This Creamy Beef and Shells in the Instant Pot is a perfect 20 minute dinner. The pasta is cooked in a tomato and cream sauce that mixes deliciously with the beef in the recipe! It is thickened up with parmesan cheese and ready to serve so quickly. You’re going to love it!
Matt’s mom makes a dish that his family has loved forever. They call “One Pot Pasta”. It’s basically shell pasta with beef in a creamy tomato sauce. And they call it one pot because… you guessed it… it comes together in one pot!
I’ve been loving my Instant Pot recently, so I decided to take the concept of their favorite meal and transform it into an Instant Pot recipe!
The perks of cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is that I just feel like the pasta is so much more flavorful than it is when simply cooking on the stove. The pasta cooks in the chicken broth and tomato sauce, which makes it infinitely more scrumptious.
Plus, I can throw it all together in a pot and not have to worry about continuing to check my pasta to figure out if it’s done.
What Ingredients are in this Instant Pot Recipe for Creamy Beef and Shells?
Onion
Ground beef
Tomato sauce, canned
Chicken stock
Medium Shell Pasta
Italian seasoning
Salt
Heavy Whipping Cream
Parmesan cheese
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How to Make Creamy Beef and Shells
Turn your Instant Pot to the saute function. Add some olive oil to the Instant Pot and saute the onions until translucent and soft.
Add the beef into the pot. Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon and allow it to brown completely.
Once the meat is browned, add the chicken stock into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. This is an important step as you don’t want to cause a burn notice effect later.
Add the tomato sauce into the pot, then the shells, then the italian seasoning, then salt to taste in that order.
Set Instant Pot to manual for 5 minutes. Once the pasta finishes cooking, do an instant Release. Open the lid to the Instant Pot and add in the cream and the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Enjoy!
What if I Don’t Have Shells?
If you don’t have shells, have no fear! You can use any type of pasta of similar size. This includes mostaccioli, larger shells, or anything else of the variety.
If your pasta is similar in size, do not change the cooking time. If the substitute pasta is larger than medium shells, you may need to increase cooking time by a minute.
Can I Use Marinara Sauce Instead of Tomato Sauce?
Yes! If you’d like, you can use marinara sauce instead of tomato sauce. In fact, I use this combination in my Instant Pot Pasta with Palomino Sauce, and it is a delicious combination!
I like plain tomato sauce more in this pasta recipe because the Italian seasoning flavors it up nicely. However, feel free to use whatever recipe you’d like.
What Kind of Meat Should I Use to Make this Dish?
My recommendation is 80% lean ground beef. I’ve found that this combination gives a wonderful flavor to the meat that can’t be beat!
If you don’t eat red meat but still want to make this dish, feel free to substitute ground chicken or ground turkey instead. The result will be fairly similar and definitely delicious!
Can I Freeze my Creamy Beef and Shells?
Absolutely! If you’d like to freeze your Creamy Beef and Shells, simply spoon the pasta into a freezer safe container. You can store the pasta in the freezer for up to 6 months.
If you liked this recipe, make sure to take a photo and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag @TheForeignFork. For more recipes like this, check out the other Instant Pot Pasta recipes I have on my site:
Creamy Beef and Shells in the Instant Pot
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 lb ground beef, 80% lean
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce, canned
- 8 oz shell pasta
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté function. Add some olive oil to the Instant Pot and saute the onions until translucent and soft.
- Add the beef into the pot. Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon and allow it to brown completely.
- Once the meat is browned, add the chicken stock into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. This is an important step as you don’t want to cause a burn notice effect later.
- Add the tomato sauce into the pot, then the shells, then the Italian seasoning, then salt to taste in that order.
- Set Instant Pot to HIGH for 5 minutes. Once the pasta is done cooking, do an instant Release. Open the lid to the Instant Pot and add in the cream and the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Allow the pasta to sit for about 10 minutes before serving to let the sauce thicken. Then serve and enjoy!
Jennifer L. says
Very simple and delicious!
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Keri Turner says
I made a few edits based on what ingredients I had on hand. I wanted to double the recipe so did double all ingredients except the hamburger, I stayed at 1 lb there and didn’t double Parmesan cheese, I stayed at 1 cup. I added 4 oz cream cheese and 1 cup half and half since I didn’t have heavy cream on hand. I also added three cloves of fresh pressed garlic when cooking hamburger and onion, used 16 oz Rotini noodles. Cooked for 5 mins and quick release. At that point added the half & half, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Family loved it.
The Foreign Fork says
Thank you for your comment Keri, your adaptations sound delicious. I’m sure the cream cheese added a great flavor and texture!
Sharie says
Tasty but I need to do natural release next time because the pasta did not get done. Super easy recipe!
Melissa Torres says
This was an easy, delicious recipe to prepare. I prepared it 1.5x the ingredients for our family and it went fast. I like my pasta a little al dente and I have an 8 qt pot so I set mine at 4 minutes. I added some red pepper flakes, a little more salt and we enjoyed it. I might use mozzarella if that’s what I had on hand vs going out and getting parmesan. I also think mushrooms or chopped sweet peppers or chopped spinach would be a great addition too!
The Foreign Fork says
Thank you so much for the review Melissa!! I LOVE mushrooms so I’m always open to trying those in recipes. So glad you liked it 🙂
Dina says
If I wanted to add a vegetable to this, like frozen peas or corn, would I add when I add the pasta? And would I need to increase the amount of liquid?
The Foreign Fork says
Yes you can add it when you add the pasta! I have not tested it myself, but I think the amount of liquid would be fine unless you add a ton.
Jennifer says
Made this for dinner tonight..it was a hit with EVERY MEMBER of the family. A rare thing when hubby and BOTH kids love a dish.
Usually when I try something new 1-2 of them love it (always hubby because he’s not a picky man, 😆) and one or both of the kids will either tolerate it because it’s what’s for dinner, or will make themselves something else. 😂 Not this dish though, they all loved it. This will definitely go into my regular rotation of meals.
Some adjustments I made:
– added minced garlic to saute with the onions
– added some red wine to deglaze the pot after cooking the onions and meat, then added the chicken stock as directed. This added just another depth of flavor.
– seasoned the ground meat with adobo while sauteeing
Otherwise, followed according to directions and it cooked well. Pasta was well cooker in 5 minutes, and the liquid level was perfect. I did double the recipe too.
This was yum
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Jennifer, wow! That’s a win in my book! I’m so glad your family loved the recipe and your adaptations sound delish! Thanks for leaving such a kind and helpful comment 🙂 Have a great day!
Mary says
I followed to the letter. There’s not enough liquid so it cooked off before it ever came to pressure. Now I have a mess soaking in the sink.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Mary. So sorry that you had that experience with this recipe! 3 cups of liquid is generally more than enough to bring a pot to pressure, and I’ve never heard of that problem before with this recipe…. so I’m wondering if perhaps the Instant Pot seal was off or something along those lines? Hope you were able to find a good dinner despite the mess! <3
Kerri says
My shells were not fully cooked after 5 minutes. Was I supposed to stir to make sure they were fully submerged prior to sealing pot for pressure cook?
The Foreign Fork says
You want to make sure that they’re completely submerged in water! I don’t stir it, but I do lightly press the noodles so that they become submerged. If they’re not cooked to your liking, you can always put the lid back on and cook them for another minute or two:)
Amber Lynn says
I love this recipe! I’m very picky and this has made it into my weekly rotation!
The Foreign Fork says
Aw yay! So glad you like it Amber 🙂 Thank you for the review!
Brooke says
Have you ever doubled the recipe? Wondering if I should adjust the cooking time.
The Foreign Fork says
Hey! I have. You do not need to adjust the time 🙂 Enjoy!
PJ says
What can I substitute the tomato sauce with?
The Foreign Fork says
Hi PJ. You could do a different pasta sauce (vodka sauce, alfredo, etc). Someone in a comment thread once also recommended gravy, but I have never tried that! If you do sub something, let me know what you think.
Frank Huber says
Can you use beef stock instead of chicken stock?
The Foreign Fork says
Absolutely!
Tanya says
Wondering how to create this in a crockpot instead 🤔 Any ideas?
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Tanya,
I’m so sorry, I actually have only used my crockpot a couple of times, and I don’t want to give recommendations I haven’t tried before! I’m hoping someone else coming to the comments will have suggestions for you 🙂
Nicola says
I have a small instapot. Should I divide the recipe in 1/2? Thank you.
The Foreign Fork says
What size is your Instant Pot Nicola? This should work on a 6 or 8 quart. I have never tried it on a 3 quart, but as long as it doesn’t come past the no-fill line it should be fine 🙂
Sue Elleker says
I do something similar, with the addition of button mushrooms, which I love!
The Foreign Fork says
Mmm im a big fan of mushrooms, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂 XX Alexandria
Chloe G says
How would you recommend adjusting the recipe to cook the pasta separately? I find that pasta in the IP is too gummy, and I would like to try it separate! I typically use Banza pasta for reference
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Chloe, thank you so much for asking. I have never experimented with cooking the pasta separately, so I am wary of giving advice on it. If you do try it, please let me know what you try and how it turns out!
Julie Peterson says
Thank you for this recipe, I can’t wait to make this! My question is regarding the 80% lean ground beef. I find that when I brown 80% lean, it creates quite a lot of water and grease, almost enough to be soupy. In order to get the hamburger to actually brown instead of being boiled, I usually have to drain it several times while browning. Do you drain the water and grease or do you just leave it in as flavoring for the sauce?
The Foreign Fork says
Hey Julie! I usually leave it but it’s totally up to personal preference. I don’t think I’ve ever had enough grease to be soupy, but if I got that, I would drain it 🙂 You can always drain it and leave just a little in the pan for the extra flavor if you’d like!
Serenity S. says
I make A LOT of IP pasta meals. This is by far the best one I’ve found. I am absolutely obsessed with it and have made it weekly since I discovered it a month ago. Typically IP pasta meals are not that great on day two (the pasta usually becomes a weird texture)- I’m not sure what the difference is here but this one is just as great on day two or three.
The Foreign Fork says
I’m so glad that you love this recipe so much Serenity! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and for coming back to make the recipe over and over again 🙂
Amanda says
I loved this recipe. Used it for first time today. Trying to find recipes that my daughter will love (she’s very picky). I did exactly what the recipe said, however my shells came out alittle too hard to my liking. I like al dente. I did, however, stir the ingredients after adding all of the ingredients. Is that what I did wrong? Therefore, I used the sauté function but it burned the bottom of my pot. (I’m not your sauciest cooker 😜) However, great recipe (the taste was perfect) and my daughter loved it! Thank you!
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Amanda! I’m so glad that you liked it!! Thanks for leaving a comment 🙂 I would say that if the noodles didn’t come out exactly how you wanted this time, you can just adjust the cook time by adding another minute or two next time you cook it. That should fix the issue without causing any burn notices.
Bob Ferry says
What type of Italian seasoning ?
The Foreign Fork says
I just use the a storebought Italian seasoning blend! I use the Kroger brand 🙂
Melissa says
Hi, what pressure setting should the pressure cooker be at?
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Melissa,
Cook it on high!:)
Becky Burns says
Have you ever tried doubling? I have 6 quart IP hoping to make for dinner tonight.
The Foreign Fork says
I have not doubled it but as long as the ingredients are below the fill line, you should be good to go! 🙂 No need to change the cook time or anything!
Becky says
Thanks for your quick reply
Hannah says
Hi this may be a silly question but what do you mean by tomatoe sauce. Im from the UK if that makes a difference. Do you mean tomato ketchup? Or chopped tomatoes? Or is this like a puree? As I dont think tomato sauce is sold in cans here.
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Hannah! Canned tomato sauce is an ingredient that is just unseasoned, pureed tomatoes that form a sauce. Here is a link to what I normally buy in case this helps.
Heather Dickson says
Just read about this on an Instant Pot FB group I’m in. Poor lady didn’t know how to share a link in her post so I tracked you down. The original sharer shared a photo of your printed recipe! She raved about it so now I need to try it!
The Foreign Fork says
Thanks for tracking me down Heather, I appreciate it!! What a fun story 🙂 I hope you like it as much as she does!
Melissa says
I never have heavy cream on hand when I need it. Would sour cream (always have that!) work in this recipe?
The Foreign Fork says
Hey Melissa,
I’ve never actually tried sour cream in this recipe or in any Instant Pot recipe for that matter, so I’m not quite sure…. Though I’m sure it would definitely change the taste of the sauce. I would recommend using heavy cream if you’re able to, but if you ever end up using Sour Cream please let me know how it turns out! I’m so curious to know now 🙂
KATHY says
I just found this recipe so I haven’t tried it with here however I often substitute evaporated milk for heavy cream, it works great, and I always have a can in the pantry. I think that would be a better option than sour cream.
Louise says
What type of Parmesan cheese do you use? Fresh shredded or grated (in the shaker).
The Foreign Fork says
I use freshly grated 🙂 I try not to use the shaker if I can avoid it (sometimes it has preservatives in it that can keep the cheese from melting completely).
Diane Boysen says
The grated parmesan in the plastic container has an anticaking agent in it and doesn’t mix as well as shredded parmesan.