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!

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!
What is an Instant Pot Dump and Start Recipe?
Great question! Dump and Start means that there is nothing to brown or sauté 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.
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.
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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!

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
- 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's®)
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 3 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium*
- 1 cup Heavy Cream (or evaporated milk)
- 1 lb Andouille or Kielbasa Sausage, sliced
- 1 cup Grated Parmesan
- ½ cup Roasted Red Peppers, sliced
- 2-3 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
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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.
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Add the sausage on top.
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Place the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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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.
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When the cook cycle has ended, Do a *Controlled Quick Release of the pressure.
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*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.
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When the pin in the lid drops down, stir the pasta. Then add the parmesan and the roasted red peppers. Gently stir.
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Place a lid on the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving as it will thicken up.
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Stir in the fresh basil just before serving. Serve hot.
*Be sure to use low sodium broth or use water as this recipe has enough salt from the Cajun seasoning and sausage.
RESOURCES TO MAKE pressure cooker Cajun Pasta recipe and more
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Elizabeth
Hi, I’m new to Instant Pot - over in the UK here! I like the sound of this easy meal but I don’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 I’ve only used my IP to make carrots and boiled eggs so I’m a bit nervous!) Thanks. Elizabeth
Sandy
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!
doug f
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.
Mark Carr
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!
Sandy
Thanks Mark! I'm happy to know you enjoyed it!
Anne
Would I need to adjust anything if I were to use Gluten Free pasta?
Sandy
I have never used it. My guess would be half the time it states on the package.
Michele
i use gluten free pasta in place of regular exclusively. you won't need to make any adjustments.
Lauren
This was excellent and very easy. I was kinda desperate for a quick dinner - my sausage was frozen solid and I only had elbow pasta, but it still turned out great. Thank you!
Lauren
This was delicious and very easy to prepare. The only pasta I had on hand was elbows, but they worked just fine. Thank you!
John
When you put the lid back on for 5 minutes to thicken up, do you keep on keep warm or turn off the instant pot?
Sandy
You can do either. The keep warm doesn't kick in until the temperature gets below 140° F.