This Instant Pot Pasta turns out perfectly every time! I also included a bonus Caprese pasta salad recipe you’ll love.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Canola oil – vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or another neutral oil can be used to replace the canola oil.
- Water – use broth in place of water for additional flavour.
- Pasta – any pasta shape will work great in this recipe.
- Salt – to taste.
Caprese pasta salad
- Cherry tomatoes – grape tomatoes (red or multicoloured) can be used for this recipe.
- Bocconcini cheese – fresh mozzarella is a great substitute for bocconcini cheese.
- Basil leaves – fresh basil leaves are recommended for this recipe. If necessary, replace with an Italian seasoning blend.
- Olive oil – use a neutral oil like avocado oil, grapeseed oil or canola oil in place of olive oil.
- Balsamic vinegar – balsamic glaze or red wine vinegar with sugar can be used in place of balsamic vinegar
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to cook pasta in the Instant Pot
- Add the pasta ingredients to the Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Assemble the pasta salad ingredients.
- Mix everything together, serve and enjoy!
What to serve with pasta salad
Pasta salads are amazing dishes to serve at your summer picnics, BBQs or potluck – it basically screams summer! You can really pair almost anything with a pasta salad but if you’re in need of some ideas, here are some dishes that this pasta salad will work well with:
- Hamburgers
- BBQ chicken
- Sandwiches or wraps
- Steamed veggies
- Leafy green salad
- Soups
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll need to cook the pasta for 3 minutes on high pressure. It will take the Instant Pot about 10 to 15 minutes to get up to high pressure, so the total cooking time is still less than 15 minutes.
This pasta salad recipe has 396 calories per serving. Keep in mind that the final calorie count may vary based on what kind of pasta you use.
The best pasta for pasta salads are rigatoni, farfalle, penne or fusilli. Not only are these pasta noodles smaller and easier to eat, but they also have ridges and pockets that will hold on to the dressing. Since the dressings used for pasta salads are normally vinaigrettes, it’s important to have a variety of noodle that will hold on to the dressing!
Storing and reheating
Pasta salads are a great meal prep idea and will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. The longer that pasta salad sits in the fridge, the more the flavours of the dish compliment each other. I highly recommend keeping this pasta in airtight containers as individual servings for easy access. When you’re ready to enjoy your pasta salad, you can enjoy it cold straight from the fridge!
Freezing this recipe
Though pasta salad isn’t a freezer-friendly meal, you can freeze any leftover cooked pasta for up to 6 months. To freeze the cooked pasta, allow it to dry off completely for an hour or so and then transfer it into a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. When you’re ready to enjoy your pasta, cook it straight from the freezer.
More Instant Pot pasta recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers.
Instant Pot Pasta {Perfect Every Time!}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 4 cups water or broth
- 1 lb pasta any size or shape; can be whole wheat or white pasta. Do NOT use gluten-free pasta
- 1 pinch salt optional
Caprese pasta salad
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 cup bocconcini cheese, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add canola oil, water/broth, pasta and salt to Instant Pot in that order, making sure most of pasta is submerged just below the surface of the water. Do not stir, just press down on pasta slightly.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal. Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 3 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook the 3 minutes.
- Cover the pressure release valve with a clean kitchen towel (sometimes the steam can have a bit of foam), then do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily. Pasta is ready to serve!
- OPTIONAL CAPRESE PASTA SALAD: Add all of the ingredients under the caprese pasta salad heading to the cooked pasta once it's had a chance to cool for at least 30-60 minutes. Toss together gently, then serve and enjoy!
