Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti is saucy, cheesy and delicious. 20 minutes is all you need to make this creamy red sauce pasta dish!
Don’t have an Instant Pot yet? HAVE NO FEAR!! One Pot Creamy Ziti Recipe is here!! Check it out!
Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti is a favorite at my house! I’ll be honest, it totally reminds me of Olive Garden’s Five Cheese Ziti dish. AKA the only thing I ever get while visiting Olive Garden.
I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve actually gone to Olive Garden though.. and most of those occasions were for the end of season formal dinner for the high school tennis team. (I was totally JV. All 3 years. đ)
There are two reasons why we hardly ever choose to go out to eat at Olive Garden. 1. I am cheap. 2. I can make the exact same thing, just as good without having to get dressed. Â I’d call that a win win.
Also, every single person in my family enjoys this for dinner. That right there is a miracle, people. If you have kids, were a kid a some point or haven’t been living under a rock you’ll know that is nearly impossible.
How to Make Creamy Ziti
‘Dump and Start’ are a funny combination of words to be on my favorite word list.. but it’s there alright. This dish is so easy! Dump and Start easy.
Broth, cream, garlic, s&p and pasta go into the Instant Pot. Make sure that the pasta is covered with liquid.
Pressure cook for 6 minutes, NPR for 6 minutes and then QR the rest of the pressure. The sauce will be very liquidy, totally normal.
Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté, then in goes some red pasta sauce.
Slowly add in the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. This will thicken the sauce nicely for you. Once the sauce has thickened, turn the Instant Pot off and serve immediately.
See, I told you it was easy.
Don’t have an Instant Pot yet? HAVE NO FEAR!! One Pot Creamy Ziti Recipe is here!! Check it out!
**I currently have a giveaway running! Enter to win an Instant Pot 7-in-1 6QT DUO!! Find all the giveaway details here!**
Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti
(Printable recipe below)
Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti is saucy, cheesy and delicious. 20 minutes is all you need to make this creamy red sauce pasta dish!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1  cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp minced garlic dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz dry ziti pasta
- 1 cup red pasta sauce
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. DO NOT STIR, but make sure all noodles are covered. If you need to move some noodles around, thats okay.
- Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 6 minutes. Let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 6 minutes then quick release.
- Add the red pasta sauce to the Instant Pot and give it a stir.
- SLOWLY add in the cheese while stirring. The cheese will melt and thicken the sauce. The sauce will also thicken as it cools.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This is a very saucy dish- If you like yours with less sauce, just cut back on the red pasta sauce at the end.
Try out these other Dump and Start Recipes!
 Instant Pot Cashew Chicken and Noodles
Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo
Pulled Teriyaki Chicken Sliders
I LOVE seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! Snap a picture & share on social media! Don’t forget to tag me!
Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti
Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti is saucy, cheesy and delicious. 20 minutes is all you need to make this creamy red sauce pasta dish!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp minced garlic dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz dry ziti pasta
- 1 cup red pasta sauce
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
-
Add the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. DO NOT STIR, but make sure all noodles are covered. If you need to move some noodles around, thats okay.
-
Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 6 minutes. Let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 6 minutes then quick release.
-
Add the red pasta sauce to the Instant Pot and give it a stir.
-
SLOWLY add in the cheese while stirring. The cheese will melt and thicken the sauce. The sauce will also thicken as it cools.
-
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This is a very saucy dish- If you like yours with less sauce, just cut back on the red pasta sauce at the end.
122
Do you think I could double this recipe if I have the larger Instapot? What would you change the cook times too?
Yes, you could definitely double this! Cooking times stay the same. Like the post says, this is very saucy. If you donât like it quite as saucy, just add a few more noodles. ? hope you love it as much as we do!!
I just made this in my 6qt and doubled it with no problems. It didn’t change the cook times at all either. It said it was quite saucy, but I noticed that it thickened as it set for a few minutes. I wouldn’t worry about it being too saucy.
Thanks for updating and giving some doubling details!! đ
This was so good! If you double the noodles, do you also double the amount of broth and cream used?
Yes! Double all of the ingredients. đ glad you loved it, Cheryl!
Can I use milk instead of cream? All I have is milk right now.
The milk sometimes curdles under pressure because there isnât as much fat as cream. Do you have evaporated milk on hand by chance?
No. I guess I will come up with a back up plan! Thanks!
I doubled the recipe but didn’t have enough cream, so I added 1/4C butter to 3/4 C milk. (I warmed butter in a small pot just enough to melt it, then added the milk and mixed well.) I then added it to the recipe like the regular heavy cream and it turned out great!!
I’ve used this heavy cream substitute in many recipes although it doesn’t work when trying to whip it, but otherwise no issues.
PS – My DD told me that I should make this dish more often!!
What a great heavy cream substitute!! Thanks for sharing that. I am so glad you and your daughter loved it! â€ïž
Soooo sad! I attempted this cream substitute and mine curdled âčïž Guess Iâll just have to buy cream to make this! It looks/sound delicious!
Ah man! I am so sorry! Heavy cream will not curdle. Give it another go, you will love it! â€ïžâ€ïž
Iâd like to add some meat to this dish. When would you suggest adding something like ground Italian sausage?
I would fry it up first in the instant Pot, deglaze the liner with the broth and then continue with the recipe. You may have to add a little extra broth, make sure the pasta is fully covered!! Or you could fry it separately while the pasta is cooking and then add it in at the end with the cheese. đ
Do you set your pressure to med or high?
High pressure. đ
My instant pot doesnât have the option to change the pressure on manual. What then??
Hi Sarah- if your Instant Pot doesnât have a âmanualâ button you will use the âpressure cookâ button. They are the same thing, just named differently on different models. đ
So yummy and easy to make! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great!
So glad you loved it, Stefani! Thanks for stopping by! â€ïž
What kind of red sauce do you use with his? Brand etc..
I use Huntâs Four Cheese Pasta Sauce usually. đ
Just made it my 3 year old say Mommy this is delicious!!
Just like you said everyone liked it!!
Will try it with meat and maybe a dash of red pepper flakes next time!!
Thanks!!
I am so glad you loved it! Red pepper flakes would be an awesome addition!
I made this and it was delicious.
So glad you loved it, Judy!
just made it ! I totally loved it. I was worried about the cream getting yucky, but it turned out perfect. It was the perfect make ahead dish that everyone could nuke when they were ready to eat. Work, practice and track meets made it a fend for yourself night.
I look forward to trying more of your recipes
I am so glad you loved it! This is always a go to for us when we donât have a lot of time or when we are all running different directions too. Thanks for commenting! Have fun at the track meet!!
Would it work to add the marinara before you cook it? Or would it be too thick to cook correctly? I was thinking that the sauce would penetrate the pasta that way.
I am afraid the cream and the acidity of the marinara wouldnât mix too well under pressure. đ red sauce also tends to give the burn notice on the Instant Pot. These are the reasons for waiting until the end. Hope this helps!
Do you think the noodles would cook if I did this recipe using a regular pot with a lid. I don’t have a pressure cooker, but would love to try this recipe. đ
Hi Kim!! They probably would cook! I havenât ever tried it but I assume you could simmer the broth and cream with the pasta and then when the pasta is cooked, add in the pasta sauce and cheese. Does that make sense? If you try it out, let me know how it goes! Iâll put this on my list to test out as well. đ
I want to try this with whole wheat ziti. The âregularâ cooking time for the pasta is eleven minutes. Is that about the same as your ziti?
Yes, that is about the same. I think you would be okay keeping the cook time the same. đ let me know how it turns out with the whole wheat pasta!
I only have half and half cream, do you think it would work in place of the heavy cream? Or would evaporated milk be a better sub?
I wouldnât recommend using half and half under pressure because it may curdle. Others have reported success using it under pressure, but I havenât tested it to tell you that it would 100% work. If you would rather use the evaporated milk, I would follow the instructions and measurements for the Skinny Alfredo and then add up to 1 cup of red pasta sauce and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese at the end. Hope this helps, Sarah!
It does, thank you!!
You are welcome! đ
What is meant by minced garlic dried please?
Dried minced garlic can be found at your local grocery store down the spices isle. It will be by the garlic powder. You could substitute fresh garlic if youâd prefer. 4 fresh cloves is equal to 1 tsp of dried minced garlic. Hope this helps!
Oops, I missed the âdriedâ part and used the wet kind. Recipe came out fine.
How much is a serving size? Thanks!
This will feed 4-6 people depending on how much everyone wants to eat. If this is the only item being served it should feed 4 people. If there will be a salad, breadsticks etc there should be plenty for 6. I hope that helps!
Do you think I could do this with spaghetti noodles instead?
Hi Meagan, You could make this with spaghetti noodles, I would probably cut the cook time down to 4 minutes though. The Ziti pasta is pretty thick and holds up to the rich sauce very well. If you have linguine noodles, those would probably work a bit better than spaghetti, but if spaghetti is all you have, they would definitely work in a pinch. đ Hope this helps!
Is it possible to do this in a crockpot?i have a small one that heats up really well. I figure itâll take longer, but really wanna give this a try!
I actually have converted this to a 30 minute one pot meal that cooks on the stovetop! Here is the link! https://cookingwithkarli.com/one-pot-creamy-ziti-pasta/
Made this last night for the husband and I and it was SO GOOD! Thank you, this is definitely going on rotation!
So glad you both loved it, April! Thanks for taking the time to comment. âșïž
I just tried this recipe. After the noodles are cooked in the pot, is there supposed to be cream and broth still at the bottom?
There will be cream and broth in the bottom, the pasta will soak up a good amount of the liquid you put in but there still will be some in the pot. The cheese you add will thicken the sauce. Hope this makes sense!!
I tried this recipe for dinner tonight and it was a hit. I sautĂ©ed ground beef with 1/2 cup of onion first. I then continued with the directions, adding more chicken broth to cover the noodles. After it was done, I tasted it and it needed something else. I added 1 tsp Italian seasoning and a little more garlic and it was great. The noodles were pretty soft (I like them more el dente)…wondering what would happen with a slow quick release immediately after the 6 min cook time is up…too much splattering???
Those sounds like great additions! It would sputter quite a bit if you quick released it right after the initial 6 minutes. Iâd maybe try 5 min HP 5 minutes NPR next time and see if that comes out more to your liking. đ
Eeeek, my cheese got all clumpy and stringy. Any idea what I did wrong? I put it in slowly and stirred.
Hmmm. Maybe the sauce wasnât quite hot enough. The pasta sauce cools things down a bit. If you turn it onto Saute and heat the sauce up the cheese should melt in. Did you use pre-shredded cheese?
I was looking forward to this tonight, followed instructions for step 1 and at 3 mins I could smell it burning, not sure why this happened. I didnât change anything…..
Michelle, you are the first to report this happening! Since you could smell it burning, I am thinking your pot must not have sealed correctly. I am so sorry about that!!
I doubled the recipe, I added 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, and Aidells pineapple & bacon sausage. It turned out delicious!!!!
Those sound like great additions, Maria! Glad you liked it!
Super easy and delicious! Just what I was looking for. Doubled recipe with no problems! I used Publix garden style sauce. It thickened up nicely. Thank you.
Hi Kathy! Thank you for taking the time to comment!! Glad you loved the recipe. â€ïž
You only need 8oz of pasta? That doesn’t seem like enough.
Yes, 8 ounces or 1/2 of a standard package. Like the post says, it is very saucy! Feel free to add more pasta if youâd like. Just make sure that all of the noodles are covered with liquid before you pressure cook to insure all of the pasta cooks evenly. đ hope this helps!
Thanks so much for your quick response!
No problem, Jennie! I hope you enjoy it! đ
My family of 4 enjoyed this meal. My only problem was that the pasta wasnât done enough to suit me. Next time Iâll cook it for 7 minutes to see if thatâs more to my liking. I also added a half lb. of browned sausage because my DH doesnât think itâs a meal unless thereâs meat!
Glad that you guys enjoyed it! My husband thinks similarly. đ
Do you need to heat up the red sauce before hand or just pour it in out of the jar? Thanks so much!
I always just pour it in right out of the jar. đ
Can you use heavy whipping cream?
Yes! That is actually the same thing as heavy cream. đ hope you enjoy it, Jena!
I’m always trying new recipes and then ask the family (husband, 3 grown boys) if it’s thumbs up or thumbs down. This recipe got thumbs up all around and will definitely be added to the rotation of dinners. It’s delicious. I added cooked Italian sausage which I wasn’t thrilled about but the boys loved it. Thanks for the quick and easy recipe.
Sandy, I am so glad you and your fam LOVED it!! Thanks for taking the time to comment! I really appreciate it. đ Hope you have a fabulous week!
Iâm going to buy an instant pot just for this recipe but the directions are confusion to me. Is the manual 6 minutes and then another 6 minutes on an additional setting or just manual 6 minutes and then quick release? Any insight is helpful!
Hi Jennifer! I am so excited you are getting an Instant Pot! I have a few posts for beginners that will be helpful to you on my site!
As for the directions, NPR or natural pressure release means that you let the pot release its pressure on its own. So you do nothing but let it sit! Once the 6 minute pressure cooking time is finished, the timer will count up while it is releasing the pressure naturally. Once the timer has counted up to 6 then you can quick release the pressure by turning the knob. I hope this helps! Comment back if you have further questions! đ
Do you think canned coconut milk would work in place of heavy cream? Looks delicious!
Hi, Jo! I am not sure if canned coconut milk will work. If you are wanting to replace the heavy cream, follow the directions for my Skinny Alfredo recipe and then add in the red pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese at the end with the evaporated milk. I hope this helps! đ https://cookingwithkarli.com/instant-pot-skinny-alfredo/
I made this for dinner as my first instant pot meal, it was AMAZING! Creamy rich saucy and just the right portion for 4. An absolute must make! Thank you Karli!!
Jennifer, I am so happy you loved it!! Welcome to the Instant Pot! â€ïž
Could I sub for gluten free pasta??
Hi Mallory! I havenât ever cooked with gluten free pasta, but I do know that it is much more fragile and cooks quite a bit faster than regular pasta.
Iâd take a look at the cook time on the gluten free pasta packaging and cut that time in half.
So if the package were to recommend cooking for 6 minutes, youâd want to pressure cook for 3, NPR 3.
With cutting the NPR time down, I do worry slightly about liquid spewing when releasing the pressure manually after the NPR. So just be ready with the end of a long spoon to close the vent if needed, wait 30 seconds or so and then try again. Repeating as needed.
Hope this helps!!
Awesome blog
Thanks, Jack!
One of my kids is allergic to Parmesan.,,do you think we could omit it and just use the mozzarella? The rest of us would probably sprinkle some after itâs cooked.
Yes! That would be just fine. You may need to add in a little extra cheese to make it thicken up. đ
I made this today for my very first IP meal. I doubled the recipe and made the following substitutions: vegetable broth, Rigatoni pasta, and garlic in water. Tasted great!
So glad it tasted great!! Thanks for taking the time to comment. â€ïž
What would the best way be to add mushrooms? I think theyâd be great.
I would add them at the end with the side and cheese. đ
This recipe was so easy and delicious. My husband,who hates literally everything I make, loved this and went for seconds.â€ïž
Yay!! This made my day! Thanks for commenting, Alisha!
I did the skinny version using your Alfredo recipe and it was amazing! My 2 year old, who Iâm pretty sure hasnât eaten in 2 days (so stubborn) devoured a huge bowl full and said âso yummy in my tummy!â It was great!! And one of my first 100% instapot successes!! We grilled some chicken on the bbq and it went perfectly together!
This makes me so happy! And I can definitely relate to stubborn eaters! I have myself a couple of those. đ so glad you loved it!
DELICIOUS!!! I made this last night and everyone loved it. The only problem was there wasn’t enough! There were 4 of us and I should have doubled it for sure. Very easy and delicious. I didn’t have dried minced garlic so I just used garlic powder.
I am so glad you loved it!! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Bridget! Xoxo
can I use 18% table cream for this recipes
thank you
Hi Anna!! 18% table cream doesnât have enough fat to stabilize it under pressure and it could curdle. If you want to use The 18% table cream instead of heavy cream, follow this recipe for Skinny Alfredo, substitute ziti for the linguine and then add in the red pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese at the end with the table cream. Let me know if you have any questions!! https://cookingwithkarli.com/instant-pot-skinny-alfredo/
Delicious dinner. I didnât have any heavy cream and substituted almond milk. Worked like a charm.
Happy to hear you loved it! đ
Has anyone tried making this with sour cream in Instead of heavy cream? Maybe add a little chicken broth to it?
I havenât tried that, Sarah. I think the sour cream would curdle under pressure though so it would need to be added at the end. You will also need to replace the cream you wonât be using with some type of liquid so the pasta can cook evenly! Hope this helps.
Tried this as my first ever IP recipe! It was a perfect starter recipe for me– so easy & came out great! My husband suggested perhaps adding sausage, and I think that could be really good with the flavors, so maybe I’ll try that next time. Thank you for a great first IP experience!!
This makes me so happy, Coleen!! Thanks for taking the time to comment. â€ïž
I have to admit, I completely messed up this recipe. I had double the pasta, but only 1 cup of heavy cream. I put the sauce in with the other liquids and cooked them together.
End result…. was excellent! It didn’t come out liquidy, was very cheesy.
Thanks for the great recipe.
:)_
Glad it all worked out for you in the end, Geoff! Thanks for commenting!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I grated my own parmesan and added in Tyson Grilled and Ready Diced Chicken at the very end.
That sounds great, Mikaela! Glad you loved it. đ
I can’t wait to give this a try. I love our IP, pasta, and saving money lol. The photos look delicious đ
Hope you love it, Monica! â€ïž
This worked great! I might sub some Asiago for some of the parm next time. It needed a bit more bite to it, I added some fresh basil and leftover cooked sausage. I even did the butter and milk substitute and it worked fine.
Asiago would be a great addition! Glad you loved it!
Could I use vegetable or beef broth instead of chicken?
Yes! I would suggest veritable over beef if possible. đ
Would almond milk be an acceptable (non curdling) substitute? I can be sensitive to lactose with milk and heavy cream but seem to tolerate it okay in smaller doses like cheese so was hoping to be able to sub out the heavy cream for something else. Thanks!
Hi Emilee- I havenât ever cooked with almond milk under pressure so I am not sure if it would curdle or not. I think your best bet would be to up the chicken broth a bit and then add in the almond milk with the red pasta sauce at the end. Hope that works out okay for you!
Do you eat this as a side or main? I just made it and it looks to me to be closer to 2.5-3 servings for my family than 4 servings as suggested by your recipe. (Just wondering)
Hi Lo-Anne! According to the package of pasta, what you have there is in fact 4 servings! I always serve this along side a salad, fruit and garlic bread. If you find it isnât enough for your family, the recipe doubles well. đ hope this helps a bit!
Can I do this in the crock pot?
Hi Jeanne- I havenât tested it in a crockpot so I am not sure. I do have a stove top version that is linked in this post that you should take a look at! đ