How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot
Published Dec 10, 2019•Updated Jan 28, 2026
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Use these easy step-by-step instructions to cook perfectly al dente pasta in a 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker. I tested this method with 20+ varieties of pasta to insure that it works every time. With over 1 million page views and 300+ positive reviews this method is tested and perfected.
Reader Julie says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Three years after finding it, I’m still using this formula!
Pasta has been my Instant Pot nemesis ever since I fell in love with the kitchen gadget of the moment. In the past few years I’ve become pretty confident when cooking in the pressure cooker. It only took a few weeks to get over my fear of releasing the pressure valve. 😉
These days, I use the pressure cooker a couple times a week to make everything from rice, to a big pot of Crispy Pork Carnitas, to 20-minute weeknight meals like Chickpea Curry with Rice. But pasta is tricky.
That is, until I learned the Instant Pot pasta formula. It involves a tiny bit of math, but the payoff is perfectly tender pasta every time. Here’s how it’s done.
Why Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot
There are three reasons to cook pasta in the Instant Pot / pressure cooker.
- It’s a true one pot dish. No need to strain the pasta after it’s done because the pasta will absorb all of the water as it cooks.
- Set it and forget it. There’s no need to keep an eye on the pot to make sure it doesn’t boil over. Just turn the machine on and walk away.
- Keep the starch – Since the pasta isn’t strained, all of the natural starch from the pasta stays in the pot and serves as a natural thickener for any type of sauce you add – whether it’s marinara sauce (as in Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti) or creamy cheesy sauce (as in Instant Pot Mac and Cheese).
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Pin It NowThe Instant Pot Pasta Formula
To cook any type of pasta perfectly in the Instant Pot (note: you do NOT need to do this math yourself – just wanted to show you how I did it):
- Find the recommended cook time on any box / bag of pasta.
- Take the lowest, even number in the range. (Example: if the range is 9 to 10 minutes, use 10 minutes. If only one time is given and it’s odd, round down. So 7 minutes becomes 6.)
- Divide in half.
- Subtract two minutes.
- Pressure cook on high.
- Use 5 minute natural release and then release any remaining pressure manually.
But there’s no need to do all that math. Just use the chart below:
**0 is a real setting on the Instant Pot / pressure cooker. For small pasta shapes with a short recommended cook time, set the timer to zero minutes. The pressure cooker will fully pressurize but won’t hold for any amount of time.
How Much Water to Use for Instant Pot Pasta
Use 2 cups water for every 8 oz of pasta. So…
- 8 oz Pasta + 2 cups Water
- 16 oz Pasta + 4 cups Water
- 24 oz Pasta + 6 cups Water
You can disregard this if you’re cooking pasta in a lot of liquid or sauce (like in a soup or ragu), but the cook times still hold true.
How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot
- Combine pasta and water (using measurement above) in the bowl of the Instant Pot. Give everything a stir so that the pasta gets a bit wet.
- Seal and lock the lid.
- Pressure cook on high. (Use the chart above to determine the cook time.)
- Leave the pasta on natural release for 5 minutes (do not let this sit any longer or the pasta may overcook) and then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Unplug the machine or check to be sure that all heating / warming functions are off.
- Open the lid and give the pasta a very good stir – about 20 to 30 times. Put some muscle into it so that the pasta gets really well incorporated with the small amount of water that remains. (Note: When you start stirring the pasta, there may still be a few dry spots on the pasta where it was sticking out of the water. Don’t worry – as you stir and let the pasta steam in the next step, it will continue to absorb the small amount of liquid in the pot.)
- Return the lid (no need to lock it just set it on top) and leave the pasta to sit for 5-10 minutes more. (Note: This step is the most important because the pasta will continue to absorb any remaining liquid and continue to cook just a bit in the residual heat of the machine. This is the key to pasta that is cooked, but not over-cooked.)
- Serve!
Cooking Spaghetti, Fettuccini, or Linguini in the Instant Pot
Long, straight pasta like spaghetti, fettuccini, and linguini can be a bit finicky to cook in the Instant Pot. The method for cooking these is slightly different than other shapes, though the cook time remains the same.
- Break the pasta strands in half before adding them to the Instant Pot so that they can easily be submerged in water.
- Pour water into the Instant Pot to completely cover the pasta (note: this is more water than you add for other pasta shapes).
- Do not stir before cooking. Resist the urge to stir the pasta. (Stirring it can cause it to stick.)
- Pressure cook pasta according to the time on the chart.
- Leave pasta on natural release for 5 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- After cooking, stir the pasta well to insure the strands are not stuck together.
- Drain well.
Gluten-Free / Alternative Pasta
There is no need to make any adjustment to the formula if using gluten-free, whole wheat, or alternative pasta. Because this method of cooking pasta is based on the recommended cook time on the package, any type of pasta can be cooked this way.
We tested this method with several varieties of whole wheat pasta and with several varieties of gluten-free pasta (lentil, chickpea, and black bean pasta).
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
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How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pasta, any type or shape
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- First, determine the cook time for the pasta you are using. See the notes below to determine the right time.
- Combine pasta, water, and salt in the bowl of an Instant Pot. Give everything a stir. (See note below if cooking long, straight pasta like spaghetti, fettuccini, or linguini.)
- Close and lock the lid.
- Set the vent to “Sealing”.
- Pressure cook on high for the time determined in Step #1.
- Leave the pasta on natural release for exactly 5 minutes. (Note: Be very careful not to let it sit for any longer or the pasta will overcook.)
- Use manual release to release any remaining pressure. (Note: Hot and starchy pasta water may spray out of the pressure valve when you release it. Cover the valve with a dish towel as it releases to keep this contained and minimize the mess.)
- Open the lid and give the pasta a good stir, 20 to 30 times. (This will get rid of any dry spots that remained where the pasta was sticking out of the water during cooking. If adding sauce, stir it in at this point.)
- Return the lid to the top of the pressure cooker (no need to lock it just set it on top) and leave the pasta for 5-10 minutes more. (Note: This step is the most important because the pasta will continue to absorb any remaining liquid and continue to cook just a bit in the residual heat of the machine. This is the key to pasta that is cooked, but not overcooked.)
- Serve!
Notes
**0 is a real setting on the pressure cooker / instant pot. For small pasta shapes with a short recommended cook time, set the timer to zero minutes. The pressure cooker will fully pressurize but won’t hold for any amount of time.
Spaghetti, Fettuccini, or Linguini – Long straight pasta shapes like these (and angel hair, bucatini, etc.) need to be treated a bit differently than other pasta shapes.
- Break the pasta strands in half before adding them to the Instant Pot so that they can easily be submerged in water.
- Pour enough water into the Instant Pot to completely cover the pasta (note: there is no set amount, but only add water until every strand of pasta is submerged). Add salt.
- Do not stir before cooking. (This will help prevent the pasta from sticking.)
- Pressure cook pasta according to the time on the chart.
- Leave pasta on natural release for 5 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- After cooking, stir the pasta well to loosen any strands that are stuck together.
- Drain well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made elbow macaroni for pasta salad using your recipe in the 6qt twice. I used my 8qt pot tonight and added 1/4 cup more water, same timing. It ended up on natural release for 7 minutes, stirred, then sat for 5 minutes. Perfect!
Great – I’m so glad!!
Well, I may have to try this outside next time. I used a 3 qt. Instant Pot, so perhaps it would have been better to just try 8 oz of pasta instead of 16 oz. First mistake was I did it by the volume of a cup vs. weight as you suggest in an answer to another question. I also tried a gluten free “Ancient Harvest” pasta which is corn, brown rice, and quinoa. Followed the same directions (1 minute pressure cook on high and 5 minute natural release) as listed. At first, the natural release was normal with just steam, but then it turned into a “volcano” eruption of hot water and a sticky substance that looked like cloudy egg white! Oh what a mess it created! Everything in its path above, below, and surrounding my pot was covered. My pot will take some TLC to clean it up. I thin I should not have pushed it with 2 c of pasta and 4 c of water. It may just be the type of “pasta” used–not traditional. Even after the stirring and letting it sit another 10 minutes with the lid back on, I had to drain it. The pasta was pretty bloated and a bit past al dente. Glad it’s worked for others. I’ll try again in my small pot and use regular wheat pasta.
Yes – it does seem like alternative pastas are a bit unpredictable. When we tested this formula, we did try it with whole wheat, lentil, and chickpea pastas, but based on feedback from others, there are so many alternative varieties of pasta out there now, and some of them just don’t work.
I have tried numerous pasta recipes for IP but nothing compares to this. The resulting texture & flavour is what I imagine pasta was invented to be if that makes any sense lol. A perfect bite between the teeth and so easy… clean up is a breeze (no overboiling pots). As a bonus, leftovers reheat perfectly as well.
And yes, it holds the sauce perfectly. Thankyou for this.
Wonderful – I’m so glad this worked so well for you!
This worked horribly for me with penne pasta. After waiting 5 minutes to vent, I had pasta water coming out of the pressure valve all over my counter. Once I was able to open my IP, the water has bubbled to the top of my unit before finally going down (from opening the unit) What can I do for this???
Hi Justin – yes – it is possible that starchy water may spray out when you release the pressure valve. A good way to avoid this is to cover the valve with a dishtowel before releasing it. Thanks for the suggestion – I’ve added a note to remind others to do this when they flip the valve.
Thank you for this post. I made a whole box of spaghetti for my family’s day after Thanksgiving gathering yesterday and I didn’t want to mind a hot pot while I was making alfredo sauce. So I decided to use my IP. Using your recipe it worked perfectly. One question I have though, would it work to add a little extra water to the pot for adding to the sauce if it were needed? I was thinking a half-cup
I’m so glad this worked well for you Dana! Yes – I’ve definitely added up to an extra half of water to use for sauce. Any more than a half cup (though I’d guess it would be okay even up to 1 cup extra) and I think it would affect the cook time since that water would also have to come to pressure, so you could end up with soggy pasta. But with half a cup extra, you’re definitely fine.
My pasta burned to the bottom how do I prevent that?
Hi Jacquelyn – that’s pretty unusual. I’ve actually never had that happen before. Was the water completely absorbed into the pasta and the pasta cooked properly (except where it burned) when you removed the lid? When I cook rice in the Instant Pot, I often rub the inside of the pot with olive oil. You might give that a try next time and see if it helps.
I do not know you but I will praise you and talk about you to others whenever I’ll make pasta!!! I am 65 and NEVER mastered cooking pasta right. Either not enough water or too small pot, too mushy or bunchy, etc. You get the picture. Thanks Heavens I was guided to your site here today! You resolved this for me!!! I can not tell you how happy I am with the way my Fettuccine turned out! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! From now on I will bring pasta dishes to all pot luck parties so I can share the good news!
I live in Toronto Canada and we have fresh pasta sold in 350 gr packages (3 cups of salted water for 0 minutes) PERFECT!!! It did not bunch up, did not need stirring 30 times, no extra water, was just the right firmness, no draining required, no risk of getting burnt etc.
Since it was my first time I used a whole package and had to save more than half as it was too much! No worries! Ran cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking, drained it well and it is in the fridge waiting for the sauce (Alfredo, Primavera, Mushroom, etc.) . No need to use extra fat or oil this way!!! I could not be happier!
So happy to hear this! Thank you so much for sharing.
A word of warning: DO NOT USE THIS FOR GLUTEN FREE BROWN RICE PASTA. I had starchy water spewing all over the wall when I went to release the pressure. I’m sure it was no fault of the recipe, since I used the rice pasta, but it was mess and the pasta was mush. I followed the recipe exactly. It was worth a try, and I might try this with regular pasta in the future, but whatever you do, do not cook gluten free pasta in an instant pot!
1 box of Spaghetti, 6 qt instant pot – Perfect! Thank you!
Four+ years I have been trying to make perfect pasta in my Instant Pot. FINALLY THANKS TO YOU I did it!
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions. No froth, no sticking together, no mushy noodles. I did the instructions for the Spaghetti noodles and since we do not like al dente did 5 minutes then 5 minute NR and perfection was achieved. Printing this up and putting it in my recipe book. You rock!
Yay! So glad you found this and that it was what you needed! I was so thrilled to figure it out myself too!