Instant Pot Creamy Italian Sausage and Shells

4.92 from 12 votes

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This Italian sausage recipe is a one-pot wonder that uses an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Perfect for a crowd or family meal, make this easy pasta recipe in about 30 minutes!

Bowlf of Italian Sausage and creamy pasta.
See all of our instant pot recipes here!

Instant Pot Sausage and Shells

I got this instant pot sausage recipe from one of my best food sources: my workplace. It’s a one-pot meal which makes it perfect for busy families like ours. If you’ve never made pasta in an instant pot, this recipe is going to be a game-changer for you!

Ingredients for this Instant Pot Recipe

(Full recipe is found at the end of this post.)

Ingredients for Instant Pot Pasta Recipe

  • Butter
  • Shallots
  • Mushrooms
  • Italian sausage
  • Garlic
  • Chicken broth
  • Dry White Vino
  • Baby tomatoes
  • Artichoke hearts
  • Italian seasoning
  • Fresh parsley
  • Baby spinach
  • Half and half
  • Cream cheese
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Pasta shells

There is a little bit of half and half in this recipe but the cream cheese is what really kicks it into high gear.

How to Make this Italian Sausage Recipe

Italian sausage is always a flavor booster. We use it to make stuffed peppers rings, it’s in our white bean and sausage soup, and many other recipes. Often times to cut fat calories, we substitute Turkey Italian sausage and get great-tasting results.

Scoop of creamy pasta going onto a serving plate.

To make this recipe using Italian sausage, start by gathering all of the ingredients and get your instant pot out and ready to go.

Shallots and mushrooms and Italian sausage being sauteeing in an instant pot.

  • Start by melting the butter in your Instant Pot. Saute the mushrooms and shallots for a couple of minutes.
  • Then add the sausage and garlic. You stir this for a couple of minutes as well.

Instant pot with broth and tomatoes.

Next, you’re going to add the broth, white vino, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Then, give it a good stir.

Adding pasta and spinach to an instant pot.

  • Add the pasta to the broth and sausage mixture but don’t stir it in.
  • Finally, add the baby spinach on top of the pasta and again, don’t stir it in.

Next, you’re going to pressure cook the ingredients for five minutes and then do a quick release. Then, add the cream, cream cheese, artichoke hearts, and parmesan cheese.

Instant pot full of creamy pasta.

Give it all a good stir and let it sit for five minutes.

Serving plate of creamy pasta and sausage, garnished with parsley.

My boys are my harshest critics when it comes to my cooking. They are brutally honest and usually spot on. After one bite, one of them blurted out “this is one of the best pasta recipes” they’ve tasted for a long time. They also proclaimed that my coworker who gave me this recipe is a genius. I have to agree with them on both parts.

What to do with Leftovers

  • This Instant Pot pasta recipe keeps well for leftovers. Just put them in a container and seal with plastic wrap or use some Tupperware and keep them fresh in your refrigerator. It stays good for up to five days and makes a great lunch to take to work. To reheat, place in y0ur microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

FAQ for How to Make Instant Pot Pasta

Making pasta in a pressure cooker is a lot different than the conventional method of boiling it in water. Here are a few distinct advantages:

  • Making pasta in the instant pot is faster than boiling it in water.
  • You can make many pressure cooker recipes for pasta using just one pot!
  • The water is absorbed during the pressure cooking process so you don’t need to drain pasta from the instant pot. This also helps to thick the sauce of your recipe.

How Do You Make Instant Pot Pasta

  • Depending on the pasta, you’re going to pressure cook it for between 4 and 6 minutes. If you want it to be al dente (firm when bitten,) use the lower end of the scale.
  • You have to do a quick release at the end of the pressure cooking cycle when making pasta in a pressure cooker.

How Much Water Do You Use for Instant Pot Pasta?

  • In general, you will use 2 cups of liquid of every 8 oz. of pasta that you make in the pressure cooker.

Give this Italian sausage recipe a try as soon as humanly possible. I can’t wait to hear what you think about it!

Fun kid story about this recipe. My 16-year-old son Isaiah, who was born a foodie, informs me that a shallot is the love child between an onion and garlic. Oh that kid!!

Dan from Platter Talk standing in the kitchen.
Dan

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Instant Pot Creamy Italian Sausage and Shells

4.92 from 12 votes
Italian sausage recipe made with pasta in the instant pot. Recipe adapted from Pressure Luck Cooking.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Yield: 8 People

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients 

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 2 Shallots, Diced
  • 8 oz Mushrooms, Baby portabella, sliced
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, Sliced into 1/2-inch segments, raw
  • 5 Garlic cloves, Crushed, or 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 3 cups Low sodium chicken broth, Or broth of your choice.
  • 1 cup White wine
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Italian parsley, Chopped (or dry)
  • 10 oz Cherry tomatoes
  • 16 oz Medium pasta shells
  • 5-8 oz Baby spinach
  • 8 oz Cream cheese
  • 1.5 cups Parmesan cheese, Grated
  • 14 oz Artichoke hearts, Drained and coarse chop
  • 1/3 cup Half and half, 0r heavy cream

Instructions 

  • Set instant pot to saute setting and adjust to "more." Add butter and melt until sizzling. Add shallots and mushrooms and stir for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the sausage and garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. You do not want the sausage fully cooked at this point.
  • Add the broth, wine, parsley, and Italian seasoning, and tomatoes. Stir it all together.
  • Add the pasta but do not stir it with the rest of the ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to smooth out the top of the pasta. Then add the spinach, and again do not stir this in. You may have to pack it down a bit as it will come up to the top of the pot.
  • Place lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook on manual for five minutes. Then do a quick release when it is finished.
  • Stir in the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, half and half, and artichoke hearts. Mix it all together and allow it to sit for five minutes. Then serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • If you are a sausage lover, you can double the amount if the recipe and use 2 lbs.
  • You can also use hot Italian sausage or a combination of sweet and hot Italian sausage.
  • Dry white wine such as Chardonnay works well for this recipe. If  you don't want to use wine, substitute with 1 additional cup of broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 711kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 106mg, Sodium: 1094mg, Potassium: 649mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2586IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 328mg, Iron: 3mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Tried this recipe?Mention @plattertalk or tag #plattertalk!

Meet the Platter Talk Guys

Dan & Scott split their time between Wisconsin and Southwest Florida and are dads to six boys. Good food runs through their veins, and they love showing others how to cook easy recipes.

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11 Comments

    1. Hi Lisa, you do not cook the pasta before adding it to the instant pot. Be sure and try this and let us know how you like it!

  1. 5 stars
    You guys! Thank you so much for this recipe! It turned out perfect and the whole family loved it! GREAT recipe to have for a quick night meal. I have shared this with multiple people to let them know they need to make this! I am now checking out the rest of your website! Thanks again!

    1. Thanks for the great feedback, Shannon. This is one that we all need to make more often! (Be sure and subscribe to our newsletter for more recipes and updates to new and old ones!)

  2. 4 stars
    Don’t forget the mushrooms! They are not listed in the ingredients list at the start of the recipe. Thankfully I had a package in my refrigerator. I made a vegan version using Beyond Meat sausate and Vegan cream cheese and parm. It was fabulous!!

    1. Dear Happy Camper, Thanks so much for the feedback, and thanks for pointing out our omission!

  3. 5 stars
    This is by far the best pasta recipe flavorful and delicious! I will definitely make this again, and often!

    1. Lynne, Thanks so much for these nice comments and for the photo of the finished recipe that you emailed me! We always appreciate your feedback and encouragement!