Instant Pot Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta is fast, super easy, and a delicious summer dinner idea to use up juicy garden tomatoes. Pressure cook pasta in a spaghetti sauce made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, and olive oil, then mix with parmesan cheese and fresh basil, all in under 30 minutes! This light and fresh family meal is an Instant Pot one pot pasta that's healthy and packed with flavor.
Table Of Contents
This is the Instant Pot version of my favorite spaghetti and fresh tomato sauce pasta.
It's a great pasta dish for summer nights when your garden or farmer's market tomatoes are at their peak. Or when you'd like a lightly sauced and refreshing, yet still hearty, dinner on a warm summer night.
Instant Pot Tomato and Basil Pasta is made using juicy tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. The tomatoes are cooked down with onions, garlic, and olive oil, then pressure cooked with farfalle for just 4 minutes. Toss with grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves for a complete dinner in less than 30 minutes.
It's a true Instant Pot one pot pasta— nothing needs to be drained or cooked other than in the inner pot.
This is an incredibly easy Instant Pot recipe that doesn't require any special tricks or knowledge. It's great for any pressure cooker skill level.
Why the Instant Pot is Amazing for Making Pasta
- Extremely quick- cook time is reduced by more than half.
- Easy- you don't have to drain the water, so it creates a one pot pasta without the need for a strainer (one less tool to clean!).
- The Instant Pot doesn't heat up the house on hot summer days the way an oven or stove does.
- Pasta cooked in sauce is so much more flavorful than pasta boiled in water on the stove. Like our new favorite, Instant Pot spaghetti and meat sauce!
I have the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, which doubles as an air fryer and I love it! It makes cooking recipes that are pressure cooked first but need part of them to be broiled or baked so much easier. I do it all using either the air fryer or the Instant Pot setting.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Pancake
- Instant Pot Kielbasa
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Lamb Stew
Tips
While making this Instant Pot spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is incredibly easy, remember these 3 things. Always following these 3 tips when making a pasta dinner will give you success every time and prevent the burn notice from occurring.
Always deglaze the pot if you're sauteing in it first. This step is important to not receiving that dreaded burn notice! To deglaze, add a small amount of water to the pot and set it to saute for 1 minute. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck pieces of food from the bottom.
Never mix the ingredients once the pasta has been added to the pot. You should add pasta first, then water (and oil or butter if using). Never stir the pasta, water, and other ingredients before pressure cooking.
Remove the inner pot carefully using oven mitts immediately after it's done pressure cooking. Doing this prevents the pasta from further cooking and becoming mushy, since the pot has been removed from the hot burner. If you're adding cheese to your recipe, this also helps it to melt rather than clump.
Ingredients
You need:
- Tomatoes: your favorite variety. Pick tomatoes that are juicy and fully ripe. These will yield the most flavorful and abundant sauce. Garden, cherry and grape, and vine-ripened tomatoes are my favorite.
- Farfalle pasta: or any pasta you have on hand.
- Fresh basil leaves: substitute with dried basil in a pinch. Use ⅓ the amount of dried basil.
- Parmesan cheese: grated or freshly shredded are both fine.
- Garlic
- Onion
- Butter and olive oil
- Salt and pepper
*This recipe creates a spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes that is olive oil based and is not thick and red like traditional spaghetti sauce, especially those made with canned tomatoes and sauce.
Step-By-Step Directions
To make this Instant Pot spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, you'll need to first roughly chop the tomatoes. Don't worry about dicing them small or chopping them evenly. You are going to crush them once they cook. Just make sure to core them. There is also no need to remove the seeds.
Then follow these steps:
- Add the oil to the pressure cooker and set to saute on high for 4 minutes. Once heated, add the onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Stir occasionally and turn off of saute when finished.
- Use a potato or meat masher to crush the tomatoes until there are no more large pieces. Add the salt and pepper and stir.
- Deglaze the pot. This step is important to not receive that dreaded burn notice! Add 1 cup of the water to the pot and turn back to saute for 1 minute. Scrape any pieces of onion, garlic or tomato from the bottom, then turn off of saute.
- Add the farfalle, then remaining 4 cups of water. Put the butter on top. Do not mix. This is also very important! Seal the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. If using another type of pasta, cook for half the time that is indicated on the box.
- Perform a quick release when finished. Stir and immediately remove the inner pot to another surface. Removing the inner pot immediately will prevent the cheese from clumping and the pasta from overcooking.
- Add the parmesan and fresh basil and toss well. Add more salt and pepper if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Leave this meal vegetarian as is, or add herb chicken, baked meatballs, or breaded fish.
While it's a filling and tasty complete family meal, it can be made as a side dish for dinners, barbecues, and holidays.
Storing
Fridge: will keep stored in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Freezer: not freeze friendly.
Recipe
Instant Pot Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves
- 8 large tomatoes (use whatever tomatoes you prefer, but the juicier, the better)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 16 oz farfalle (or other pasta)
- 5 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Core and roughly chop tomatoes, leaving the skins on.
- Add the oil to the pressure cooker and set to saute on high for 4 minutes. Once heated, add the onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Stir occasionally and turn off saute when finished.
- Use a potato or meat masher to crush the tomatoes until there are no more large pieces. Add the salt and pepper and stir.
- Add 1 cup of the water to the pot and turn back to saute for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot by scraping any pieces of onion, garlic or tomato from the bottom. Turn off saute.
- Add the farfalle, then remaining 4 ½ cups of water. Put the butter on top and do not mix. Seal the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
- Perform a quick release when finished. Stir and immediately remove the inner pot to another surface. Add the parmesan and fresh basil and toss well. Add more salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this one pot Instant Pot spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes and basil, and will let me know how it turns out!
Mandy
Delicious - made today. Do you think you could just make the sauce and then freeze it for later use?
Kristina
Yes, you can! This is what I do at the very end of summer when I buy a few big boxes of tomatoes from the market.