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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? StoveTop 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.
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.
I love how this pasta dish pairs nicely with all sorts of sides to make it a meal, you could do a garden salad, garlic bread or even a crisp Fruit and Vegetable Salad. Whatever you serve it up with, your family will love it!
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!
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Dump and Start Instant Pot Creamy Ziti
Equipment
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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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!
I might try this tonight, but I’ll have to double this. Sounds yummy
This looks so yummy! We don’t have a pressurized pot. Can I make it in a regular pot?
Yes, there are stovetop directions here: https://cookingwithkarli.com/one-pot-creamy-ziti-pasta/
I’ve made this multiple times & my whole family inhales it! If I double it, would I need to double the cook time, or keep it the same?
Just double the ingredients, cook time stays the same. 🙂
My husband wants me to make this recipe for our whole family at a birthday party 😁 I’ve made it doubled with no changes in time & it was great, but what differences in time would be needed if I quadrupled the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Ashley- I have only tripled the recipe before. You won’t need to make any changes, but I am afraid quadrupling the recipe won’t work too well in a 6 qt. I would suggest just making the recipe twice and keeping the first batch warm in the oven while the second batch is in the Instant Pot. 🙂
Can you double this in the same size pot?
Yes! That will work just fine.
If I want to add frozen meatballs to this, at which step do I add them? Just on the top? Or with the noodles?
I would add the meatballs on top of the pasta, before cooking. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe. My partner is a picky eater and I thought he would like it. He didn’t. What surprised me is that he loved it completely, no suggestions! The recipe was so simple, especially since I’m new to the multi cooker thing. I’m just so pleased that the recipe was fast and easy and it got rave reviews. Thank you : )
Total newbie here do you leave it on keep warm cycle when your cooking? Thanks can’t wait to try founds amazing!!
Yes, leave it on the keep warm cycle! Hope you love it!
Can you freeze this ?
I wouldn’t suggest freezing this.
Hi Karli! I was curious if you ever doubled the recipe, and if so, would it need a longer cooking time?
Cook time will stay the same! I have doubled this on many occasions. 🙂 Hope you love it!
Made this tonight and family absolutely loved this. Super fast and easy. This will definitely be a go to recipe. It was the 3rd recipe I’ve tried with my IP.