other name ?
Hi Inka – that’s exciting! To simmer on the Instant Pot, you adjust saute to law. Have fun!
Hi Barbara,
I don’t have farfalle pasta but do have penne rigate. Can I substitute this pasta? I’ve never made sauce/pasta in my IP but want to try it tonight.
I appreciate any help you can give me.
Stay safe during this most difficult, sad time in our lives!
Thank you,
Susan 🙏
Hi Susan – you can absolutely switch out the pasta. You may have to change the cook time slightly. Cook it for half the time on the package minus 1 minute. So if the cook time is 10 minutes, you would cook it for 4 minutes, etc.
Question – many pasta/tomato sauce recipes instruct not to stir, in order to avoid a burn error from the sugar in the tomatoes. Instructions might be to layer spaghetti on top and pour the sauce over it but not stir, which is what a I’ve done, or to push the pasta just under the sauce but again not stir, I trust your super recipes but wondered about the difference. Thanks!
Hi Beth – often the recipes suggesting layering the pasta sauce on top use jarred pasta sauces that are already thick and may have thickeners in the sauce, so it is best to layer the sauce on top. if your prefer, you could put the tomatoes on top of the pasta, but I haven’t found that necessary in this recipe. Enjoy!
Thank you for the continuing education!
Is it really 28 oz tomatoes and 3.5 c water? It seems like a lot of liquid. I’ve never done pasta in IP though. I’m about to make this and want to make sure it’s right.
Hi Elli – yes, you need to cover the pasta with water when you cook pasta. Here’s more tips on cooking pasta https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/how-to-cook-pasta-in-the-instant-pot/
Hi Barbara – thanks for the recipe! Weirdly, we can’t find ground chicken or turkey sausage anywhere, and don’t eat pork. However, Whole Foods has many varieties of chicken sausage that are whole and ready to heat up – not raw. Would mincing them and adding them after sautéing the onions and garlic for a while work? IOW they’d be browned, just not cooked as long as the onions since that would be overkill. Or if the flavor wouldn’t be as intense as with ground, uncooked sausage, maybe I could add a little ground turkey with the onions, and then the minced sausage. Thoughts? Meanwhile, we’ll keep looking, and do have an organic butcher shop not that far away that might be able to accommodate. Thanks!
Hi Beth – I think you could do it successfully a couple of ways. In my Cajun bean soup recipe https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/instant-pot-cajun-15-bean-soup/ I brown the sausage, then brown the onion int he drippings and stir the sausage in after pressure cooking. But if you wanted to dice up the chicken sausage, skip the browning and add the sausage with the other ingredients after sauteing the onion and galric, I think that would work well too.
Can you use mini bow ties?
Hi Patricia – yes you can substitute mini bow ties, the cook time will be half of the cook time on the package minus 1 minute. So if the cook time on the package is 8 minutes, you would use a pressure cook time of 3 minutes. Enjoy!
Thank you!
Hi.. making this for a dinner party. We are serving close to 14 people. This may be a silly question, but If I double the recipe should I double the time and cook it for 10mins?
Hi Alisha – pasta can be tricky because it foams you cannot fill the pressure cooker more than 1/2 full. So unless you have an 8 quart or larger pressure cooker, you won’t be able to double this recipe. Also, when you double the recipe, it will take longer to come to pressure, so you’ll need to reduce the cook to compensate for the additional time it takes to come to pressure.
My wife and I are always happy to try out a new pasta recipe! haha thank you, this looks delicious!
Could you half the recipe and still cook for the same amount of time?
Hi Kate – yes, you can cut this recipe in half and use the same cook time.
Could I use marinara or tomato sauce instead of tomatoes?
Hi Christy – Yes, you can use marinara or tomato sauce, but pour it on top of the pasta and don’t stir it into the water.
Such a tasty dinner that is easy to get on the table!
I kept getting the burn notice each time I made it. I eventually started removing meat/onion mixture before adding remaining ingredients and then layered it back onto top. Then it cooked properly without the bush error.
Hi Shelby – maybe do the water test again. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/instant-pot-water-test/ Are you seeing steam coming out around the edges of the lid? Are you letting your pc heat up so it’s hot before you brown the meat? Is the meat sticking to the bottom?
I tried this last night and got the “burn” error, have you encountered this and do you have any recommendations? Used the same amount of water recommended in the recipe…
Hi Jenny – I haven’t gotten the burn notice when making this before. Do you use a 6-quart pressure cooker?
Hi Barbara,
Quick question? I find the flavor of Italian sausage off-putting, for some reason. Would this work with a breakfast sausage that isn’t one of the sage-forward brands, or would ground beef give better flavor?
I’ve used breakfast sausage in pasta before with good results. Let me know how it goes.
This is a great recipe. I have made it twice and my family loves it! What about doubling the recipe? I have an 8 quart Instant Pot. Do you think it could handle the doubling?
Thanks Laurie – yes, I think you could double it in the 8 quart but I would reduce the cook time a minute or two because it will take longer to come to pressure. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Just made this and am having it for dinner now- used sweet italian sausage from sprouts. Left the red pepper out as I don’t like things too spicy. Cooked perfectly and tastes hearty & delicious!
Oh I saw your book at the bottom of the page, and I’m waiting for the Kindle version!
Thanks so much Karen!
It was very easy and came out delicious.
I used a Breville electric pressure cooker and worked fine.
Great – thanks John!
This is an Instant Pot recipe, not a pressure cooker recipe. Please label as such so internet searches do not waste time.
Hi Renaldo – an Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker – one of many electric pressure cookers available today. All my recipes are written for the electric pressure cooker. Electric pressure cookers are more popular than ever and are definitely pressure cookers. Anything you can cook in an electric pressure cooker, you can also cook in a stove top pressure cooker.
Just bring your pressure cooker to pressure on the stove then way you normally would and then start the cook time when your pressure cooker is at pressure. An electric pressure cooker doesn’t start counting down the time until it’s reached pressure. Then adjust your stove top to maintain pressure the way your normally would. Just be sure and use enough liquid for your stove top pressure cooker, because you regulate it, you often need more liquid.
Just tried this and it’s good! I’m fairly new to the Instant Pot though and wasn’t prepared for the spattering with the quick release. Would it be okay to let the pressure come down naturally for a period of time or what is the trick to quick releasing something without spraying tomatoes all over? Thanks!
Hi Linda – you definitely don’t want liquid coming out of the valve when you quick release. Every brand of pasta cooks just a little bit differently, so if you know the pasta you use foams a lot, then it’s best to reduce the cook time a minute or two and then use a natural release for a few minutes so the foam won’t come out of the valve. Oil also helps keep the foam to a minimum. Glad you enjoyed it!
I dont have the instant pot , but a different brand electric pressure cooker. Will my time be the same ? I paid a lot of money for the one that i have , cant afford to buy an instant pot. However im interested in using recipes 😉
Hi Jennifer – yes, your time should be the same on all of the recipes.
On the Instant Pot, I am not sure what setting equals “Simmer” for Step 3 of this recipe since there is no setting called “Simmer” on that brand of pressure cooker. What setting do you recommend? (Keep Warm?)
Hi Ronda just use the Saute button. If you have the Duo or Smart, you can adjust the button to less which is the same as a simmer button on other brands. This post should help https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/instant-pot-duo-and-smartcooker/. Enjoy!
I made this tonight with Jovial brown rice pasta (caserecce) and gluten free. The cooking time for the pasta was 9 minutes so I cooked it 4 minutes. I used less water (1/2-1 cup at least) of which at least 1.5 cups was homemade chicken bone broth. No red pepper flakes. Turned out wonderful–al dente! (I really love Jovial pasta. Their rice pasta holds up very well and I don’t think most people could tell the difference from wheat. Their whole wheat pasta is delicious also–not that heavy taste of other whole wheat products.)
Forgot to add that my pasta was only a 12 oz. box–so reason for using less liquid.
Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to look for it.
Any tips on cooking gluten-free pasta in the pressure cooker?
Hi Suzanne – I’ve never cooked gluten-free pasta. Some people have had success, but I’ve also seen others comment that it was just a soggy mess. If you wanted to try it, I would start with a cook time of less than half the time recommended on the package and then simmer it in the pressure cooking pot until the pasta was your desired tenderness.
I know this is a few months old, but thought I would chime in on this for others who have the same question.
If you are using gluten free pasta (Rica pasta) put in a little less water than you would for regular gluten pasta. Turn your cooker on to any setting, the idea is just to get it to pressure. Once pressure is reached turn off the cooker and let sit for a couple mins and then do a quick release. Stir well. If the pasta still needs a bit more time just put the lid on, leave the cooker off. I have had pretty good doing it this way so far. It’s easier just to pop it on the stove, but if your recipe calls for you to add the pasta at the end of the cook time to suck up all the extra liquid (like one pot stroganoff) then this method is great.
I hope this helps those out there who cannot have gluten or are taking a dish to a friend who cannot have it.
*a year, not few months!
I did quinoa pasta bc we are a gluten free family…big FAIL! I noticed someone asked about using gluten free. It ended up being super super thick & all stuck together! Just a sticky mess! So sad :(. Made me miss regular noodles!
Thanks for sharing Michelle – sorry it didn’t work.
Excellent meal. Easy to make quick prep and kid approved. Thank you
this is yumtastic.
Making tonight again, but with jarred spaghetti sauce. Will wing it a bit with the water. Just a fabulous recipe. I have it in my crisis cooking file because it’s so quick.
Thanks!
Thanks Elizabeth! I love that you have a crisis cooking file and that this recipe is in it. Glad you enjoy it so much.
I just made this recipe for supper for the first time. I had never tried making pasta in my pressure cooker. I have a stovetop cooker. The pasta itself turned out great and I loved only having one pot to clean. However, this particular recipe was way too spicy for me. Next time, I will probably leave out the red pepper flakes and maybe make it with hamburger instead of sausage. Very easy to make though.
Thanks for the feedback Natalie. So glad you liked the ease of cooking pasta in the pressure cooker.
Hi Barbara ~ I just found you here & on Facebook & Pinterest today, & I’m looking forward to trying out your recipes with my Deni Electric Pressure Cooker (which also steams, slow cooks, browns & warms). Do the non-gluten versions of pasta — rice, corn, etc. — hold up to pressure cooking, or do they just become mush? Thanks!
Hi Christena – I’m sorry I haven’t tried gluten free pastas on the stove top nor in the pressure cooker. Perhaps just try a handful with some water and see how it holds up. Let me know. Thanks for the question.
How do I convert this recipe to a non-electric pressure cooker? I’ve used a p.c. for years, but am now just seeing recipes for electric cookers. Thanks so much!
Hi Beverly – based on the Cook’s Illustrated recipe, here’s how I’d cook it in a stovetop pressure cooker: Cook the sausage, onion and garlic over medium high heat until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender, about 10 minutes, drain if necessary. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.
Do a quick pressure release.
Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 2 to 5 minutes.
Looks delicious Barbara! Can’t wait to try your recipe. That’s a good idea to cook the pasta less and then simmer it. 6 minutes does seem to overcook some pasta just a tad sometimes…
My kids love bowtie pasta! I knew I should’ve put pressure cooker on my wish list!
What a great quick meal this will make-especially during the final countdown to Christmas……..which is comin’ TOO fast for me.
I would have never thought of cooking pasta in the pressure cooker-what a super idea! If it’s thumbs up from Cook’s Illustrated and you? I’m convinced-can’t wait to give it a try. I’m still using my stove top pressure cooker so will cut back a little on the time the first time to see how it goes….hopefully as delicious as yours.
Thanks Barbara-and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
This recipe looks great and I’ll probably try it soon. However, do you have any recipes for sauce that don’t involve tomatoes or lots of cheese? My great-grandson likes pasta but he doesn’t seem to like tomato/spaghetti sauce and he gets way too much mac and cheese. What else could one make like this recipe (one-pot) only without the tomato? He’s only two so it’s a little early for the “take one bite before you say no” business. Maybe I’ll just have to wait until he is old enough for that but if I could find a sauce he would eat that is healthier than a bunch of melty cheese and could be cooked like this recipe, I’d be very happy.
Hi Gayle – picky eaters are tough. Laura has a couple of recipes he might like http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2011/10/pressure-cooker-pasta-pipe-cacio-e-pepe.html or http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2011/09/pressure-cooker-pasta-casarecce-ai.html although kids often don’t like green things either. Good luck!