Oh....My....Goodness.....!! Ninja Foodi Mostaccioli is a cheesy, beefy, noodlie (pretty sure that's not a word!) delicious goodness! This is a super easy, super quick dinner recipe that your whole family will enjoy! Did I mention that it is super cheesy!

I am so impressed with how evenly the pasta cooks in the Ninja Foodi and how well the cheese browns on the top. Seriously, how have I lived this long without a Ninja Foodi?
I have made similar dishes in my Instant Pot but have made them using the pot in pot method and then transferring to the oven to brown the cheese. The broiler lid on the Ninja Foodi makes this process even easier!

Tips for this recipe:
1.It’s tempting to want to stir this recipe before starting to cook under pressure. Don’t do it! Resist the temptation! If you stir this recipe after you have added the pasta, you will end up with a burn or error message.
2.Buy lean ground beef when cooking under pressure in the Ninja Foodi. If you buy a higher fat content, you will need to drain the grease if you don’t want to end up with a greasy finished product. That’s a lot of extra work in my book, so I buy 93% lean ground beef and skip the grease draining step. Saves time and is much easier.
3.To make this a quick meal, use jarred sauce and frozen onions. If you have more time, you can make the sauce from scratch and use fresh onions. But, if you are looking for a quick weeknight meal, jarred sauce and frozen onions work great!

Looking for more recipes? Check out some of our favorites!
- Ninja Foodi Sweet and Savory Pork Tenderloin
- Ninja Foodi Crack Chicken
- Ninja Foodi Lazy Lasagna
- Ninja Foodi Beef and Noodles
- Ninja Foodi Chili

Ninja Foodi Mostaccioli Ingredients:
- 1 Teaspoon olive oil
- ½ Cup diced onions
- 1 Pound lean ground beef
-
- For a less meaty and more cheese and noodle option- only use ½ pound of ground beef
- You can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey, ground chicken or Italian sausage
-
- 1 Tablespoon garlic- minced
- 1 Teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- If you prefer, you can omit the red pepper flakes. It gives a nice little kick to the dish though!
- 2 Cans beef broth- 29 ounces total
- 1 Cup water
- 1 24 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
- 1 Pound dried mostaccioli noodles-also called penne pasta
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese

How to make Ninja Foodi Mostaccioli:
1.Turn Ninja Foodi on Saute- Hi and add Olive Oil.[one_third_last][one_third_last]
2.Add onions, ground beef, and garlic. Continue to sauté until beef is evenly browned. If you use lean ground beef, you do NOT need to drain the grease from the pot. If you use a high-fat content ground beef you will need to drain the grease. You can do so by either using a ladle to scoop the grease out or you can CAREFULLY remove the inner pot and pour the grease out. I HIGHLY recommend using low-fat ground beef to avoid this step altogether.
3.Turn off the Ninja Foodi. You no longer need to sauté anything in the pot. Add sugar, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Pour in pasta sauce.
4.Pour 1 cup of water into pasta sauce jar- shake- pour the water mixture into Ninja Foodi pot. This will help you get all of the sauce goodness out of the jar! No waste! Pour 2 cans of beef broth into Ninja Foodi pot. Stir beef and liquid until well combined
5.Pour in mostaccioli pasta. DO NOT STIR! If you stir, you are likely to get a burn or error message.
6.Make sure that all pasta is covered by the liquid (or as much as possible). I just pushed down on the noodles with a spatula until they were covered with liquid.
7.Close the pressure cooker lid, turn Ninja Foodi back on, and cook on high for 3 minutes. Once the timer goes off, natural release pressure for 3 minutes. Quick-release remaining pressure. Turn off Ninja Foodi. Open the pressure cooker lid and stir pasta together. Be sure to stir well and ensure no pasta is clumped together.
8.Add in 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and stir. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top. Using the broiler lid, close the lid and broil on high for 5 minutes or just until cheese is melted and golden brown.

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Ninja Foodi Mostaccioli
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 Teaspoon olive oil
- ½ Cup diced onions
- 1 Pound lean ground beef
- For a less meaty and more cheese and noodle option- only use ½ pound of ground beef
- You can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey (ground chicken or Italian sausage)
- 1 Tablespoon garlic- minced
- 1 Teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- If you prefer (you can omit the red pepper flakes. It gives a nice little kick to the dish though!)
- 2 Cans beef broth- 29 ounces total
- 1 Cup water
- 1 24 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
- 1 Pound dried mostaccioli noodles (also called penne pasta)
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Turn Ninja Foodi on Saute- Hi
- Add Olive Oil
- Add onions, ground beef and garlic. Continue to sauté until beef is evenly browned. If you use lean ground beef, you do NOT need to drain the grease from the pot. If you use a high fat content ground beef you will need to drain the grease. You can do so by either using a ladle to scoop the grease out or you can CAREFULLY remove the inner pot and pour the grease out. I HIGHLY recommend using a low fat ground beef to avoid this step all together.
- Turn off the Ninja Foodi. You no longer need to sauté anything in the pot.
- Pour in pasta sauce
- Pour 2 cans of beef broth into Ninja Foodi pot.
- Stir beef and liquid until well combined
- Pour in mostaccioli pasta
- DO NOT STIR! If you stir, you are likely to get a burn or error message.
- Make sure that all pasta is covered by liquid (or as much as possible). I just pushed down on the noodles with a spatula until they were covered with liquid.
- Close the pressure cooker lid, turn Ninja Foodi back on and cook on high for 3 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, natural release pressure for 3 minutes. Quick release remaining pressure. Turn off Ninja Foodi.
- Open the pressure cooker lid and stir pasta together. Be sure to stir well and ensure no pasta is clumped together.
- Add in 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and stir.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.
- Using the broiler lid, close lid and broil on high for 5 minutes or just until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
Paul
This is probably my favourite recipe to do in my Ninja foodi. I first came across it over a year ago and it have proved to bocome a family favourite. I now make my own pasta sauce and tend to omit the sugar, but it's a definite 5 stars from me!
Lauren Cardona
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoy it! It was a hit at my house when I made it the first time and some variation of it stays in a regular rotation!
Angela Elrod
Is the estimated sodium content per recipe or per serving?
Lauren Cardona
The nutritional facts are per serving. Each recipe states how many servings are in each recipe right at the top of the recipe card.
Karen
How many mls is in a ‘can’ of broth please? I cant buy cans of broth.
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Karen- The cans of beef broth that I used were 14.5 ounces each.
Jana Thompson
I want to double this recipe. I read that you said not to double the water. Do i do the same with the broth?
TheTastyTravelers
To double the recipe you need to double all ingredients except the liquid. Double the liquid but reduce it by about 1/2 a cup total. So just reduce the water by about half a cup. Keep the cook time the same.
John
Quick, easy, awsome.
I wonder though is there a magic ratio for adding X amount of pasta and x water to any base sauce mix? (Ie. 400ml of stock/water for every 200g of pasta)
Chasity LaDawn Earley
How to cook this for half the recipe?
TheTastyTravelers
Reduce the ingredients by 50% but keep the cooking times the same. That should do the trick.
Sharyn Fossos
What if you do not have any broth? 🙁
TheTastyTravelers
You can use water. It won't be as flavorful but it will get the job done. 🙂
Judy Schneider
Easy to follow recipe. It turned out perfectly and was sooo delicious!
Mimi
Absolutely amazing!! Soooo delicious and came out perfectly!!
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Mimi! I'm so glad that you liked it! It's one of our favorites! 🙂
Laura
I am so glad I found this recipe. I'm new to the Foodie world and found the step by step easy to follow. My husband and I loved the dish! He keeps asking me when I'm going to make it again. Having guests this weekend and are having this dish.
Thank you, Laura
Savannah
Can you use whole grain pasta and if so, does the recipe change at all?
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Savannah! I have not tried it with whole grain pasta but I would think it would work. Adjust the pressure cooking time based on this: look at the box of pasta, take the recommended cook time and divide by 2 and then subtract 2. So if the cook time says 12 minutes, divide by 2=6 and then subtract 2. 6-2=4. Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Good luck. I’m sure it will turn out great! Enjoy! :).
Ty
This recipe was absolutely AMAZING. I added a 1/2 lb of Italian sausage with the pound of ground beef. HEAVEN! This will be a staple. And yes it took everything in me not to want to stir. 🙂
Siobhan
Absolutely delicious 😋
Lisa
Followed to a tee delish.
Matthew
Followed exactly but kept getting WATR message when trying to pressure cook.
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Lisa- usually when I get the watr message it's because something is burning on the bottom of the pot. A couple of things could have happened here. When you sauteed the ground beef to brown it, was there a lot of stuck-on brown bits on the bottom of the pot? If there was, those stuck on pieces will burn as the food pressure cooks. When the food starts to burn, the watr message will come up. Did you stir the pasta after adding it? I've also had pasta burn to the bottom of the pot when I've stirred it before pressure cooking.
Taylor
This was delicious! Super easy and barely any dishes to wash. Thanks!
Judy Schneider
This turned out perfectly. It was delicious!
Robin Miller
This looks delicious. I am making it tonight. Do you think I could double the recipe in my 8 qt?
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Robin! This recipe already makes a lot of food but I think you might be able to double it if you have an 8-quart pot. If you do decide to double it, don't adjust the cooking time. Just double the ingredients.
Sherri
Curious if you tried doubling this Robin, as Ivan also interested in trying it. Please let me know.
Thanks!!!
Long
For a simple recipe was fabulous! My son loved this recipe as well.
B W
Thank you for your help with this it looked really good however I add some extra & omitted some so just keeping fingers crossed.
Ivana
Hi! It’s only 2 of us and I’m new to foodi. Could you please tell me how much liquid to use for 1/2 lbs pasta?
Thank you!
TheTastyTravelers
Hi Ivana! To make 1/2 of the recipe, I would recommend cutting all ingredients in half. But, you might need a little extra liquid to make sure that the pasta cooks. The pasta needs to be mostly covered by the liquid. Try it out by just cutting the liquid in half. If a lot of the pasta is still out of the water, add another 1/4 of water before pressure cooking it and see if that does the trick. There is no need to adjust the cooking time with a smaller portion.
Jamie G
What type of pasta sauce did you use your your recipe?
TheTastyTravelers
I usually buy a jar of Barilla pasta sauce but any premade sauce will work great!
Ash
This is a fantastic recipe. I altered it a little:
I used fresh sweet peppers, onion, and garlic. Ground turkey and turkey broth. I also used large shell pasta and a combination of mozzarella and parmesan.
I added fresh basil with the cheese.
Delicious!
TheTastyTravelers
Awesome! I’m so glad that you were able to make the recipe your own and it turned out great! :).
Trisha
Wow! What an amazing pasta dish! Simple and full of flavor. Everyone loved it! Thanks so much for posting your recipe.
Lena
Looks and tastes amazing! Took around one hour but it was definitely worth it!
Lindsey
Can you add veggies? If so please provide instructions on how to incorporate
TheTastyTravelers
You can add any type of veggies that you would like. 🙂 Vegetables do not take long to cook though. So, based on what type of vegetable you would like to add, you would need to add it to the recipe and pressure cook it along with the other ingredients (this would work for vegetables that take longer to cook like potatoes or carrots) or add the vegetables to the recipe when it has completed pressure cooking (this would work with vegetables that cook much faster like broccoli, green beans, corn, peas etc.). If you are adding them after the recipe has completed pressure cooking, just add in the veggies and then stir for a couple minutes. The steam should cook the vegetables. 🙂
Diane
Makes enough to feed at least a family of four or five. Very good! Comfort food FAST!
Candace Kucy
If I am using homemade spaghetti sauce, do I still need to add 1 cup of water that was used to rinse out the jarred spaghetti sauce?
TheTastyTravelers
Yes, you will still need that water otherwise the sauce might be too think. If your homemade sauce is thinner then You can decrease the water by just a bit.
Cat
Does the pasta have to be cooked prior to entering foodi?
TheTastyTravelers
The pasta goes in dry. It will cook fully during the pressure cooking. 🙂
Celia Chabolla
OmGosh! This was so simple & quick for dinner!
It was delicious! Made exactly like the recipe states. A very good tip, on not stirring when you add the pasta! Make sure you read everything before you start.
Thank you for a yummy recipe!
Can you freeze this, without adding the cheese??
Maybe adding cheese after you’ve thawed??
TheTastyTravelers
I'm so glad that you liked it! I have not tried to freeze it but I would think you could. Just make sure that you thaw it out all the way before trying to stir it otherwise the pasta will fall apart.
Kellie
I cook this at least once a week! We love it!!
maria
Hi This recipe looks very tasty. Is it possible to double it in the Foodi?
TheTastyTravelers
Yes you can double it no problem! Just don’t fully double the liquid. I would recommend only adding in the one cup of water instead of doubling it to two.
Sharon
This was so easy and rely! I’m wondering if the recipe can be doubled? Would time stay the same ?
TheTastyTravelers
Yes you can double it no problem! Just don’t fully double the liquid. I would recommend only adding in the one cup of water instead of doubling it to two.
TheTastyTravelers
I’ve updated that info for you. :). Apologies-I thought it was already included. Enjoy!
Amy
Omg. This was wonderful!!! So good and so easy. Would love to know calories and nutritional info.