Ingredients

For a standard batch that serves 4 to 6 people, use these general measurements

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Italian Sausage: 1 lb (roughly 4–5 links or one package).

Aromatics: 1 large yellow onion and 2–3 bell peppers (any color).

Garlic: 3–4 cloves, minced.

Liquid Base: 3 cups of chicken broth or water.

Noodles: 12 oz of dried wide egg noodles.

Creamy Finish: ½ to 1 cup of half and half (start with ½ and add more to reach your desired creaminess).

Cheese: ½ cup grated parmesan.

Garnish: 2–3 sliced green onions.

Optional: dried herbs like oregano or red pepper flakes to add an extra kick to the sauce

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Steps

Prep & Cooking

1. Sauté Sausage & Aromatics: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Add a drizzle of oil and brown the Italian sausage (removed from casings). Add the yellow onions and bell peppers, sautéing until slightly softened. Stir in the minced garlic for the last 30 seconds.

2. Deglaze: Pour in 1 cup of broth (or water) and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom to avoid the "Burn" error.

3. Layer Pasta & Liquid: Add 2 more cups of liquid (3 cups total for 12–16 oz of noodles). Add the egg noodles on top. Do not stir. Gently press the noodles down so they are mostly submerged in the liquid.

Pressure Cooking

4. Pressure Cook: Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing.

5. Cook Time: Set to Manual/High Pressure for 2–3 minutes.

6. Release: Once finished, perform a Quick Release immediately to prevent the egg noodles from becoming mushy.

7. Finish the Sauce: Open the lid; the mixture may look a bit soupy, which is normal. Stir in the half and half, parmesan, and chopped green onions. The sauce will thicken as it sits for a few minutes.

Notes & Tips

Quick Tip: Egg noodles cook very fast in a pressure cooker. If you prefer them "al dente," aim for just 2 minutes of pressure.

The "Cover" Rule: For Instant Pot pasta, a common rule is to use 1 cup of liquid for every 4 oz of pasta. Since you have 12 oz of noodles, 3 cups of liquid is the sweet spot.

Quick Release: Egg noodles are delicate; always use a Quick Release immediately after the 2-minute timer to keep them from turning into mush.

Residual Heat: Don't worry if it looks slightly liquidy when you first open the lid; the noodles will continue to absorb liquid as you stir in the cold half and half and parmesan.

Pro Tip: If you want a deeper flavor, use the Sauté function to brown the sausage first, then "deglaze" by adding a splash of the broth and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon before adding the rest of the ingredients.