Learn how to cook pasta in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or other brand of electric pressure cooker. This is the easiest, hands-off way to make perfect pasta every time.
If your household is anything like mine, you love a good pasta dinner! There are so many delicious options that it’s the perfect go-to dinner, whether you’re serving just yourself or a hungry crowd.
Making pasta in the Instant Pot is one of the easiest ways to do it. No babysitting, stirring, or boiling water necessary! (And no tomato sauce splattered all over my oven afterwards either!)
Tips for making Ninja Foodi Pasta
You can cook any type of dried pasta in the Ninja Foodi. The cook time will vary based on what type of pasta you are making.
If you are cooking long pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, or vermicelli, you will need to crisscross the pasta when you add it to the pot. If you stack all of the pasta on top of each other, it will stick together, Crisscrossing the past prevents this from happening. When adding long pasta to the pot, break the pasta in half and then add to the pot by placing about 10 pieces of pasta into the pot and then crisscrossing the next 10 pieces. Continue this process until all pasta has been added. You will end up with a pile of pasta in the middle that looks similar to a haystack.
Yes, you can. The broth will add additional flavor. If using broth, you may want to reduce the amount of salt that you are adding as some broths can be rather salty.
Exactly the same way that you cook other kinds of pasta. Follow the same formula for cooking egg noodles. See chart for more details.
Secret Formula for al dente pasta:Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 2. 5-2=3. Pressure cook for 3 minutes.
Secret Formula for pasta that is cooked a bit more:Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 1. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 1. 5-1=4. Pressure cook for 4 minutes.
Secret Formula for completely cooked and tender pasta: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.
Directions for making Ninja Foodi Pasta:
1. Add 1.5 cups of water or broth per 8 ounces of pasta. If you are using very large pasta shapes, you may need to add up to 1 cup of additional liquid. Almost all of the pasta should be submerged in the liquid in order to cook properly. 2. Add ½ teaspoon of salt per 8 ounces of water, if desired. Adjust the amount of salt based on your own preference. 3. Pour your choice of pasta into the Ninja Foodi Pot. 4. Close the pressure cooking lid. and move the valve to the sealed position. 5. Calculate the pressure cooking time using this formula:Secret Formula for al dente pasta: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 2. 5-2=3. Pressure cook for 3 minutes. Secret Formula for pasta that is cooked a little more:Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2 and then subtract 1. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Subtract 1. 5-1=4. Pressure cook for 4 minutes.Secret Formula for completely cooked and tender pasta: Take the recommended cooking time that is on the box of pasta and divide by 2. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For example, if the box recommends 10 minutes of cook time, divide 10 by 2=5. Pressure cook for 5 minutes. 6. When the timer beeps and is finished pressure cooking, quick-release remaining pressure. If a lot of liquid starts to come out of the valve, do a controlled release by slowly moving the valve to the vent position for a few seconds and then moving back to the sealed position for a few seconds. Continue this process until all pressure has been released. Open the lid and stir. If pasta is not cooked enough for your liking, place the pressure cooker lid back on the pot (does not need to be screwed on to close, just rest the lid on the top of the pot, do not turn the pot on), and let it continue to steam for a couple of minutes. If needed, strain any extra water from the pot and use the pasta as desired.
Formula: Calculate the Perfect Pasta Cook Time
For perfect Instant Pot pasta, there’s a pretty simple formula to find the right cooking time: take the time listed on the box, cut it in half, then subtract an additional minute.
For example, for bowtie pasta, if the package says to cook for 12 minutes, I’d pressure cook it for 5 minutes. (12 minutes divided by 2, minus 1 additional minute).
This formula works for regular pasta, whole wheat pasta, gluten-free pasta, rice-based pasta, or pretty much any kind.
Tip: If the cook time is an odd number, I generally round down.
FAQ
How long does it take to pressure cook pasta?
Can you boil water in the Ninja Foodi?
Can you cook pasta in a ninja dual zone air fryer?
How long does it take to make pasta?
