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!
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.)
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. 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. If you like dump and start recipes as much as I do, check out Top 25 Instant Pot Dump and Start Recipes.
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!
Looking for a lighter version?? Try my SKINNY CREAMY ZITI!
Try out these other Recipes!
- Instant Pot Cashew Chicken and Noodles
- Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo
- Pulled Teriyaki Chicken Sliders
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
- Chicken Wraps
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Alfredo Sauce
- Pressure Cooker Steak
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Asiago Bagel
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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!
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.
Don't love the heavy cream? Check out my SKINNY CREAMY ZITI recipe!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 435 Total Fat: 34g Saturated Fat: 20g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 106mg Sodium: 1310mg Carbohydrates: 17g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 7g Protein: 17g
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.
Serve alongside some Oven Roasted Broccoli!
Karli Bitner
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Callie says
If I wanted to add frozen meatballs, how should I adjust the recipe?
My instapot comes TODAY and I think this is going to be the first recipe I try 🙂
Karli Bitner says
Hi Callie- just toss those frozen meatballs in on top of the pasta and cook everything together! No need to adjust time. 😊
Denise says
I have made this twice now. First time noodles were not cooked all the way. So this time I set pressure time to 8 minutes instead of the 8. Noodles still not done. What do you recommend?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Denise- are the noodles covered up by the liquid before pressure cooking? If the noodles aren’t covered in liquid, they won’t cook. Sometimes by mistake an entire package of pasta is used when the recipe calls for 1/2 package. Could that have accidentally happened?
Jenelle says
How would I go about doubling this? Double all ingredients, but what about cooking time? Do you think it would work?
Thanks!
Karli Bitner says
Hi Jenelle- yes, doubling works great! Double all ingredients, the cook time will stay the same. 🙂
Julia B says
Have you added chicken before? I assumed just put on bottom so it cooks correctly, but just wondering if you’ve tried that?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Julia- You can actually just toss frozen chicken tenderloins on top of the pasta and cook everything at the same time. Works like a charm!
Nicole Schmits says
The first time I made this it was delicious. Everytime since then, it’s been super watery and the cheese is all clumped together no matter how slowly I add it. And I’ve never done anything differently from the first time I made it. The taste is sooo good but I can’t seem to get the sauce consistency right or the cheese to melt properly. What am I doing wrong?
My next question is, the recipe calls for 8oz of dried pasta. But in your comments I noticed your have 1/2 package. A whole box of penne or ziti is 1 pound. I one batch of this only 1 cup(8oz) or a half package? Maybe tks is why it’s been so watery. I’ve tried cutting back the liquid but it didn’t seem to help and I have to double the recipe since I’m feeding 4 people. Tonight I’m gong to do one batch at a time but I still want to know if 1/2 box of pasta is 1 batch.
Karli Bitner says
Hi Nicole! So you are correct, you will use 8 oz or 1/2 package of pasta. 1 lb of pasta is 16 oz so the 8 oz is the same as 1/2 package. I hope this helps!
Sarah says
The total amount of pasta is more than 1 cup. 1 cup would be an 8 oz liquid measurement, but you need an 8 oz weight measurement. I’m positive that will fix your problem. Good luck! This recipe is amazing!!
K. Owen says
This recipe is ridiculously good. Turned out perfect. Do you think I could cut down on the amount of heavy cream and add more stock? It’s a really rich meal. Thanks!!
Karli Bitner says
Yeah, you could do that if you’d like!! Just keep the total liquid amount the same and you should be golden!
Jill Davy says
I really want to try this as is!
However, my husband thinks he needs meat in it. lol
So, can I make this with ground chuck and just add all the other ingredients ?
Karli Bitner says
Our husbands sound similar.. 😉 Yes, you can definitely add ground meat! I would just brown it first. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Melinda Milnes says
I can’t believe how easy this was and how good it came out. I doubled the recipe, used penne pasta because I like it better, and threw in some Italian seasoning and then some pre-cooked chicken and fresh basil at the end. As good as any restaurant pasta dish I’ve had.
Karli Bitner says
I am so happy to hear this, Melinda!! Thanks for the comment!
Vanessa says
Is it possible to triple the recipe?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Vanessa- if you have an 8qt you should be able to triple the recipe with no problems!
Jill says
Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream? Trying to avoid an extra trip to the grocery store 🙂
Karli Bitner says
Hi Jill- half and half may curdle, see above in the post for more details on what to do if you only have half and half for the adjustments you’ll need to make. 🙂
Alicia Daley says
Hi. I would like to make this recipe with 16oz of pasta. What exactly would I need to do or add to get the recipe right?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Alicia- Double all of the ingredients and then just follow the directions as written. 🙂 No need to change the cook time.
Marie says
There seems to be an inconsistency i the recipes. I the text with the pictures you mention using the instant pot with sauté but in the actual recipe this is left out. Does either work?
Karli Bitner says
Yes, either works. I usually don’t turn it onto sauté but have that detail in so people know that it is an option if they would like to do that.
Lea says
Would this work with milk or no?
Karli Bitner says
No, the milk will curdle. Maybe give this method a try with the milk! https://cookingwithkarli.com/instant-pot-skinny-creamy-ziti/
Katie says
Made this for dinner tonight. Both my husband and I loved it! We added a Cajun sausage ring that we sliced. It was precooked so we just tossed it in with the noodles at the beginning. It gave it a little bit of a spice that would otherwise be missing. Will definitely make again.
Jocelyn says
Made this tonight and flavour was very good! I thought i added the cheese slowly but it clumped and had to be removed. Im going to try again but just sprinkle cheese on the bowls after! Great flavour and both kids enjoyed. Going to double the recipe next time so we can all share!
Mary McCoy says
Delicious and quick. I used on hand rigatoni and marinara leek sauce. The cheese does lump together. Need to figure out how to avoid it. Great meatless Monday meal.
Karli Bitner says
Hi Mary- I am glad you enjoyed this dish! To avoid the cheese clumping, I would suggest shredding your own cheese vs purchasing pre-shredded from the store. The pre-shredded cheese has additives that actually keep the cheese from sticking together and melting properly.
Alexandria says
Okay you had me at one cup of parmesan! I’ve been needing some quick recipe to make after work and this looks incredible, so I’m definitely putting this on my weekly menu coming up! Great photos!
Karli Bitner says
It is one of our favorites around here! I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as we do. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Emily says
I used whole wheat penne and the cook time was the same! Very yummy! I’ve made this a number of times with regular ziti, but wanted to try a different option. I also add browned ground beef after it’s all done cooking.
Karli Bitner says
Thanks for coming back and commenting! I am sure many other readers will appreciate your insight on making this with whole wheat pasta! Thanks, Emily. 🙂
Bianca says
If I double do I need to adjust cook time on instant pot?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Bianca- Cook time will stay the same.
Sandy says
Does it matter what red pasta sauce i use? New to the cooking game, so i dont know what my options are. #newlywed
Karli Bitner says
Hi Sandy! You can use any pasta sauce. Just whatever you usually use with spaghetti will work great! 🙂 ps. congrats on the newlywed status!! 🙌🏻