My family loves my Instant Pot tortellini with meat sauce because it’s so hearty and savory, and easy to make. They remind me to share the recipe on Nut Free Wok so they can make it when it’s their turn to cook dinner on a busy weeknight.
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Easy weeknight dinner with leftovers for lunch
I’ve been obsessing over dry tortellini ever since I saw them at Price Club (now Costco) as a college student. Boil them and they become cheesy dumplings!
When I am super busy, I make this Instant Pot Tortellini with Meat Sauce for my family. It’s very easy to make with jarred pasta sauce. I know they like it too when they get seconds or ask me for the recipe, so I’m adding it to the blog for them. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
The stovetop method to cooking this recipe will require using two pots, one to boil the tortellini for 18 minutes and a second to cook the meat sauce. Cooking this recipe in an Instant Pot is easy because you don’t have to watch the pots while the tortellini cooks and the sauce simmers and cooks in one pot. The resulting tortellini is covered with beefy tomato sauce with veggies.
Is tortellini nut-free?
Tortellini is usually filled with cheese but it’s important to check for cross-contact if a brand also makes pesto filled ravioli. Trader Joe’s used to sell nut-free dried ravioli and dried tortellini until it was discontinued recently.
These days I buy dry tortellini from Target’s Good and Gather brand which doesn’t include any nuts in the ingredients nor has an allergen advisory. I called Target to ask them about potential cross-contact and the customer service representative told me that if there is potential cross-contact on their store brand products, they would include the information on the label. I recommend that you call and check for yourself.
If you know of other brands of dried tortellini that are nut-free and delicious, please share in the comments. I think Barilla is available in major supermarkets but I would like to try other brands as well.
How to Cook Tortellini in an Instant Pot
I am aware that people sometimes end up with a “burn” notice when they cook pasta in an Instant Pot. I have never experienced that making this recipe. Here are my top tips to avoid the dreaded burn notice.
- In this recipe you will first saute the onions, garlic, and meat. Then it’s crucial you follow the step by step recipe instructions to layer the dried tortellini, sauce, and water.
- Avoid pouring water over the sauce. Pouring water over the sauce could push the sauce to the bottom of the pot too early, and the sauce will burn. I recommend pouring the sauce on one side of the pot and then pouring the water on the other side.
- The second thing to be aware of is that before you put the lid on, you will need to be sure to press cancel and switch from saute mode to pressure cook mode.
- This recipe takes about 10 minute to pressure cook and then natural pressure release for 5 minutes. You don’t want to open it right away nor wait too long. Wait 5 minutes for the pot to natural pressure release and when the pin drops, use a large sturdy wooden spoon to gently stir the tortellini and meat sauce so that everything is evenly distributed throughout.
Recipe Variations
Add some chopped carrots with the onions for more veggies. You can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken if desired. I also like to add a bag of baby spinach or super greens (baby spinach, baby kale, and baby chard) after pressure cooking. Gently stir it in with the meat sauce and tortellini.
I’ve tried other pasta shapes and results vary. Farfalle tends to be al dente accross the thickest part of the pasta. Penne ends up losing its shape because more water is necessary to cover them. And fusili falls apart.
A reader named Mike suggests adding a pound of ground sausage, which sounds amazing to me. Here’s what he had to say,
“My first time using dried tortellini and my first time with dried tortellini in the instant pot. I used 1lb each of ground beef and ground sausage because they were both already thawed. Your instructions worked perfectly. (6qt instant pot). Thank you.”
Allergy Aware Tortellini with Meat Sauce
This recipe is free of peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and sesame as written.
Tortellini has wheat, milk, and egg ingredients.
A dairy-free variation is to use spaghetti (some are egg-free too) instead of tortellini. If the package says to cook the spaghetti for 10 to 12 minutes, then program your Instant Pot to pressure cook for 7 minutes. You will need to break the spaghetti in half so that pasta will fit in the pot. Be sure to spread it out so the pasta doesn’t clump together. When cooking spaghetti, you will not need as much water to cover the dry spaghetti (maybe 30-32 ounces).
Easy Instant Pot Tortellini with Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pound ground beef 93% lean
- 1 pound tortellini dried
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 4.5 cups water
- 1 5-ounce bag baby spinach optional
- parmesean cheese to serve at the table
Instructions
- Press saute (high) and preheat until the Instant Pot is hot. Add the oil, chopped onion and garlic, and saute until the onions are slightly translucent (5 minutes).
- Then add the meat and saute until the meat is browned (5 minutes). Press cancel to stop the saute mode while you layer on the ingredients. Add the dried tortellini.
- Then add a jar of marinara sauce only on side of the pot and do not stir. Fill the jar with water to rinse out the jar and pour it on the other side of the pot, do not stir. Fill the jar about halfway and add it to the watery side of the pot until the water covers all of the tortellini, do not stir.
- Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and lock. Press “pressure cook” and program the Instant Pot to cook for 10 minutes with 5 minutes natural pressure release.
- After 5 minutes natural pressure release, quick release the pot and carefully remove the lid. At this point, add the spinach, if using. Use a large study spoon or spatula to stir the meat sauce with the tortellini gently. Put the lid back on and wait 5 minutes for the excess liquid to be absorbed and if using, the spinach to warm up.
- Serve immediately, with grated parmesean cheese on the side as desired.
Related Recipes
Pasta with Chicken Sausages, Tomato & Brie Recipe – this is a great recipe for potlucks, picnics, bbq and light easy meals during the summer.
Garlic Noodles Recipe, Vietnamese Inspired – excellent side dish
Wonton Mein (Wonton Noodle Soup) Recipe – meat and noodles!
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What do you recommend for keeping it warm and not dried out? Want to make but need to know if I make early what will happen
It’s probably best to eat this dish soon after it’s ready to eat (within 30 minutes). The leftovers are also good, maybe the tortellini might not be as intact. It depends on why you need to make it early. If it’s hours earlier, I would try this: reduce the pressure time by 1 minute, transfer it to a casserole, add a little bit of sauce, bread crumbs and parm cheese and bake before serving. If you really need to serve a hot pasta from the Instant Pot, I would use spaghetti (break it in half and pressure cook for 6 minutes) because it’s sturdier. HTH!
My first time using dried tortellini and my first time with dried tortellini in the instant pot. I used 1lb each of ground beef and ground sausage because they were both already thawed. Your instructions worked perfectly. (6qt instant pot). Thank you.
Mike, your comment made my day!! Thank you for sharing your success and extra yum points for adding ground sausage.
Can you use frozen spinach
Yes, I would try it! It might be better if you thaw the frozen spinach so that you can drain it for best results.
This is such a fantastic way to prepare tortellini–that homemade meat sauce is just perfect! Definitely one I’ll make again, thank you for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome! Yes, this dish is so good and I think the leftovers are amazing.
Quick and easy to make and the whole family loved it. Thank you!
Enjoyed this for dinner tonight and it was a savory success! Easy, quick and delicious; my whole family loved it!
My kids loved this meal. Can’t wait to make it again!
Yay, I love hearing that your kids loved it. Cheers!!
I have a package of tortellini in the freezer right now. I know what I am going to make with it this weekend. 🙂
I hope your family loves it!! Since your package is frozen it may take less time to prepare (a little more than half of what the package says)!