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Instant Pot Skinny Creamy Ziti is a play off of my popular Dump and Start Creamy Ziti recipe. This time reducing the calorie and fat content substantially! Substituting Evaporated milk for Creamy Ziti makes this Instant Pot Pasta dish still creamy, cheesy and full of flavor with none of the guilt!
Instant Pot Pasta- The healthier Creamy Ziti!
When I started my blog way back when (HA! Literally 10 months ago.) one of my very first recipes that I created and posted with my infamous Dump and Start Creamy Ziti. This recipe hit the ground running! It took off on Facebook and Pinterest very quickly.
Still to this day, it is my most viewed recipe day in and out! It is loved by all, for good reason too! This dish reminds me of Olive Garden’s Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno. Although, I have to be honest, I haven’t actually had that dish in a really long time because I can make this in my Instant Pot for a lot cheaper and much faster.
With the new year rolling around (ps. like HOW did this year go by so quickly?) I thought it was high time for the Creamy Ziti to slim down a bit. ?
I polled all of my followers over on Instagram and a crazy 90% of my followers are making resolutions this year to eat healthier! I think homemade food vs fast food is healthier all the way around.
Some other great healthily Instant Pot meals are my Chicken Lo Mein, Teriyaki Chicken Bowls, Copy Cat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps and my Skinny Alfredo Recipe. These are always a hit at my house!
Speaking of my Skinny Alfredo Recipe.. Can I let you in on a little secret?? The original Creamy Ziti recipe is actually my Dump and Start Alfredo Recipe with red pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese added in! So here is my Skinny Alfredo Recipe with different pasta and added red pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Voila, Skinny Ziti!
The difference between the two recipes is just substituting the heavy cream from the original with Evaporated milk in the skinny recipe. There is hardly a difference in taste or creaminess, but there is a major difference in calories and fat content! Plus, evaporated milk is shelf stable so it is a great meal to always have the ingredients on hand.
How to make Instant Pot Pasta-Skinny Creamy Ziti
Because The fat content is not there in the evaporated milk, the evaporated milk can not be added to the Instant Pot until after the pasta is done cooking. This is a difference between the regular and skinny recipe.
To make this recipe, chicken broth, ziti pasta, minced garlic and salt and pepper go into the Instant Pot and cook on high for 6 minutes.
Allow for a 6 minute NPR before quick releasing the pressure.
One the lid has been removed, add red pasta sauce. I generally use Hunt’s 4 cheese pasta sauce in the can.
After the red pasta sauce has been mixed in, add in the evaporated milk. Stir until well combined. Turn the Instant Pot onto Sauté HIGH and sauté until boiling.
Turn off the Instant Pot and slowly slowly add stir in the cheeses.
Once the cheese has been melted into the sauce, the sauce will thicken some. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Serve with either garlic cheese bread or oven roasted broccoli!
Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Pasta- Skinny Creamy Ziti
Can I double this Skinny Creamy Ziti recipe?
Yes! No need to change the cook time. Double all the ingredients, everything else stays the same.
Can I use different pasta?
Yes, you can substitute Penne or linguine (broken in half) with no change in time.
Can I add a chicken to this dish?
Yes! Toss frozen chicken tenders on top of the pasta before pressure cooking and you’ll be good to go! Pull the cooked chicken out and let it rest while finishing up the pasta, slice or shred then stir into the pasta!
Can I add Ground beef or sausage?
Yes, Brown the meat and then add in at the end after the cheese.
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS
Instant Pot Skinny Creamy Ziti
(Printable Recipe Below)
Instant Pot Skinny Creamy Ziti is a play off of my popular Dump and Start Creamy Ziti recipe. This time reducing the calorie and fat content substantially! Substituting Evaporated milk for Creamy Ziti makes this Instant Pot Pasta dish still creamy, cheesy and full of flavor with none of the guilt!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 lb (8 oz) dry ziti pasta
- 1 tsp minced garlic, dried
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup red pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (not the powdered stuff!)
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Place the broth, garlic, salt and pepper into the Instant Pot liner. Add the pasta to the pot. All noodles should be covered with the broth. DO NOT STIR.
- Cook on Manual HIGH for 6 minutes. Allow for a 6 min NPR before QR the pressure. Stir the noddles, some may be slightly stuck together, but that is okay. Once you add in the evaporated milk and warm through, all will be well.
- Add the red pasta sauce to the Instant Pot and stir well.
- Add the evaporated milk to the Instant Pot and stir well.
- Turn the Instant Pot onto Saute HIGH until the sauce is bubbling.
- Turn the Instant Pot off and gradually stir in the parmesan cheese then the mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted completely and the sauce has thickened. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. Enjoy!
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Instant Pot Skinny Creamy Ziti
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (592mL) chicken broth
- 1/2 lb 8 oz dry ziti pasta
- 1 tsp minced garlic, dried
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup (178mL) red pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup (178mL) evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup (80g) shredded parmesan cheese, not the powdered stuff!
- 3/4 cup (80g) mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Place the broth, garlic, salt and pepper into the Instant Pot liner. Add the pasta to the pot. All noodles should be covered with the broth. DO NOT STIR.2 1/2 cups (592mL) chicken broth, 1 tsp minced garlic, salt and pepper, 1/2 lb 8 oz dry ziti pasta
- Cook on Manual HIGH for 6 minutes. Allow for a 6 min NPR before QR the pressure. Stir the noddles, some may be slightly stuck together, but that is okay. Once you add in the evaporated milk and warm through, all will be well.
- Add the red pasta sauce to the Instant Pot and stir well.3/4 cup (178mL) red pasta sauce
- Add the evaporated milk to the Instant Pot and stir well.3/4 cup (178mL) evaporated milk
- Turn the Instant Pot onto Saute HIGH until the sauce is bubbling.
- Turn the Instant Pot off and gradually stir in the parmesan cheese then the mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted completely and the sauce has thickened. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. Enjoy!3/4 cup (80g) shredded parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup (80g) mozzarella cheese
Since I am not a fan of evaporated milk, can I substitute it for 2% milk?
It won’t be quite as creamy, but it would work. Hope you enjoy!
Hello. If I double the recipe, do I also double the broth, or will it be too soupy if I double it? Thank you
Double all ingredients, the cook time will stay the same.
Made this tonight but used whole foods’ whole wheat penne and cooked it 4 minutes with QR and put a trivet with 4 Aidell’s sun-dried tomato chicken sausage over top. Turned out pretty great! I might strain more water/stock off next time and decrease the total amount of cheese, but I love that I can use evaporated milk since we almost never have real milk on hand. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you liked the recipe, Colleen! ❤️
Would like to add Ricotta cheese. How much would you suggest? I am doubling the recipe. Thanks!! Debbie
You definitely could! I would suggest starting with 1/4 cup, tasting and then adding more if you’d like.
Can not have dairy could coconut cream or coconut milk work?
I haven’t tested the recipe with either of those, I imagine the taste would be a bit different, but you could definitely substitute them here in this recipe without any issues.
Do you think chick pea pasta would work well? Should I cook for less time?
Can’t wait to make next week!
Hi Corrine, I don’t have any experience with Chick Pea Pasta- so I am not sure on the cook time. I hope it works well for you! I would suggest cooking it for half the recommended time on the package. Let me know how it goes!
Is it supposed to be Evaporated Fat Free Milk? Or 2%?
Hi Kerri- either will work great. 🙂
So good! Thank u:)
So easy, so good! This recipe is fast and very tasty. I made it for my grown kids and and they enjoyed it. It’s not going to be the same as when you make a baked ziti in the oven with homemade sauce, but for a quick tasty meal it was perfect!!! Will make again.
Madalene- I am so happy to hear that you loved this easy meal! Thanks for the comment and stars!
Hi There! I’m new to the instant pot and was looking for easy delicious recipes when I found this one. Made it after church today for lunch and it was fabulous! My hubby added red pepper flakes to his bowl, because he always likes things spicy. He loved it too. Thank you for this and for making it so easy to follow and even adding additional ways to possibly change it up at the end! We appreciate it so much, and will enjoy it many times over! 🙂
I am so happy to hear this, Debbie!! Enjoy your Instant Pot!
How much ground beef if I’m doubling the recipe, 1 pound?
I would suggest using anywhere from 1-2 lbs of ground beef to add to a double batch of this recipe. It really just depends on how ‘meaty’ you want it!
How can I make this without an insta pot? Also, can it be made in a slow cooker?
Hi Alexa- I have a stovetop version recipe here, feel free to substitute the heavy cream for evaporated milk if preferred. https://cookingwithkarli.com/one-pot-creamy-ziti-pasta/
Hi karli,
I made this recipe last night and it was fabulous. My husband who was very skeptical said it was a keeper. I do have one question though, a lot of the cheese seemed to stick to the bottom of the pan. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? Not heat the sauce enough before adding or not stir enough while adding? Thank you!
Hi Laurie! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! The cheese issue may be one of two things. First, the sauce may need to be reheated a bit more. Second, the issue may be using pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has a hard time melting because there are additives in the package to help the cheese not to stick together, which also makes it not melt super well. Shredding your own cheese and adding it slowly should help!
How about throwing in some frozen veggies to make it a complete meal? Do you think that would work?
Hi bonnie- most frozen veggies will turn to mush if they are pressure cooked for this long. I would suggest steaming them in the microwave separately and then adding them to the dish at the very end. Hope this helps!