All the crave-worthy flavors of Marry Me pasta are made even easier with this Instant Pot version. Even the pasta cooks in the Instant Pot!

Serve this incredible pasta with a green salad and garlic bread (or breadsticks!) for an easy meal that tastes like you put in far more effort than you actually did.

Brown rimmed plate with cooked Instant Pot marry. me pasta with sun-dried tomatoes on top with fresh basil.

Why You Should Make This Pasta ASAP

Are you familiar with the flavors of “Marry Me” pasta? This super popular pasta marries together the delicious flavors of: sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and cream.

The flavor profile alone is enough to make it, but here are a couple other reasons why this pasta should go on your menu plan immediately:

  1. This meal is completely hands-off while the pasta cooks. You don’t need to watch over a boiling pot of water or drain the pasta or worry about it sticking together. Literally, the Instant Pot handles it all.
  2. The recipe is fast and easy enough for a weeknight. Pasta cooks VERY quickly in the Instant Pot. The longest part of this recipe is waiting for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.
  3. This recipe has really good roots. I took all the good parts of this Instant Pot ziti recipe to create this Marry Me pasta version and improved it even more so that you can completely avoid the dreaded “burn” warning.
  4. You won’t even miss the meat. The creamy sauce, Parmesan, and hearty pasta make this a delicious, filling meal even without meat.

Pro Tip: You can easily stir in cooked, chopped chicken at the end. Rotisserie chicken meat works great, or while the pasta cooks, season bite-size pieces of chicken breasts, thighs or tenders, and cook in a bit of olive oil in a skillet until golden and cooked through.

Rule of Thumb for Cooking Pasta in the Instant Pot:

  • Always add at least one cup of liquid with the pasta.
  • Take the al dente cooking time on the pasta package, cut the time in half and subtract two minutes. For example: if the al dente cook time is 12 minutes, the Instant Pot cook time will be 4 minutes.
  • Quick release the pressure so the pasta doesn’t over cook.
Instant pot with sun-dried tomatoes, broth, seasonings and pasta.
Instant pot with cooked pasta and sun-dried tomatoes.
Shredded Parmesan cheese in Instant Pot with cooked pasta, cream and sun-dried tomatoes.
Cooked, creamy pasta in Instant Pot with sun-dried tomatoes.

Keep In Mind…

➡️ For this recipe, the broth, pasta, seasonings, and sun-dried tomatoes cook together in the first step. After the cook time is done, release the pressure and stir in the Parmesan cheese and half-and-half mixture.

➡️ When you first take the lid off the Instant Pot, you may be a bit underwhelmed. The pasta and sun-dried tomatoes may look a bit stodgy. But after the cheese and creamy ingredients are stirred in, this pasta transforms into an absolute vat of creamy pasta goodness.

➡️ This pasta is best served pretty quickly after serving for optimal creaminess.

My family goes crazy over the Instant Pot ziti recipe (which I make all.the.time), and we are all thrilled to have another version to change things up a bit.

I’ve yet to get the burn warning for this Instant Pot Marry Me pasta, and the flavors are seriously just so yummy. Make this one soon!

Brown rimmed plate with cooked Instant Pot marry. me pasta with sun-dried tomatoes on top with fresh basil.

What to Serve With This:

Brown rimmed plate with cooked Instant Pot marry. me pasta with sun-dried tomatoes on top with fresh basil.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 16 ounces penne pasta
  • 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry (one 4.4-ounce jar)
  • 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Lightly grease the insert of a 6-quart Instant Pot.
  • Add the chicken broth, basil, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  • Add the pasta and sun-dried tomatoes. Gently stir and flatten out (don’t aggressively stir).
  • Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes (to figure out the exact cooking time, take the al dente cooking time on the package, cut in half and subtract an additional 2 minutes).
  • Let the pressure naturally release for 5 to 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
  • Stir the pasta to break it apart a bit and recombine the ingredients.
  • Whisk together the half-and-half and cornstarch and stir into the hot pasta (see note). Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and well-combined.
  • Serve immediately. Pasta will continue to thicken as it rests.
  • Garnish servings with additional chopped sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil, if desired.

Notes

Milk: This pasta is creamier using half-and-half or heavy cream, but you can experiment using milk (I recommend using 1%, 2% or whole milk). 
Adding Chicken: While the pasta is cooking, season diced chicken with salt and pepper and saute in a bit of olive oil until golden and cooked through. Stir the chicken into the cooked pasta (or use cooked, chopped chicken, like rotisserie chicken meat). 
Timing: It’s important to stir the half-and-half mixture into the past while it is piping hot, so work quickly to make that happen. If the pasta has cooled a bit before adding the half-and-half mixture, use the Saute function on the Instant Pot to heat through and lightly thicken. 
Author: Mel Gunnell
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Method: Instant Pot
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 424kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 1344mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 11g

Recommended Products

6-quart Instant Pot
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Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe