Name: Instant Pot Spaghetti
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground meat of choice (optional); ¼ cup onion (minced); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 16 ounces spaghetti noodles (regular or whole wheat); 4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken stock); 24 ounces spaghetti sauce (homemade or jarred*); Parmesan Cheese (for serving)

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Instant Pot Spaghetti is a simple, one-pot meal made with a hearty, rich meat sauce and perfectly cooked noodles.

Bowl of Instant Pot Spaghetti next to Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Spaghetti is the perfect meal to turn to when you are looking for an easy, flavorful, one-pot family meal.

I know that is a bold statement to make, but there are so many reasons you will agree that this Instant Pot Spaghetti deserves to be your next dinner!

Easy. From sauteeing the meat to cooking the pasta, this recipe is made all right inside the Instant Pot. So yes, that means only one dish to wash!
Fast. In less than 30 minutes after you hit saute on your Instant Pot and begin cooking, you will be ready to sit down at the table and eat. In my book, 30-minute meals are perfect for busy weeknights.
Perfection. I know you may doubt that the instant pot can yield al dente pasta. However, I have perfected the cooking time and method for pressure cooking spaghetti noodles to ensure that the noodles remain al dente and do not stick together as they cook.
Tastier. Because the noodles cook in both broth and spaghetti sauce rather than simply being topped with spaghetti sauce after they are cooked in water, the noodles absorb incredible flavor, making this preparation method much more flavorful.
Versatile. This recipe for Instant Pot Spaghetti gives you options! From the type of noodles to the type of sauce, to whether you add meat or not, you can make this recipe using what you like and what you have on hand.
Family-Favorite Meal. Spaghetti is a favorite that the entire family enjoys--even the picky eaters.

This fail-proof Instant Pot Spaghetti is a MUST make for busy nights when you are craving a comforting bowl of pasta or just a simple, economical family meal that everyone is sure to enjoy.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for Instant Pot Spaghetti labeled on counter.

Ground Meat: Use any type of ground meat your family likes. Ground turkey, pork, sausage, or ground beef all work well for Instant Pot Spaghetti. You can even opt to omit the meat altogether for meatless spaghetti.
Onion & Garlic: To add a bit more flavor to your meat sauce, I highly recommend sauteeing the meat with both minced onion and garlic.
Noodles: This recipe for Instant Pot Spaghetti is made using regular or whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Do not use angel hair or linguine noodles, as the cooking times are not the same.
Spaghetti Sauce: Use your favorite jarred or homemade spaghetti sauce. This is a great recipe to use Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce if you have it on hand!
Broth: Instead of cooking the noodles in just water, use this as an opportunity to impart more flavor to the spaghetti, by using low-sodium vegetable broth. In place of vegetable broth, feel free to use chicken or beef broth/stock.
Parmesan Cheese: I love topping spaghetti with grated parmesan cheese. However, feel free to omit it if you are dairy-free.

How to Make Spaghetti in the Instant Pot

Step One: Saute the Meat

If you are opting to make Instant Pot Spaghetti without the addition of ground meat, skip to step three. Your spaghetti will still be delicious!

Turn Instant Pot to saute and let the Instant Pot heat up until it reads Hot.
Add in the ground beef, along with onions and garlic, and cook the beef until browned completely. Be sure to break the meat up into small bite-sized pieces as you saute it.

Step Two: Deglaze Pan

Any time you saute anything in the Instant Pot, you must deglaze the inner pot to prevent a burn warning.

Once the meat is browned, turn the saute function off by hitting cancel on the Instant Pot off.
Remove meat from the inner pot, drain off any grease, and reserve for later.
Add ½ cup of the broth to the inner pot and use a spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot.

Step Three: Layer Spaghetti

The way you layer the components for this dish is crucial to the results. You must crisscross the noodles in layers so that they do not stick together. It is also important to pour the spaghetti sauce over the top of the noodles, not below or in between layers. This will keep the noodles moist as they cook AND prevent the spaghetti sauce from burning under pressure.

Break spaghetti noodles in half and add them in crisscrossing layers in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. This is a very important step because if you do not crisscross the noodles, they may clump together as they cook.
Pour in the remaining stock and gently submerge the noodles into the stock. It is okay if they are not fully submerged, the spaghetti sauce will cover the top of the noodles.

Top the noodles with the reserved sauteed meat mixture.
Pour the marinara or spaghetti sauce over the meat and noodles.

Noodles, meat, and sauce layered in Instant pot.

Step Four: Pressure Cook

I have experimented dozens and dozens of times to perfect the cooking time for cooking noodles in the Instant Pot. The formula I have landed on is to set the cooking time for half the time suggested on the box, followed by EXACTLY 5 minutes of natural pressure release.

Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is pointed to sealed.
Cook on High Pressure for half the amount of time the box of pasta indicated, which is typically equivalent to 5 minutes for spaghetti noodles.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release for exactly 5 minutes naturally. Then release any remaining pressure by using a wooden spoon to knock the vent knob from the sealing to the venting position, being careful to stand away from any steam that may be released.
Open the Instant Pot and stir the sauce into the noodles.

Spaghetti tossed together with meat sauce in instant pot.

Step Five: Serve

Pair this Instant Pot Spaghetti with a Tossed Greek Salad or Caesar Salad and Homemade Garlic Toast for a tasty, easy family meal. And don't forget to top the spaghetti with grated parmesan cheese--YUM!

Spaghetti in white bowl next to Instant Pot in inner pot.

More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes

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Instant Pot Spaghetti

Instant Pot Spaghetti is a simple, hands-off meal made with a hearty, rich meat sauce and perfectly cooked noodles.

5 from 14 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 5

Pressure Build-Up and Release: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 453kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound ground meat of choice optional
▢ ¼ cup onion minced
▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
▢ 16 ounces spaghetti noodles regular or whole wheat
▢ 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
▢ 24 ounces spaghetti sauce homemade or jarred*
▢ Parmesan Cheese for serving

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot to saute and allow to heat for 1-2 minutes. Once heated, add in the ground meat, onion, and garlic. Saute the beef, breaking it up into small pieces as it browns until the meat is fully cooked.
Once the meat is browned, turn the Instant Pot off by hitting cancel. Remove meat from the inner pot, drain off any grease, and reserve the meat for later.
Return the inner pot back to the Instant Pot. Add in ½ cup of broth to the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot to prevent a burn warning.
Break the spaghetti noodles in half and add them in crisscrossing layers in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. This is a very important step because if you do not crisscross the noodles, they may clump together.
Pour in the remaining broth and gently submerge the noodles into the stock using a spoon. It is okay if they are not fully submerged, the spaghetti sauce will cover the top of the noodles.
Top the noodles with the reserved meat and the spaghetti sauce.
Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is pointed to sealed. Set to cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes by hitting pressure cook or manual and then using the +/- buttons to adjust until the timing reads 5.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, let pressure release for EXACTLY 5 minutes naturally. Then release any remaining pressure by using a wooden spoon to knock the vent knob from sealing to venting, being careful to stand away from any steam that may be released.
Open the Instant Pot and gently toss the noodles and sauce together. Serve with Parmesan Cheese if desired.

Equipment Needed

Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

Notes

If using frozen meat, cook frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot first. Remove cooked beef from Instant Pot once cooked and drain off the liquid from Instant Pot. Proceed with the recipe starting with adding noodles into the pressure cooker.

Gluten-Free Instant Pot Spaghetti, I have only had success using the Barilla brand of gluten-free spaghetti. Other varieties give off too much starch as they cook in the pressure cooker and ruin the sauce and taste and at times even cause a burn notice.

For Vegan or Vegetarian-Friendly Spaghetti omit the meat or use meatless crumbles.

Storing Leftovers: Store for 3-4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator and can be frozen for 3 months.

Determining Cook Time: The cook time is determined by cutting the time indicated on the box of spaghetti and cutting it in half. For most brands, this would be equivalent to 5 minutes.

For Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, Mix together 24 ounces crushed tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ½ teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt together until well combined and use in place of jarred sauce.

See Instant Pot High Altitude Conversion if cooking 2500+ feet above sea level.

Nutrition

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