This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Instant Pot Cajun Pasta is a flavor packed pasta recipe with a nice kick of spice! If you love pasta and Cajun inspired flavors, this is the dish for you. It is really easy to make pasta in the Instant Pot. Did I mention that this pressure cooker Cajun pasta is an Instant Pot “Dump and Start” recipe? Yep, dinner just got a whole lot easier! And more delicious!

Cajun Pasta on a black plate next to two gold forks

Instant Pot Cajun Pasta

This week I have been reworking some of my most popular Instant Pot recipes to be even easier and faster to make. This super delicious pressure cooker Cajun pasta recipe is the perfect makeover candidate.

Now you can make this as a “dump and start” Instant Pot recipe! I have several of these recipes here on the blog, with many more on the way!

Closeup of forkful of Cajun Pasta

What is an Instant Pot Dump and Start Recipe?

Great question! Dump and Start means that there is nothing to brown or sautรฉ before you pressure cook the recipe. Just add the ingredients per the recipe instructions and pressure cook it.

In some cases, layering the ingredients in a certain order is very important to avoid the burn message. As in this recipe.

This allows for your Instant Pot Cajun Pasta to be done with ease, and so much faster! Perfect for a weeknight meal.

Cajun Pasta on a black plate

The pasta is perfectly cooked, and the sausage is tender and adds lots of flavor to this recipe.

Top it off with some fresh basil and enjoy this fabulous pressure cooker Cajun pasta dinner!

Can I add shrimp to this?

Sure! Add thawed small to medium uncooked shrimp right after adding the roasted red peppers. Stir them in and place the lid on and wait about 5 minutes.

Larger shrimp may not cook through in the 5 minute wait time. If you use cooked shrimp, do the same thing.

blue banner with the words you might also like
Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta
Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Watch the Video of me making this pressure cooker Cajun pasta recipe

If you make this tasty Instant Pot pasta recipe, please let me know. Just leave a comment below with a star rating. I’d like to know how you liked it!

pink button with the words follow my Simply Happy Foodie pinterest board

Cajun Pasta on a black plate
5 from 7 votes

Instant Pot Cajun Pasta

By Sandy Clifton
Instant Pot Cajun Pasta is a flavor packed pasta recipe with a kick of spice! Pressure cooker Cajun pasta with sausage is an Instant Pot Dump and Start recipe
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Pressure Building and Release: 15 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • 6-quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 1 Sweet Onion, diced
  • 16 oz Farfalle or Penne Pasta, uncooked
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Cajun or Creole Seasoning (such as Tony Cachere'sยฎ)
  • 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium*
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream (or evaporated milk)
  • 1 lb Andouille or Kielbasa Sausage, sliced

To Finish

  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan
  • ยฝ cup Roasted Red Peppers, sliced
  • 2-3 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped

Instructions 

  • Layer the onion, then the pasta, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, broth, and heavy cream in the pot. Gently press down on the pasta to submerge it. Do not stir.
  • Add the sausage on top.
  • Place the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
  • Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial and then the +/- button or dial to select 5 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to heat up and come to pressure.
  • When the cook cycle has ended, Do a *Controlled Quick Release of the pressure.
  • *A controlled quick release means you release the steam in short bursts, then longer bursts, until you can be sure none of the sauce spews out of the vent with the steam from the intense pressure. Then fully open the vent and let it go.
  • When the pin in the lid drops down, stir the pasta. Then add the parmesan and the roasted red peppers. Gently stir.
  • Place a lid on the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving as it will thicken up.
  • Stir in the fresh basil just before serving. Serve hot.

Notes

*Be sure to use low sodium broth or use water as this recipe has enough salt from the Cajun seasoning and sausage.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Cajun
Tried this recipe?Mention @simply_happy_foodie

RESOURCES TO MAKE pressure cooker Cajun Pasta recipe and more

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Pin This Recipe

Instant Pot Cajun Pasta with recipe title and Simply Happy Foodie.com logo

Sharing is caring!

Sandy wearing a black shirt and a red apron

Hi, Iโ€™m Sandy!

My style of cooking is casual, uncomplicated (most of the time, if I can get out of my own way!), and everything is made from my heart. I hope my recipes will help you get the meal on the table a little easier, so you can enjoy the time with your tribe.

Simply Happy Foodie Electric Pressure Cooking book

Get my cookbook!

Simply Happy Electric Pressure Cooking has over 175 delicious recipes for the Instant Potยฎ, as well as some of my favorite homemade spice blends.

Related Recipes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

28 Comments

  1. Elizabeth says:

    Hi, Iโ€™m new to Instant Pot – over in the UK here! I like the sound of this easy meal but I donโ€™t like onions and so often leave them out. I notice you mention the order the items are placed in is import so is it important to have something on the bottom below the pasta? Or can I just leave the onions out and order the rest the same? (So far Iโ€™ve only used my IP to make carrots and boiled eggs so Iโ€™m a bit nervous!) Thanks. Elizabeth

    1. Sandy says:

      In this cace I would just omit the onion and carry on. It will be fine. I do this with mac and cheese and have not had any trouble doing it that way. Enjoy!

  2. doug f says:

    This was perfect. Using evaporated milk, we found it rich and creamy, but not too heavy. We used whole wheat penne pasta (same cooking time) and it came out perfectly al dente. I also added a bag of frozen bell peppers after cooking and let cook in the heat which worked well.

  3. Mark Carr says:

    This recipe was awesome!! This is the first I’ve made in my Instant Pot and it was absolutely fabulous. I loved how it tasted and I’m very thankful for this recipe!

    Great job!

    1. Sandy says:

      Thanks Mark! I’m happy to know you enjoyed it!

  4. Anne says:

    Would I need to adjust anything if I were to use Gluten Free pasta?

    1. Sandy says:

      I have never used it. My guess would be half the time it states on the package.

    2. Michele says:

      i use gluten free pasta in place of regular exclusively. you won’t need to make any adjustments.