This easy Instant Pot Cajun Sausage Pasta is a spicy and flavorful one-pot meal that is perfect for busy weeknights! With tender pasta, savory andouille sausage, and a creamy Cajun sauce, this dish is sure to become a family favorite!
A few years back, I bought my Instant Pot and since then, it has been a huge help in getting dinner on the table for my family when busy school nights come up. From Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff, to Instant Pot White Chicken Chili, Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice, and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Casserole, we have experimented our way through trying new things. Believe it or not, this Cajun pasta recipe is one of the first things I made and to this day, is still my husband’s most favorite meal I make!
Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta
- Quick and Easy– using simple ingredients and only about 20 minutes of cook time, this meal is perfect when short on time!
- Family Approved– I have three picky eaters in my house and can happily say they each give this meal two thumbs up.
- Customizable– have fun with it and make it your own by adding in addition veggies, increasing/decreasing the Cajun seasoning, change pasta type, etc. So many great options to customize it!
- A one pot meal– if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to add some sides, no worries! This recipe includes your pasta, protein, and veggie, so technically, it is a full meal in itself.
Instant Pot Cajun Pasta Ingredient Notes
See printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient amounts and step by step directions.
- Oil– I use vegetable oil, however canola oil or avocado oil work as well.
- Butter– use unsalted to control the salt levels a bit more.
- Green Bell Pepper– diced, you can use any color desired.
- Onion– diced yellow or white onion is best.
- Smoked Andouille Sausage– use whichever flavor and brand desired. To increase the spice levels, try jalapeno smoked sausage, one of our favorites!
- Garlic– fresh minced garlic is best as it adds the most flavor, jarred works too.
- Paprika, Italian Seasoning, Cajun Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper– this adds lots of flavor and heat to the pot.
- Chicken Broth– try to use reduced sodium if you can, homemade works great too.
- Diced Tomatoes– one can, any brand, but don’t drain it as you will need the additional liquid.
- Penne Pasta– uncooked, I have recently started using whole wheat penne pasta and it is delicious. Feel free to use a different type of pasta such as rotini.
- Cream Cheese– full fat is best, allow to soften before using so it blends into the pasta easier.
- Parmesan Cheese– grated is best, but if you only have shredded, that works great too.
- Heavy Whipping Cream– this gets added after the pasta has cooked and adds to the overall creaminess. You can use half and half if you don’t have whipping cream on hand.
How to make Instant Pot Cajun Sausage Pasta
- Turn sauté mode on Instant Pot and add in the oil and butter to the bottom of the pot.
- 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 function 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 pressure cooker lid and stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream.
- Once cheeses have melted and all has been incorporated, serve!
Tips for success
- I use a 6 quart electric pressure cooker for this recipe. You can use an 8 quart, but I don’t recommend going any smaller.
- If you want to add in some additional vegetables, mushrooms, olives, or additional peppers are great options!
- To cut down on spice, feel free to use less Cajun seasoning or use an all-purpose seasoning in place of the Cajun.
- Diced chicken works great in place of the sausage, saute it a bit before adding it to the rest of the ingredients, but then you will have a yummy Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta instead!
- Ensure the cream cheese is softened before adding it so it melts evenly and smoothly.
Storing Cajun Pasta with Sausage
- Once fully cooled, place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- To freeze, place in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- To reheat, place serving into microwave for about 1 minute, or until heated through.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
Instant Pot Crack Chicken– a high-protein, keto-friendly main course that's as easy to make as it is delicious. With its creamy cream cheese and ranch-flavored sauce, this versatile dish can be served up in sandwiches, with mashed potatoes, or alongside your favorite sides!
Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein– made with tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and flavorful sauce, it's a delicious one-pot meal that the whole family will love
Easy Instant Pot Beef Enchilada Casserole– layers of beef, sauce, cheese, and corn tortillas combine into a Tex-Mex dish the whole family will love!
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken– the perfect combination of spicy and savory. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep time, it's a quick and easy meal for any day of the week. Serve the shredded chicken in tacos, nachos, burritos, sandwiches, slider buns, and more!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Instant Pot Pasta– a simple and tasty Instant Pot dinner that includes Ranch seasoned chicken, tender noodles, and bacon combined in a creamy sauce!
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Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta
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 ½ 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
- ½ 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!
Aaron Joseph says
Yes, I got it! Thanks!
Aaron Joseph says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed! I love the changes you made, sounds scrumptious!
Anesha says
Do you think the five minutes pressure would be the same if I used whole wheat penne pasta?? Trying this tonight
Kristin says
I don’t see why not, should work great and be the same cook time! Hope you enjoy!
Holly P says
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 says
Nope, when doubling anything in the Instant Pot, simply double the ingredients, no need to adjust time! Enjoy!
Anesha says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Hope your BF loved it just as much!
Gunny says
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 says
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 says
Can I add shrimp to it too?
Kristin says
Absolutely! That works great is makes a good addition to this meal!
Tedi says
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 says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, its one of my favorites too!
Lisa says
No liquid in with the pasta?
Kristin says
The chicken broth (2 1/2 cups) goes in with the pasta to cook it! Enjoy!!
Jessica says
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 says
Yea! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
Leticia says
Super tasty and easy!! I loved it!
Kristin says
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Alaina says
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 says
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 says
I hope I win. I want to try all the recipes.
Kristin says
Good luck!! Enjoy the recipes!!