• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simple Vegan Recipes
  • Recipes
  • Books
    • 40 Days of Green Smoothies
    • Bowls!
  • Recipe Videos
    • My YouTube Channel
    • Video Blogging FAQ
  • Simple Vegan Starter Guide
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Get the vegan starter guide!
  • Latest Recipes
  • Air fryer recipes
  • Instant Pot recipes
  • My YouTube channel
  • Podcast
  • Recipe video production
  • SHOP
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Vegan recipes » Instant Pot recipes

    Vegan Instant Pot pasta with tomato pesto cream sauce

    Last Modified: Nov 13, 2021 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    overhead photo of instant pot pasta in creamy sauce with tomatoes and spinach

    Tender pieces of penne in tomato pesto cream sauce cooks up like a dream in your Instant Pot. This vegan Instant Pot Pasta recipe is bursting with flavor!

    bowls of penne pasta with tomato cream sauce and spinach on a blue table with an Instant Pot in the background

    Jump To:
    • How do you cook pasta in the Instant Pot?
    • Making the tomato pesto cream sauce
    • Making the pesto cashew cream
    • Putting it all together
    • How to store and reheat it
    • Creamy vegan Instant Pot pasta

    Y'all, I'm on a real one-pot pasta kick! I loved the ease of making One-Pot Penne alla Vodka so much that I decided to give this Instant Pot pasta thing a go.

    And I. am. a. CONVERT!

    This recipe was SO easy to make, and I love that it's something kid-friendly that I can throw together using mostly ingredients from the pantry.

    I think you're going to love it, too.

    overhead photo of bowls of penne, spinach, soaking cashews, canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and herbs and spices on a blue table

    How do you cook pasta in the Instant Pot?

    There are two keys to successfully making pasta in the Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker:

    1. Nailing the cooking time. This is going to vary depending on the type of pasta that you use. In general, you can go with half the low end of the cooking time range. Penne, for example, cooks for 10-12 minutes, so in the Instant Pot, you do 5 minutes at pressure, then a quick release.
    2. Using enough liquid. Having ample liquid in the pot allows your pasta room to move around, so it won't stick together or stick to the bottom of the pot. This pasta is very saucy, and that's on purpose. When in doubt, always err on the side of more liquid!

    When it comes to the liquid, the general rule is 3 cups of water per 8 ounces of pasta. Your canned tomatoes do NOT count as part of the liquid. The 2 ½ cups of penne in this recipe is about 4 ounces, so you need 1 ½ cups of water.

    Unlike making one-pot pasta on the stove, you don't stir Instant Pot pasta while it's cooking. But because the liquid inside the pot is at such a fierce, rolling boil, it stirs itself.

    COOKING MAGIC!

    Making the tomato pesto cream sauce

    The cool thing about making pasta in the pressure cooker is that you can cook the sauce and the pasta at the same time, in the same pot!

    image collage showing the uncooked pasta in the Instant Pot, adding the spinach, adding the pesto cream, and then served in a bowl

    To make the sauce, you just throw all of the ingredients into the pot with the pasta and water, then stir to combine.

    This tomato sauce has two parts. First, you cook a pretty basic tomato sauce in the pressure cooker with the pasta. It's truly just canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar.

    Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.

    You make part two of your creamy tomato sauce in your blender while the pasta is cooking. The Pesto Cashew Cream brings rich garlic and basil to the mix when you stir it in at the end of cooking.

    blender canister on a table next to the blade with bowls of soaked cashews, minced basil, garlic cloves, and balsamic vinegar

    Making the pesto cashew cream

    This recipe is a spin on my Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce, and it brings both the creaminess and a lot of the flavor to your pot of pasta.

    Start by soaking your cashews in hot water for 10-15 minutes. You do not need raw cashews for this recipe! Roasted is fine. Just soak roasted for the full 15 minutes, and they'll soften right up.

    I like to start the cashews soaking before I start the pasta. That way, you have plenty of time to make the cashew cream while the pasta cooks.

    Once the cashews finish soaking, drain them and discard that soaking water. You can use it to water a plant, if you want, but please do not use it in the sauce!

    Transfer the drained cashews to your blender. Then, add a few cloves of fresh garlic, and some sweet balsamic vinegar to the blender. Throw in a splash of water, and blend this mix until it's completely smooth.

    Stir in plenty of fresh basil, and your pesto cream is ready!

    overhead photo of penne in a bowl with creamy tomato spinach sauce

    Putting it all together

    When the Instant Pot finishes cooking, do a quick release.

    Helpful Tip: Instant Pot pasta spurts a LOT when you toggle that release valve! Throw a kitchen towel over the top of the pot before you release the pressure to catch the spray, and save yourself from a big mess!

    Now, open your pot, and add plenty of baby spinach or your favorite quick-wilting green. Chances are, the pasta and sauce will be hot enough to wilt those greens. If they aren't wilting, though, you can hit the Saute button to warm them up more.

    After the spinach is cooked down, stir in the Pesto Cashew Cream, and it's time to EAT!

    How to store and reheat it

    Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for around 3 days.

    To reheat, you can either warm it in the microwave or transfer to a pan on the stove. On the stovetop, cook on medium heat, stirring, until heated through. If the sauce has thickened up too much, you can add water, a tablespoon or two at a time, to thin it out.

    overhead photo of instant pot pasta in creamy sauce with tomatoes and spinach

    Creamy vegan Instant Pot pasta

    Tender pieces of penne in tomato basil cream sauce cooks up like a dream in your Instant Pot! This vegan Instant Pot Pasta recipe is bursting with flavor!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: instant pot pasta, vegan instant pot pasta
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 340kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    For the Pasta

    • 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes
    • 1 ½ cups water
    • 2 ½ cups penne
    • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 6 ounces baby spinach - (or other quick-wilting greens - about 5 cups)
    • salt, pepper, & nutritional yeast - (to taste)

    For the Pesto Cashew Cream

    • 1 cup cashews - (soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drained)
    • ½ cup water - (NOT the soaking water)
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - minced

    Instructions

    Make the Pasta

    • Put all of the pasta ingredients -- except the spinach, salt pepper, and nutritional yeast -- into your Instant Pot, and stir to combine. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. (TIP: Throw a kitchen towel over the release valve, because Instant Pot Pasta can cause the valve to spurt a lot.)
    • While the pasta is cooking, make the Pesto Cashew Cream (instructions below).
    • Add the spinach to the pot, stirring it into the hot sauce, until it wilts completely. If it is having a tough time wilting, you can hit the pot's Saute button to warm things back up. If you do turn on the Saute function, hit Cancel after the spinach wilts into the sauce. This should only take a few minutes.
    • Stir in the Pesto Cashew Cream, then season the pot with salt, black pepper, and nutritional yeast, to taste.

    Make the Pesto Cashew Cream

    • Combine all of the cashew cream ingredients -- except the basil -- in your blender, and puree until smooth. Stir in the basil.

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcal
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!
    « The easiest vegan breakfast ideas to kickstart your mornings
    Easy vegan muffin recipes »

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Donovan

      October 28, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, super simple and delicious!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        October 29, 2021 at 1:34 pm

        Thank you, Donovan!

        Reply
    2. Isabelle

      August 08, 2021 at 8:32 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s absolutely delicious and so quick and easy to make. I love the fresh basil in the cashew cream, it gave the dish such a great and distinct flavor :)

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        August 10, 2021 at 2:13 pm

        You are so welcome, Isabelle. Thank you for coming back to leave a rating and a review!

        Reply
    3. Jodi

      January 10, 2021 at 6:09 pm

      I plan to make this for dinner. Can you give me an approximate amount of nutritional yeast you use?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 12, 2021 at 8:40 am

        I like to serve it with the nutritional yeast on the side, so everyone can shake on as much as they like!

        Reply
    4. Lori

      September 19, 2020 at 4:57 pm

      5 stars
      Being new to the Instant Pot, I am easing into it. This is the first Instant Pot pasta recipe I have made for our family, and this is a winner! We absolutely love it! Not only is it delicious, it is comfort food. I'll definitely make this for a game night. It's so simple! THANK YOU for this recipe. I look forward to trying your other recipes... so glad they are all vegan. The fact that this is the first review I have ever left for a recipe (and have been using online recipes for years) speaks volumes.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 19, 2020 at 5:39 pm

        Thank YOU, Lori! I'm glad this recipe is helping you get acquainted with your Instant Pot, and I appreciate it so much that you took the time to rate and review the recipe. Have a great weekend!

        Reply
    5. Madeleine

      August 15, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      5 stars
      Very good!! One of my favorites for quick, satisfying meal. I make it with Jovial Brown Rice Farfalle. Comes out great!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        August 17, 2020 at 7:26 pm

        Ooh I'm glad to hear it works with a GF pasta -- I get questions about that!

        Reply
        • Laura

          August 08, 2021 at 7:45 pm

          I just made it with Trader Joe’s brown rice-quinoa pasta and it came out all mushy- can’t even tell it’s penne ?still tastes great though! Going to make note pasta and mix it in.

          Reply
          • Becky Striepe

            August 10, 2021 at 8:27 am

            I'm sorry to hear that! I haven't tested this with gluten-free pasta, and it sounds like it doesn't work with this style. Such a bummer! :(

            Reply
    6. Sandi

      April 18, 2020 at 8:18 pm

      I can't eat cashews......any substitute???? TY . Looks delicious

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 20, 2020 at 10:01 am

        Oh darn! You may be able to use raw pumpkin seeds instead. I wouldn't use roasted, because they're much harder, and I want you to have a creamy sauce! If you try it, let me know!

        Reply
    7. Liz

      March 26, 2020 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for my family last night and we ALL loved it! Instant hit!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        March 26, 2020 at 4:01 pm

        I'm so glad they enjoyed it, Liz! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and comment!

        Reply

    Have a question? Tried this recipe? Share your thoughts! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    As Seen On: Buzzfeed, How Stuff Works, Parade Magazine, Follow Your Kind Podcast, Peta, Curiously Veg Radio, Shape Magazine

    About

    • About Becky Striepe
    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Ads
    • Video Blogging FAQ

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Trending now

    • Two-ingredient Instant Pot yogurt from soy milk
    • Vegan spinach artichoke dip with garlic cashew cream
    • Crispy, flavorful air fryer tofu

    Copyright Notice

    All content Copyright © Glue & Glitter/Cattington Inc. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. You may post a short excerpt and/or one photo, as long as you provide clear credit and a link back to the original recipe or tutorial post at glueandglitter.com. Please do not repost recipes in full without my express permission.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Glue & Glitter