Instant Pot Pasta Al Forno

Instant Pot Pasta Al Forno may be a play on words, but we’re not playing around with the flavor! This meaty, cheesy, and creamy comfort food is perfect for the whole family. Made with simple ingredients and done in under 30 minutes!

Herby and satisfying Italian flavors come together in the Instant Pot to create this new family favorite. Traditionally made in the oven, my Instant Pot Pasta Al Forno will save you tons of time and doesn’t skimp on the flavor. Chewy noodles, creamy sauce, and heavenly sausage create a simple yet intricate meal that’s perfect for weeknight dinners or leftovers.

This luxurious comfort food is made from simple ingredients like rigatoni pasta, Italian sausage, fresh basil, and a creamy white sauce. It’s finished with a layer of melted cheese on top for that stretchy and gooey picture-perfect scoop. This drool-worthy easy dinner is complete with a dash of fresh basil, garlic bread, and caesar salad on the side.

What is pasta al forno?

Al forno translates to “oven baked” in Italian, meaning any type of baked pasta dish, pizza, or even bread can fall under the “al forno” category.

Classic baked pasta dishes are held together with sauce, meat, and cheese. While my Instant Pot version isn’t technically “al forno”, it’s a great solution when you’re craving a baked ziti or something similar but need it made much faster.

Why This Recipe Works

The sausage is a real flavor-booster in this recipe. It adds to the sauce and the pasta noodles soak in all of its natural juices. The white bechamel-like sauce is made on the stovetop while the rest of the dish cooks in the Instant Pot. After it’s stirred in at the end, the completed dish ends up being super creamy and you never have to worry about the two separating.

How to make pasta al forno in the Instant Pot

Forget about the oven and pull out the Instant Pot! You still get all of the infused flavors as you would in a traditional pasta al forno, except the cooking time and effort is cut way down. Here’s how to make this recipe:

Step 1:

Using “Saute” mode on the Instant Pot, brown and crumble the sausage until it’s cooked through. Next, add the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, and water and stir to combine. 

Step 2:

Pour the pasta into the sauce. Don’t stir! Make sure they’re submerged without moving the pasta around too much. Lock on the lid and seal the venting valve. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. 

Step 3:

Make the creamy white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan on the stove. Once it’s melted, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk until there are no lumps. Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in the salt and nutmeg.

Step 4:

Release the venting valve for a quick pressure release once the pasta is done cooking. Remove the lid when the pin drops.

Step 5:

Gently combine the white sauce with the pasta. Spread the shredded cheese over the pasta and place the lid back on until it’s melted.

Can I bake this instead?

Of course! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, just follow my instructions to make baked pasta al forno instead.

Heather's Tips for Recipe Success

• Submerge the pasta in the water the best you can. It’s ok if a few noodles are sticking out. Whatever you do, DO NOT stir the pasta.
• Use at least 2% milk for the white sauce. The more fat, the better because it allows the sauce to thicken and be as creamy as possible. You can use low-fat milk if that’s all you have, but the finished meal will be grainy and not very creamy. 

Storing leftovers

Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container after it’s cooled down significantly. Place it in the fridge and eat within 3 days.

Reheat the leftovers for a few minutes in the microwave (stirring once or twice in between) or place it in a baking dish and heat in a 325ºF oven until warmed through.

More comforting pasta recipes

Warm yourself up with any of these tasty and comforting pasta recipes:

• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Instant Pot Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
• Pizza Tortellini Bake
• One Pan Cheeseburger Macaroni

Instant Pot Pasta Al Forno

This easy pasta dish has all the flavor of its baked counterpart and takes a fraction of the time to make !

By Heather Cheney

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ lbs ground Italian sausage
• ▢ 2 14.5-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried basil or 3 tablespoons fresh
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 1 pound dry rigatoni pasta

For the White Sauce:

• ▢ 4 ounces butter 1 stick
• ▢ ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 ½ cups milk 2% or greater
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ dash of ground nutmeg
• ▢ 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

• Set Instant Pot on "Saute" mode and heat until hot. Add sausage. Brown and crumble until cooked through.
• Add tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and water to the sausage and stir to combine.
• Pour pasta into the sauce, but do not stir. Instead, gently submerge the pasta into the sauce with the back of a spatula so that most of the pasta is covered as best you can.
• Lock Instant Pot lid in place making sure the venting valve is sealed.
• Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
• While the pasta is cooking make the white sauce by melting the butter in a medium-sized saucepan on the stove. When melted, stir the flour into the butter and cook for 1 minute, stirring until smooth.
• Slowly stir the milk into the pan, stirring until no lumps remain. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
• When the cooking time for the pasta is up, carefully release the venting valve to do a quick pressure release. When the pressure pin drops, remove the lid.
• Gently stir the white sauce into the pasta until evenly combined. Spread the shredded mozzarella over the pasta and replace the lid just until the cheese is melted.
• Serve hot with garlic bread and a salad.

Chef's Notes:

• Submerge the pasta in the water the best you can. It’s ok if a few noodles are sticking out. Whatever you do, DO NOT stir the pasta.
• Use at least 2% milk for the white sauce. The more fat, the better because it allows the sauce to thicken and be as creamy as possible. You can use low-fat milk if that’s all you have, but the finished meal will be grainy and not very creamy. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 769 kcal | Carbohydrates: 54 g | Protein: 29 g | Fat: 48 g | Saturated Fat: 22 g | Cholesterol: 125 mg | Sodium: 1232 mg | Potassium: 491 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 667 IU | Vitamin C: 2 mg | Calcium: 276 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

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