Instant Pot Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
This!! Instant Pot 5-Minute Pepperoni Pizza Pasta. Such a speedy and flavorful one-pot meal, made in MERE MINUTES in your Instant Pot. This pasta meal is hearty and filling, not to mention meaty, cheesy, and creamy. My guys go crazy for it.
Instant Pot Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
Are you ready for a super-fast meal that your family will beg you to make? This is it! You are going to love making this pasta in your Instant Pot. It’s great to be able to brown the ground beef right in your Instant Pot, using the saute setting. Next, layer in the remaining ingredients and cook everything under pressure in just minutes. This is the speedy-meal beyond ALL speedy meals!
To make this Pepperoni Pizza Pasta an even more-creamy eating experience, I was excited to include Hiland Dairy Milk in this recipe. You’ll stir in the milk and cheese just before serving this pasta to your family. They are going to love it! This recipe calls for Hiland Dairy 2% milk, but if you’d rather use Hiland Dairy whole milk, that will make this pasta even more creamy and dreamy.
Let’s Talk Ingredients for Making Creamy Pepperoni Pasta
Ground Beef. We always have a ton of ground beef in our freezer since we raise cattle, so I usually cook what I have on hand and it’s pretty lean. Just be sure to drain any fats from the beef after you cook it, before adding the remaining ingredients. Sometimes I substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef – tastes great.
Save this Recipe
Enter your email address and we will send you this recipe to your mailbox for easy reference! Plus, we will send you our latest recipes every week!
Crushed Garlic. I like to use fresh garlic, but if you don’t have that available, simply substitute a bit of granulated garlic (or garlic powder) in place of the fresh garlic. I usually substitute 1/2 tsp. of granulated garlic per clove of fresh garlic.
Penne Pasta. You can actually use nearly any type of pasta you have on hand in this dish. I made this recipe first using macaroni pasta (elbow pasta) and decided I just didn’t care for it- I think because it made me think of GOULASH. I used regular-sized penne pasta in this recipe, but I think the mini penne pasta would be fun, too.
Mini Pepperoni. I love these little guys! They are smaller in size, but also a bit thicker, so they hold up well in baked pasta and gnocchi recipes. Don’t have the mini pepperoni on hand? Add in a handful of regular pepperoni at the end when you stir in the milk. If you think they are too big as is, chop them up.
Green Bell Pepper. I really like the addition of this veggie in this pasta, but my guys do not, sadly. So….I often saute a diced green bell pepper in a small saute pan until al dente and just add the amount I like to just my serving of pasta. Phooey on them!
Marinara Pasta Sauce and Garlic Roasted Tomato Sauce. I use both of these items when I make this pasta dish because I like my pasta really saucy. And, because pasta is pasta, it’s job as a starch is to soak up all the moisture it can! I typically use Barilla marinara sauce and Hunt’s Garlic Roasted Tomato Sauce. If you can’t find the roasted garlic tomato sauce in your area, feel free to use just a plain tomato sauce, or more marinara sauce in it’s place.
Chicken Broth. You can use any type of broth that you’d like in this recipe, such as vegetable broth or beef broth. If you don’t have broth, substitute water. Your pasta might not be as flavorful, but it will still work.
Italian Seasoning. I always make my own from oregano, basil, and thyme with a bit of red pepper flakes and granulated garlic, but pre-made Italian seasoning is available at your grocer and you’ll find you use it in lots of recipes – it’s a good thing to keep on hand.
2% Milk. I used Hiland Dairy 2% milk for this recipe and that’s what makes this pasta dish so creamy and wonderful. Or, if you’d like to use Hiland Dairy whole milk instead, that’s totally fine, as well. Visit their website for more tasty recipes using their dairy products!
Mozzarella Cheese. If you shred your mozzarella fresh from a block when making this recipe, you’re going to get that “stringy-cheese” experience that we all crave. It’s worth the extra work!
Fresh Basil and Italian Parsley. I simply adore fresh basil and we try to keep some handy in the fridge for Italian dishes like this one. In the summer I grow scads of it right outside my kitchen door since it’s really takes off in this hot and humid NE Kansas climate of ours – you can never have too much fresh basil! A sprinkle of minced Italian Parsley adds a nice peppery flavor to the finished dish.
How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Pasta on the Stove Top instead of the Instant Pot:
1. In a large Dutch oven, over medium high heat, cook the ground beef with the garlic, green pepper, and Italian seasoning, crumbling the beef as you go, until the beef is fully cooked throughout and no pink remains; drain fats well.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente.
3. Add the cooked pasta, mini pepperoni, marinara, tomato sauce, mini pepperoni, chicken broth, and milk to the cooked beef mixture in the Dutch oven, stirring gently to combine and heating over medium heat until hot throughout.
4. Top with mozzarella cheese and chopped basil and parsley, as desired. Serve at once.Recipe Tips for Making Instant Pot Pepperoni Pizza Pasta in Just 5 Minutes
Can I substitute sausage or Italian sausage in place of the beef in this recipe?
Yes, and it’s delicious. Any ground meat will work just fine in this recipe. I’ve even used ground venison (my hunters keep me well stocked) in this pasta dish and it was quite good. Or, if you prefer, you can go meatless with this pepperoni pizza pasta bake, though that would incite utter and complete MUTINY at my house. 🙂
What if I want to make this pasta in a more basic form for my kids?
You can certainly omit the green bell pepper, as well as the fresh herbs from this recipe, if you feel those would “offend” your kids – I totally get it! Also, if you’d like to substitute garlic powder or granulated garlic for the crushed fresh garlic, that’s totally fine too. Just add 1/2 – 1 tsp. garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic.
NOT TO STIR the ingredients once I layer them all inside the Instant Pot
Yea, I know. It’s weird.
However, keep in mind that MOST casserole recipes you’re going to make in your Instant Pot are going to put strong emphasis on NOT STIRRING those layered ingredients before you pressurize!
If you look closely at the cooking instructions of this recipe, you will see it says to layer in the ground beef, penne pasta, pepperoni, bell pepper, tomato sauce, marinara sauce, and Italian seasoning.
Lastly, you pour in the chicken broth, and this is super important because it’s essentially what circulates in the pot to create the steam that makes the pressure.
So that’s why you can’t stir those layered ingredients up, otherwise the broth gets stirred into the center of those ingredients and can’t do it’s work. When there’s no liquid to circulate, you’ll get the dreaded BURN notice on your Instant Pot and the entire thing shuts down…..no dinner!
What if my electric pressure cooker is a different brand than the Instant Pot?
Such a great question. You can use any brand of electric pressure cooker to make this recipe. I love using my Cuisinart electric pressure cooker, as well as the Instant Pot. All electric pressure cookers work under the same premise, no matter which brand they happen to be.
Ready for a few more of our favorite Instant Pot Recipes? Here you go:
Instant Pot 5-Minute Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef (may substitute Italian sausage, if desired, or do half beef and half sausage together)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed (may substitute 1 tsp. garlic powder or granulated garlic)
- 12 oz. penne pasta
- 5 oz. package mini pepperoni
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, diced
- 24 oz. jar of your favorite marinara pasta sauce
- 8 oz. can Hunt's Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 cup 2% Hiland Dairy milk
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil and Italian parsley, chopped, as garnish
Instructions
- Using the sauté setting on your Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), brown the ground beef with the garlic until no pink remains and ground beef is fully cooked throughout; drain any fats.
- Top ground beef with pasta, pepperoni, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and broth. DO NOT STIR!
- Lock Instant Pot lid into place. Use the manual button to choose High Pressure for 5 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure.
- When the timer sounds, perform a quick release and remove the lid. Add the milk and give the pasta a quick stir, then top with the cheese.
- Cover the Instant Pot with the lid for 1-2 minutes to let cheese melt. Garnish with fresh basil and Italian parsley, as desired. Serve at once!
Notes
Nutrition
Please feel free to leave us a comment – we love hearing from our readers and followers! If you don’t hear back from us right away, just know we may have somehow missed your comment or question. Do reach out to us by email: ChefAlli@ChefAlli.com. We respond as quick as we can.
Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own. It may also contain “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Pepperoni pizza, pasta pot recipe is new for me, I really want to taste at once and decide to cook at Sunday dinner, let see how much rating gives my family members to this recipe.
Hi there –
How did your family like this pasta?? I hope they enjoyed it!
Please let me know,
Chef Alli