Instant Pot Cajun Pasta is an easy, quick-to-make creamy Cajun pasta recipe. With a pressure cook time of just 3 minutes, this dinner can be on the table ready to eat in less than 30 minutes (pressure-building time included!). A blend of smoky spices and fire roasted tomatoes are mixed into ziti and shrimp, then coated with a creamy, cheesy sauce.
Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta is super easy to make! It's flavored with a smoky Cajun seasoning blend and fire roasted tomatoes, then combined with a homemade creamy sauce made with 2 types of cheese and heavy cream.
It has a moderately spicy and smoky, yet subtly sweet flavor. The perfect combination of heat and sweet for every palate. It's a cousin to my Creole-inspired Instant Pot shrimp and sausage jambalaya, which is also perfectly spicy and sweet.
We're adding Cajun-spiced shrimp here, right to the Instant Pot with the pasta for protein and extra deliciousness.
It's a one pot meal that takes barely any preparation aside from slicing the onion and garlic. You can use my homemade Cajun blend given in the recipe, or a premade mix to make it even easier.
There are no tricks to getting this meal right! It's a great Instant Pot recipe for beginners and experts alike. Plus, it was tested in both 6 quart and 8 quart pressure cookers.
Since nothing is sauteed, there is no deglazing required. The chance of triggering that dreaded burn notice is practically nonexistent. We all know that if you are an Instant Pot enthusiast like me, you've probably gotten the burn notice once or twice, and nothing is worse than that when it comes to pressure cooking.
But if you follow my recipe, plus my few simple tips below, you'll be able to make this creamy Instant Pot Cajun pasta completely stress-free...and it's amazing!
More Instant Pot Creamy Pasta Recipes:
- Instant Pot Jalapeño Cheddar Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Pasta
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup (not pasta, but creamy and delicious!)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Substitutions
Cajun Seasoning: this recipe uses a homemade Cajun seasoning made with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, thyme, and oregano. The smoked paprika gives the seasoning that traditional flare of Cajun cooking. For a less smoky meal, use sweet paprika or regular paprika. A store bought Cajun seasoning can be substituted.
Pasta: the key with your pasta choice is to use one that will cook in 3 minutes and is intended for a creamy sauce. You don't want to overcook the shrimp by choosing a pasta that takes longer to cook. Ziti, penne, rigatoni, shells, elbows, linguini, fettuccine, and pappardelle are good choices.
Fire Roasted Tomatoes: these tomatoes give your meal a subtle smoky flavor so they are used often in Cajun-style cooking. Because the seasoning uses smoked paprika, you can use a can of diced tomatoes or homemade roasted tomatoes to eliminate just a bit of smokiness. But if you love smoky-flavored meals, fire roasted tomatoes are the way to go.
White Cheddar: extra sharp white cheddar gives the best flavor here, but you can substitute with mozzarella or use all parmesan. Whichever cheese you use, make sure to freshly shred it so it melts smoothly. Bags of shredded cheese will not melt nicely into soups, broths, and stews because they are coated in preservatives.
Parmesan: use freshly shredded parmesan or pecorino romano. You can skip the parmesan and use all mozzarella, too.
Jumbo Frozen Shrimp: always use peeled frozen since shrimp cooks quickly. If you use raw, they will likely turn rubbery in the 3 minutes of pressure cooking time. You can substitute with large frozen shrimp, but don't go any smaller than that.
Sweet Onions: sweet onions give this smokey meal a tiny hint of sweetness. Yellow onions or shallots can be used instead.
Heavy Cream: heavy cream creates a rich creamy sauce. Substitute with whole milk or evaporated milk for a "lighter" sauce.
Chicken Broth: chicken stock, vegetable broth, or vegetable stock can all be used instead. Or, substitute with water.
Step-by-Step Directions
Instant Pot Cajun pasta is simple and quick to make. It takes about 5 minutes of prep and 3 minutes of pressure cooking (with a 10 minute wait for the pot to come to pressure). Overall it is done in less than 30 minutes and leaves you with little clean up and an incredibly delicious dinner!
- Add the chicken broth and ziti to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Push the ziti under the broth with a wooden spoon so that it's in an even layer and covered by the broth.
- In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper and salt. Sprinkle ½ of the spice mix on top of the ziti and broth.
- Layer the garlic, onions, and fire roasted tomatoes on top of the ziti. Do not mix.
- Place the frozen shrimp into a steamer basket. Toss with the remaining spice mix and put the basket into the inner pot, on top of the layered ingredients. If you don't have a steamer basket, place the shrimp on top of the tomatoes.
- Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Complete a controlled quick release when done and immediately remove the inner pot to another surface. *To do a controlled quick release, turn the pressure release switch to Venting but do not lock it into place. You want to be able to stop the release if it starts spraying broth. If it does this, stop the release for a few seconds and then begin again until all pressure has released.
- Then carefully remove the steamer basket of shrimp and set aside. Stir the pasta, vegetables and spices until evenly combined. *It may appear watery at first glance but once you mix it, the remaining broth will absorb.
- Pour in the heavy cream and mix. Wait 2 minutes, then mix in the parmesan and cheddar cheeses 1 cup at a time. Stir continuously until cheese has melted. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Toss with the shrimp and serve.
Expert Tips
- Always layer the ingredients on top of the pasta without mixing them into it.
- It's completely fine for the steamer basket to be placed directly on top of the layered ingredients (in this case it will sit on top of the fire roasted tomatoes). It won't affect cook time or process. If you don't have a steamer basket, put the shrimp directly on top of the tomatoes.
- Once the Instant Pot has completed pressure cooking, a quick release is necessary. However, the broth may spew out at the very beginning of the release. Make sure to do a controlled quick release if this happens.
- Removing the inner pot immediately after pressure cooking and waiting 2 minutes to add the cheese is important, so don't skip it. This will cool the temperature slightly, just enough so that the cheese melts. If cheese is added to liquid that is too hot it will turn into rubbery chunks instead of melt.
- Always use freshly shredded cheese for the best and smoothest melt. Avoid bags of shredded cheese when melting cheese into liquid.
- The shrimp can be added back to the pasta after the cheese and tossed into the entire dinner. Or, add the shrimp to individual bowls.
Variations
Spicier: add ¼ to ½ teaspoon more of cayenne pepper to increase the heat factor. Or, add in a few diced jalapeños with the onions.
Less smoky: if your preference is for less of that Cajun smoked taste, use traditional paprika in place of the smoked paprika.
Add chicken: saute diced chicken in olive oil at the very beginning. Then deglaze and follow the recipe as written.
Add sausage: saute sliced andouille sausage in olive oil at the very beginning.Then deglaze and follow the recipe as written.
Vegetarian: eliminate the shrimp to make a creamy Cajun pasta-only dinner.
Storing
Instant Pot Cajun pasta will keep well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It is freezer friendly for up to 2 months, although the texture of the pasta and cream sauce will change.
Instant Pot Cajun Pasta
Instant Pot Cajun Pasta is an easy, quick-to-make creamy Cajun pasta. With a pressure cook time of just 3 minutes, this dinner can be on the table ready to eat in less than 30 minutes (pressure-building time included!). A blend of smoky spices and fire roasted tomatoes are mixed into ziti and shrimp, then coated with a creamy, cheesy sauce.
- pressure cooker
- Steamer basket
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz ziti pasta
- ½ cup sweet onion (diced)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 cups diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 lb jumbo frozen shrimp (peeled, deveined and tail-off)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups extra sharp white cheddar cheese (shredded)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
Add the broth and ziti to the inner pot. Push the ziti under the broth with a spoon so it is an even layer and covered by the broth.
Mix the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle ½ of the spice mix on top of the ziti.
Layer the garlic, onions, and fire roasted tomatoes on top of the ziti. Do not mix.
Place the frozen shrimp in the steamer basket. Toss with the remaining spice mix and put the basket into the inner pot, on top of the layered ingredients. If you don't have a steamer basket, place the shrimp on top of the tomatoes.
Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Complete a controlled quick release when done and immediately remove the inner pot to another surface. (see notes)
Remove the steamer basket of shrimp and set aside. Stir the pasta, vegetables and spices until evenly combined. It may appear watery but once you mix it, the remaining broth will absorb.
Pour in the heavy cream and mix. Wait 2 minutes, then mix in the parmesan and cheddar cheeses 1 cup at a time. Stir continuously until cheese has melted. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Toss with the shrimp and serve.
*To do a controlled quick release, turn the pressure release switch to Venting but do not lock it into place. You want to be able to stop the release if it starts spraying broth. If it does this, stop the release for a few seconds and then begin again until all pressure has released.
Creamy cajun pasta will keep well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It is freezer friendly for up to 2 months, although the texture of the pasta and cream sauce will change.
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Luca says
I am completely in love with shrimps and I would eat them every day. Also, the fact that is so creamy is a huge plus. I will add to the list of recipes to try!
Amanda says
Everyone loved this! It was so creamy and flavorful, and the Instant Pot made it super simple.
Erin Gierhart says
This is so easy! And I love the cajun spice!
serena says
On the table in under 30 minutes! Such a great weeknight meal.
Amy says
I am always looking for new instant pot recipes, and this one looks fantastic. I will be making this one soon!
Linda says
I'm a big fan of pasta and this cajun pasta is so delicious and full of flavors. Definitely comfort food in a bowl!