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Instant Pot Ziti with Tomato Sauce. Date Night Quick Pasta Meal with Ziti, sprinkled with vegan parm and fresh herbs. 1 Pot! Vegan Soyfree Recipe. Easily Glutenfree, Nutfree. Jump to Recipe
Sometimes you just need a simple pasta meal! And in a jiffy. This Ziti with herbed tomato pasta sauce fits just there. Put everything in an Instant Pot, pressure cook and done. 20 minutes to a fabulous meal. Add some vegan parm, cashew milk or vegan mozzarella for creamier or cheesier flavor. Add some veggies in with the sauce, fresh herbs for garnish and serve with some crusty garlic bread.
This Vegan Ziti comes together really quickly. It has some amazing flavor from the gently toasted garlic, tomato sauce that gets cooked to a wonderful flavor under pressure, and the pasta that cooks right with it. Sprinkle with some toasted breadcrumbs and vegan parm for a Baked Ziti kind of effect. Saucepan instructions in notes and tips for cooking pasta in Instant Pot below.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup with Red lentils. – So Easy
- IP Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce GF
- Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chickin(soycurls). GF – Creamy, Delicious
- Japanese Veggie Curry. GF
- IP Lentil Chili. GF
- IP Mushroom Wild Rice Soup. GF
- IP Potato Chickpea Soup. GF
Tips to cook pasta in Instant Pot
- Pasta and tomato based sauces in the Instant Pot pressure cooker can easily end up with issues such as burn errors, uneven cooking etc. For a well cooked pasta, mix with the sauce really well, pressure cook time for pasta is a min or so more than half the time listed on the pasta package. Letting the pasta sit for a few minutes before release helps cook any unevenly heated portions.
- Tomatoes and tomato based sauces easily scorch the bottom of the pot during sauteing. The scorching or sticking at the bottom is usually the reason the pot gives a burn message under pressure. Try some things like using oil, using a smoother tomato sauce rather than chunky, switching off saute earlier to avoid scorching, mixing the sauce or ingredients really well so that nothing is stuck to the bottom, and use a bit more liquid if the sauce is too thick.
- I also find that cooking the on saute actually helps, as it allows you to see if there are ingredients that are going to scorch when under pressure. If they start sticking or scorching during saute itself, there are more chances of them sticking under pressure. The heating up of the ingredients, allows the pot to come to pressure quickly, which also reduces the time the ingredients have to keep settling to the bottom.
- If you are adding veggies, add them finely chopped.
Instant Pot Ziti with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, , minced
- 14 to 16 oz tomato sauce,, marinara, pizza sauce or tomato puree
- 1.5 tsp italian herbs, (thyme, oregano, basil, use less or more depending on sauce used
- 1/4 tsp salt, (less or more depending on if the tomato sauce is salted or not)
- 1/4 tsp pepper flakes
- 2 cups uncooked Ziti or other pasta such as penne, , 6 oz or 200 gm
- 1.25 cup water, , 1.5 cups if the sauce used is thicker
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- vegan parm as needed, , vegan mozzarella (optional)
- fresh basil or herbs as needed
Instructions
- Start the Instant Pot on saute. Add oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is starting to get golden. (see saucepan instructions in notes)
- Add the tomato sauce, herbs, pepper flakes and salt and mix in. Switch off saute. Add pasta and water and mix well to dislodge any stuck bits. Press the pasta into the sauce so the pasta is well covered in the sauce.Alternatively, add water, veggies if using, herbs, salt and mix in. Then add tomato sauce on top and pasta and press just to cover the pasta but dont mix. (some IPs are more prone to burn errors that others so try both to see which works. Also see tips above)
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 mins. (4 to 7 mins depending on the pasta used). Quick release after 4 mins.
- Add white pepper, olive oil , vegan parm, or vegan mozzarella and mix in. Garnish with more parm and fresh herbs.
- For tomato cream sauce, add 1/3 cup cashew cream and some nutritional yeast and mix in. Saute to bring to just a boil. Garnish and serve
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Always works great for us. If you’re afraid of the possibility of a burning or sticking problem (I used to avoid such recipes), just add a bit more water and then use saute mode for a minute after to get your desired consistency.
We’ve added veg meatballs too, both homemade and store bought. Good with lentil pastas like Banza.
I like to share this with new IP owners regardless of diet. Really illustrates the power of the IP for everyday staples. Thanks much!
wow – thanks for the info – awesome! Instant Pot Success
Made tonight was so easy and delicious
I hope you are coming out with your IP book soon !
Love all your recipes
Thanks for this super easy recipe! We are in a disgusting high humidity heat wave right now, so instant pot recipes have been my saving grace. This one is a keeper!
Also, I 2nd the suggestion for you to put out an IP recipe book. I love everything I’ve made from your collection so far, I think it’d be a huge hit!
IP definitely keeps the kitchen cooler (a little at least!! good idea
I would buy an IP cookbook from her in a NY minute!
Richa, your next cookbook really needs to be an Instant Pot cookbook! Your IP recipes always turn out so well. 👍
awesome! yes writing one!
Yay! <3
Love how quickly and simply this meal came together, added some onion and rosemary and marjoram to the herb mix. I’ll definitely have to try doubling the recipe to guarantee more leftovers.
great additions!
i love this recipe and your blog are fantastic,i will trying to be make this recipe
Thank you for this recipe and all others. You never disappoint. 🙂
Thank you Gladys!
I would love to send a friend the video of this recipe but as far as I can tell it’s only on Facebook. Could it be added here or on YouTube? Thank you, love your cookbooks!
Yes i will put itupon youtube in a few days. Heres the fb url. You dont need an account to watch it as its a public page. https://www.facebook.com/VeganRicha/videos/348681882396430/
This is super fast and very tasty. I used Banza chickpea pasta and turned out well. Hubby loved the flavor. This is great for fast weekday dinner. Go try it.
awesome!! Thank you Estee!!
I was hoping to use Banza too! Should I still do 6 minutes? Not sure if it cooks the for same amount of time as regular pasta.
try it for half the time listed on the banza box and quick release
Made this for dinner. Added more water as suggested and it worked out wonderfully! I had some baked bean balls that i mixed before serving. Perfect! I love cooking in one pot
awesome!