This Instant Pot Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce is without the guilt! I swap heavy cream for coconut milk to create a rich, luxurious pink sauce that’s totally indulgent—but secretly lighter. It’s so delicious; you’d never guess it’s a healthier twist!
Looking for more easy instant pot pasta dishes? Try my instant pot spaghetti aglio e olio or the instant pot alfredo pasta recipe.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Instant Pot Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
🕒 Ready In: ~20 minutes
👪 Makes: 3 servings
🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: Penne pasta, jar sauce, coconut milk, parmesan, onion and garlic.
📖 Dietary Info: Healthier pasta dish
📌 Difficulty: Easy pressure cooker recipe
Why you’ll love this instant pot tomato cream pasta recipe?
My kids love creamy pasta recipes—especially restaurant-style pink sauce pasta. But making it at home with lots of heavy cream isn't something I want to do every week.
So I started experimenting with canned coconut milk instead, and it was a total game changer. It has the same rich, creamy consistency as heavy cream, but without the heaviness. And don't worry—you won't taste the coconut at all. It simply creates a silky, luscious tomato cream sauce that's every bit as satisfying.
It's an easy, family-friendly pasta dish that's cozy enough for comfort food, but light enough to add to your regular weeknight rotation.
- maria doss
Featured comments
One reader Jennifer writes, "Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! My husband told me to add it to weekly rotation and he couldn’t believe it had coconut milk in it- you definitely can’t tell!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another reader Jayceebee writes, "This was so easy and a huge hit in my family. Instead of coconut milk, I used ½ cup heavy cream and ½ cup water, in addition to the water listed. Not so healthy but so good. Thank you!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Using coconut milk instead of heavy cream in pasta
Canned full-fat coconut milk is one of my favorite substitutes for heavy cream in pasta dishes. It’s naturally rich and creamy, with a high fat content that gives sauces a luxurious, velvety texture similar to heavy cream.
It also blends beautifully with tomato sauce, creating a smooth, creamy pink sauce without curdling or separating. The stabilizers in canned coconut milk help thicken the sauce, giving it that luscious restaurant-style consistency.
And don’t worry about a strong coconut flavor. In a well-seasoned pasta sauce with garlic, onion, herbs, and marinara, the coconut taste is barely noticeable. Instead, it simply adds richness and body, making the sauce creamy without relying on lots of dairy.
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More instant pot pasta recipes
Instant Pot Pasta with Tomato Cream sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 and ¼ cup marinara sauce I used Prego, tomato basil & garlic
- 1 cup coconut milk I used Choakoh coconut milk
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh basil, to finish
Instructions
- Set Instant pot to saute setting. When hot, add butter and then chopped onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes, until translucent.
- Press cancel and then stir in the marinara sauce, coconut milk, water, salt and pepper.
- Place the pasta on top and gently press it into the sauce, making sure that they are mostly immersed into the sauce. Don't stir the pasta!
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the valve is in the sealed position. Cook on manual for 5 minutes. When cooking time is done, let it be in warm mode for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Release the pressure and carefully open the lid. Stir in the Parmesan and fresh basil. Don’t worry if the sauce looks a bit thin at first—it will naturally thicken after a couple of minutes as it rests.
Notes
- Salt will depend on your taste level and the type of marinara sauce used. I used Prego, tomato basil garlic and used ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Please use only canned coconut milk and not coconut milk beverage. I used Chaokoh canned coconut milk <--- shake can well before opening.
- I used 3-quart size Instant pot.
- If you want pasta to be al dente, then cook for 6 minutes and then 10 mins of warm instead.
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Call it pink sauce pasta, coconut milk pasta, or pasta with coconut milk—whatever the name, it's a rich, creamy, and incredibly comforting pasta dish the whole family will love.
Variations
Want to add protein? Just toss in raw shrimp (like in my instant pot shrimp pasta) or cubed chicken at the same time you add the tomato sauce and coconut milk—they’ll cook perfectly right in the pot!
Prefer heavy cream? Swap the 1 cup of coconut milk for ½ cup of heavy cream, and add an extra ½ cup of water to balance the sauce.
Use half-and-half instead of coconut milk.
MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💚 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love to hear your feedback! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Facebook.
Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
Lewis Johnson
I love creamy pasta.
Maria Doss
Me too:)
Jayceebee
This was so easy and a huge hit in my family. Instead of coconut milk, I used 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup water, in addition to the water listed. Not so healthy but so good. I also skipped the entire first step and went to the pasta. Thank you!
Maria Doss
That sounds great, glad you liked it:)
Rudy
I’d like to double this recipe for the family. Can I simple double it or should I make some changes to the quantities?
Thanks
Maria Doss
Hi Rudy, I would recommend doubling if you are using a large Instant pot (preferably a 8 quart). Else, we would recommend cooking in two batches. Wishing you a wonderful holidays and new year - Maria
Jennifer Beglin
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! My husband told me to add it to weekly rotation and he couldn’t believe it had coconut milk in it- you definitely can’t tell!
Maria Doss
Hi Jennifer, that sounds wonderful! Wishing your family a very new year, Maria