Homemade spaghetti made in the Instant Pot. Everything cooks in the Instant Pot for a one pot pasta dish that cooks in ten minutes once pressurized. Making spaghetti with meat sauce has never been easier!
Did anyone buy an Instant Pot during Amazon’s Prime Day sale? I was so tempted to buy a second one! I love Instant Pot recipes and this Instant Pot spaghetti recipe is my new favorite.
I’ve discussed how much I love making macaroni and cheese in my Instant Pot. And now I’m sharing how to make other pasta dishes in the Instant Pot too. This is similar to the one pot spaghetti I often make, but it’s even easier with the Instant Pot.
I love one pot recipes but with the one pot stove recipes, you still need to keep careful watch. But with the Instant Pot, you just program it and let it do the work. Dinner is served in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- Garlic
- Onion
- Ground beef or Italian sausage – ground turkey would also be good.
- Spaghetti – I break it in half so it fits in the Instant Pot
- Italian seasoning
- Crushed tomatoes – or you can use the same amount of canned diced tomatoes. The crushed tomatoes make a thicker, richer sauce. Diced ones will make a lighter sauce with tomato pieces.
- Canned tomato sauce
- Water
- Fresh basil – This is for garnish, or you can use chopped fresh parsley.
How to Cook Spaghetti in an Instant Pot
Turn on the saute setting on the IP. Once hot, cook the ground beef (or sausage) with the onions and garlic. Once the meat is cooked through, drain off the excess grease.
Add the uncooked spaghetti noodles (remember to break it in half so it fits), seasoning, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water to the cooked beef mixture. Stir and ensure the pasta is completely covered by the liquid.
Secure the lid and close the steam vent. Set the IP to cook on high pressure for five minutes. Once it’s done, do a quick release by carefully opening the vent to release the steam.
Remove the lid and stir the spaghetti until the sauce is thickened. Serve the Instant Pot spaghetti with fresh basil on top. Grated Parmesan cheese is also good!
Recipe Tips
- I use a 6-quart Instant Pot for this recipe. If yours is bigger or smaller, the recipe will need to be adjusted.
- Be sure to do a quick release. If you do a natural release, the pasta will be overcooked.
- When you open the IP it may look like there is too much liquid. If you stir for a minute or so, the spaghetti sauce will thicken as the liquid evaporates from the sauce.
Can you use other kinds of pasta?
I have only tested this recipe with spaghetti. If you use a pasta shape that has the same cooking time, it should work, but I can’t say that for sure.
Can you make Instant Pot spaghetti with no meat?
Yes, I have made this recipe with and without meat. Just omit the ground beef and sauté the onions and garlic until they are softened.
Side Dish Ideas
Here are some side dishes we like with this dish:
- Bread like Flourless Cheese Breadsticks or 3 Ingredient Buttery Bread Rolls.
- Add veggies like Garlic Broccoli or Parmesan Roasted Asparagus.
- Sometimes, we just make a simple green salad to go with it.
Storage Tips
Leftover spaghetti and meat sauce will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat it in the microwave for easy lunches and dinners.
I hope you try this easy Instant Pot spaghetti. It’s perfect for weeknights or whenever you’re craving pasta.
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
New! Recipe updated with video. Please note, for the video I did a meatless version. You can find all my recipe videos on my youtube page.
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 of an onion finely chopped
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef or ground Italian sausage
- 1 lb spaghetti broken in half
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 1/4 cups water
- basil for garnish
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté function. Add ground beef/sausage, garlic and onions into your pot. Once the pot bottom is heated, begin to sauté your meat, garlic and onions. Cook until everything is completely cooked. Cancel sauté function and drain excess oil from pot.
- Add broken spaghetti, Italian seasoning crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water to your pot. Stir spaghetti a few times so they are not all clumped together and make sure spaghetti is completely submerged in liquid. Seal your Instant Pot. Set it to manual mode, high pressure, 5 minutes cooking time.
- When Instant Pot beeps to indicate it is done, do a manual quick release. Open lid when it is safe to do so. At first, it may appear that your pasta sauce has too much liquid, but if you stir the spaghetti a few times with the lid open, the liquid will evaporate and your sauce will thicken. Scoop out spaghetti. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, fresh ground pepper or anything else you desire.
Notes
- I use the Instant Pot 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker* (6 quart version).
- *Some of the product links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Hi, what’s the recipe for one without meat? I’m on a plant-based diet and using lentil pasta. Thanks
You can just leave out the meat. I don’t know if this recipe will work with lentil pasta though.
The video looks like diced tomatoes are used vs the ingredient list of crushed tomatoes. The pictures also look like diced tomatoes. Is there a typo in the ingredient list?
This recipe actually works with either one. The crushed tomatoes gives the sauce a thicker, richer consistency. The diced tomatoes version will have a lighter sauce, but with a lot of small tomato pieces.
I’ve used this recipe at least 3 times and it’s been a hit each time. Thanks, Kirbie!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Can you guide me to using fresh tomatoes, howmuch amount of water, etc
sorry I have not tried this with fresh tomatoes
I’m going to try this recipe tonight.
i hope you enjoy!
Can’t wait to try this recipe with my NEW Instant Pot (heh heh)!
I can’t wait too! So happy you got one!