Instant Pot Cajun Sausage Pasta is an Instant Pot one-pot meal packed with flavor! Ready in less than 20 minutes, this meal is easy and delicious!
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I bought my first Instant Pot about one year ago. Since then, I have made everything from pasta, soup, chili, hard boiled eggs, and even cheesecake. This Instant Pot Cajun Sausage Pasta however, is my hubby’s all time fav!
A few nights ago, I decided to play around with a few different recipes and basically combine them into one. I didn’t have super high hopes because my three kids are semi picky, plus they dislike anything spicy. Quite hard to avoid when making Cajun, right?!
I decided to use Chupacabra Cajun blend instead of Slap ya Mama. A little less heat, so I figured my kids would appreciate that. If you’re good with heat, choose whichever Cajun blend desired! After browsing through my produce bin, I found an extra onion and green pepper, so tossed those in too!
Not only was this dish simple to prepare, but it was a one pot meal, making clean up a breeze! You can add in shrimp or chicken, in addition to the sausage, if desired! I used Penne pasta, but if you prefer rotini or something else, feel free to substitute. Although the recipe as written is fabulous, feel free to add some variety to it with different produce, meats, heat levels, etc.
Not only did I have this on the table in under 20 minutes, but it made enough to have leftovers the next night! Score!
If you’ve jumped on the Instant Pot train, I highly recommend trying this! Who wouldn’t like a family friendly, budget friendly, one pot dinner, right?!
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Instant Pot Cajun Sausage Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 14 oz smoked andouille sausage, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 14 oz diced tomatoes *don't drain
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning *Chupacabra or Slap Ya Mama
- 1 dash Cayenne pepper
- 12 oz Penne pasta, uncooked
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Turn sauté mode on Instant Pot and add in the oil and butter.
- Add in the green pepper and onion, allowing to sauté about 3 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and sausage, sautéing an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the paprika, Italian seasoning, broth, tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, Cayenne pepper, and uncooked pasta.
- Stir a bit to push down the pasta into the liquid.
- Turn off saute mode and place lid securely on top. Ensure valve is in sealing position.
- Cook manual, high pressure, for 5 minutes followed by a quick release.
- Once pin drops, open lid and stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream.
- Once cheeses have melted and all has been incorporated, serve!
Mav
Can you freeze this? Looking for frozen meals to make before baby is here! Thanks.
Kristin
Yes! You definitely can! I know a few different people that have frozen this and its been great once reheated and thawed! Congrats on the baby!!
Daisy
I’ve made this multiple times now, and it’s a hit! the first time I made it, it was pretty runny. The next time I added the entire box of noodles (16 oz) and I didn’t add as much cream and it was perfect. I’ve done this with just sausage and also with sausage and chicken and it’s delicious either way. I ordered the Chupacabra she suggested, which is delicious! We don’t like things super spicy, my children especially don’t, so I put 1 tsp in it instead of 1 T, and then my husband ane I add a little more to our individual bowls. This recipe is easy, it’s all done in one pot, and other than the Cajun seasoning that I had to special order on Amazon but comes in a big bottle and will last a long time, all the ingredients are easy to find. Make this! You won’t regret it!
Kristin
Yay!! Love hearing that you enjoyed this!!! Great changes made too!!
Kevin
If I want to use shrimp in this recipe along with the sausage, should the shrimp be frozen or thawed? I have never cooked shrimp in my IP and am worried it will be overcooked. Any words of wisdom?
Kristin
If you are going to add it at the same time, I would have the shrimp frozen. You can also add them thawed at the end and keep the pasta on saute for a few minutes to warm them! Enjoy!
Cheryl
I just got an insta pot and this is going to be my first recipe thank you it looks delicious.
Kristin
Yay! Hope you enjoy!!
Aaron Joseph
Yes, I got it! Thanks!
Aaron Joseph
I’m visiting family and want to make this for them, but they don’t have an instant pot here. Any recommendations on how to cook it without an instant pot? Would you cook the pasta separately and then mix it in with everything else? Or would you cook as above, but in a regular pot and for longer? Or something else?
I’d appreciate your thoughts!
A.
Kristin
That would work, but eliminate the broth and cook pasta separate. Basically, the sauce is the cream cheese and cream, with seasonings and Parmesan. The chicken broth is only to cook the pasta in, so eliminate that as you will be cooking pasta separate.
Hope that makes sense and hope you enjoy!
Aaron
I wanted to share some subs I made…
I’m vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free, but I love dairy and I love(d) sausage, so I when I stumbled upon this recipe I had to figure out a way to make it acceptable. I left out the green pepper because I didn’t have one and I used Old Bay seasoning in place of the recommended Cajun seasoning, because that’s what I had on hand. Other than that, I made the following subs:
1. Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Penne (could possibly have cooked 1 min. less time, but still came out nicely)
2. 4 links of “Beyond” Sausage
3. Vegan Cream Cheese
4. Extra Creamy Oat Milk (unsweetened) instead of cream (I wonder if coconut milk would work)
5. Country Crock vegan “butter” spread instead of the butter
6. Nutritional Yeast instead of the parmesan cheese
I was worried about how this would turn out, especially when I saw how squishy the Beyond Sausage was when I tried to slice it (I had never eaten it before). But it came out amazingly well! I fed it to my 3 kids, none of whom are veg, dairy free or GF, and they all loved it, even my picky 14 year old daughter who doesn’t like anything red or green in her pasta, haha!
Thank you for this recipe! It will be a new regular dish for me!
Kristin
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed! I love the changes you made, sounds scrumptious!
Anesha
Do you think the five minutes pressure would be the same if I used whole wheat penne pasta?? Trying this tonight
Kristin
I don’t see why not, should work great and be the same cook time! Hope you enjoy!
Holly P
I am going to make this for a crowd this week so I’d like to double it. I have an 8qt IP. Is there anything different that I should do since doubling it? I wonder if I should change the cook time?
Kristin
Nope, when doubling anything in the Instant Pot, simply double the ingredients, no need to adjust time! Enjoy!
Anesha
Hello! So excited to try this recipe this weekend! I bought a container of pulled off the bone rotisserie chicken & would like to add it to this recipe. Do you think that would be okay ? When would I add it in ?
Kristin
Hope you enjoy! The chicken would work great, but since it is already cooked, I would add it in at the end and stir in to reheat slightly before serving!
Morgan Emmel
idk if it was the cream cheese or what, but this was probably my all time favorite pasta dish i’ve ever made and my boyfriend is going to be in high heaven when this hits his tastebuds. amen
Kristin
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Hope your BF loved it just as much!
Gunny
Unexpected change in the work schedule and came home late… remembered this recipe and went to town. Realized I had only half of the Parmesan cheese but grated up some smoking Italian cheese and Asiago off the block. Missing cream cheese and regular cream, so I added sour cream until I had the right consistency. Let me tell y’all… it’s an amazing recipe! Started at about 19:00 (7:00pm) and just finished eating at 20:30 (8:30pm)… clean up a breeze and so good with a nice glass of red wine!
9-1/2 stars
Gunny
Kristin
Yay!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this! Great changes made too, I love it! And a glass of wine with this dish sounds quite perfect!
Rachel
Can I add shrimp to it too?
Kristin
Absolutely! That works great is makes a good addition to this meal!
Tedi
This is absolutely delicious! Used my daughters InstaPot and this recipe was loved by all!! Now I know I definitely need to get my own InstaPot=]
Kristin
Yay! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, its one of my favorites too!
Lisa
No liquid in with the pasta?
Kristin
The chicken broth (2 1/2 cups) goes in with the pasta to cook it! Enjoy!!
Jessica
Delicious! Nice kick to it too. Made a lot. I used the whole box and 3 cups of broth. I will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Kristin
Yea! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
Leticia
Super tasty and easy!! I loved it!
Kristin
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Alaina
I loved this recipe!!! I did use a full 16 oz box of noodles (because I didn’t want the leftover to get lost and go bad), and added some extra dry seasonings to compensate for the extra noodles. My husband to some of the leftovers for lunch and gave some his dad. I had to make sure that he left me some too!
Kristin
Yea!!! Isnt it tasty?? Even my kids beg for seconds and they are typically quite picky, hehe! So glad you all enjoyed it!!
Ellen Hayes
I hope I win. I want to try all the recipes.
Kristin
Good luck!! Enjoy the recipes!!