This Instant Pot spaghetti will take the regular spaghetti recipe to a whole new level. And it’s not just easy; this recipe cooks the spaghetti and meatballs in the same pot, freeing up both the stove and one piece of equipment in your kitchen.
If you have an Instant Pot and haven’t yet tried making spaghetti in it you are missing out on one of the easiest recipes for weeknight dinners.
Only a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, a minute or two of prep, and the Instant Pot does all of the work of supper. Easy clean-up!
Get my recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce and, if you are brave, try making your own homemade pasta!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Key Ingredients:
Just like traditional spaghetti, Instant Pot spaghetti is easily customized to your favorite ingredients. Use your favorite jarred sauces, pasta, and cheese.
- Spaghetti noodles. Need gluten-free? Go for it…this instant pot recipe works great for gluten free!
- Ground beef. Try changing the ground beef for Italian sausage or ground turkey.
- Pasta Sauce. Use your favorite jarred pasta sauce or make your own (check out my classic spaghetti sauce recipe).
- Spices. I always use onion powder and garlic powder and often put in some fresh garlic or herbs and a bit of Italian seasoning & red pepper flakes to amp up the flavor.Try fresh basil or oregano, too!
- Optional: add onion, green pepper, or fresh tomatoes!
- Water. When using an instant pot you need to be sure to add additional liquid so the recipe doesn’t burn!
Can I use gluten free pasta?
Honestly, I haven’t had good luck with gluten-free pasta in the Instant Pot. The pasta gets far too gummy and the texture is awful. Perhaps I haven’t found the right brand of gluten-free pasta for the job, yet. If you have…let me know!
Can I skip the meat in Instant Pot Spaghetti?
Absolutely, if you prefer a tomato sauce or marinara sauce instead of a meat sauce simply skip the step of browning the meat and get straight to the dumping part. Skipping the meat certainly speeds up the process and gets your Instant Pot spaghetti done faster!
What Instant Pot should I get if I don’t have one?
Honestly, just start with the basic 6 in 1 Instant version until you know if you like it. No need to get the fancy pressure cookers until you find if you like using it enough to bother. I love it for meat (Instant Pot shredded chicken is so easy and yum!) and rice.
Instructions for Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe:
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Saute the meat and break up into smaller pieces.
- Turn off the sauté mode and add water and sauce. Stir well to combine every element.
- Spread the noodles in an even layer on top of the meat mixture. Do not stir. I know it seems odd that you don’t stir the noodles but…don’t. Just gently lay them on top of your sauce. Be sure to break them in half so that every part of them will be immersed in the water.
- Add in the remaining 1.5 cups of water. (One way to make sure you get every morsel of your pasta sauce is to pour the water in the jar, close the lid, and shake well. This way you get every oz of sauce!) Pour the water right over the noodles and leave it alone. Do not stir! If you like, throw in a bit of fresh basil or a bay leaf.
- Close the Instant Pot by twisting the lid on and sealing.
- Once it is done cooking, quick release by opening the valve (make sure to use a hot pad or towel to protect yourself from the hot steam).
- When the time is up and you’ve released the pressure THEN you stir. Gently, very gently.
- Serve up the pasta with a bit of grated parmesan and fresh parsley or basil. And, of course, a bit of homemade bread. Mmmmm….nothing beats spaghetti for a weeknight dinner!
Serve up the pasta with a bit of grated parmesan and fresh parsley or basil. And, of course, a bit of homemade bread. Mmmmm….nothing beats spaghetti for a weeknight dinner!
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 TSP salt
- 1 TSP onion powder
- 1/2 TSP garlic powder
- 2 cups water divided
- 1 24-OZ jar marinara or tomato-based pasta sauce
- 8 OZ dry spaghetti broken in half
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Once it gets hot, add in the oil, meat, and seasonings. Brown the meat and break up into smaller pieces. This should take about 5 minutes. Drain the meat only if it produced alot of grease.
- Turn off the sauté mode and add ½ cup of water. With your utensil, scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot to make sure any remaining residuals of the meat is off. Add in the sauce. Stir well to combine every element.
- Take your noodles that you have broken in half and spread them in an even layer on top of the meat mixture. Do not stir.
- Add in the remaining 1.5 cups of water. (One way to make sure you get every morsel of your pasta sauce is to pour the water in the jar, close the lid, and shake well. This way you get every oz of sauce!) Do not stir.
- Close the Instant Pot by twisting the lid on and close the seal. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. It should take about 10 minutes to build pressure.
- Once it is done cooking, quick release by opening the valve (make sure to use a hot pad or towel to protect yourself from the hot steam).
- Stir everything well and serve! You can top with fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese, or both! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Recipe Tester Lisa says:
The times in the recipe were perfect. The meat took 5 minutes to cook. The Instant Pot took 11 minutes to come to pressure. Start to finish was 26 minutes.
The noodles were a bit “firm/al dente” but that is how I like them. They were certainly not too undercooked at all but I know some people like a softer pasta.
Nice sized amount of spaghetti made. I think the flavors were better than when I do it on the stovetop due to the pasta cooking with the other ingredients.
Reviews: Me: Very good, super easy. Much less pots and pans and mess than on the stovetop. I have been wanting to try a spaghetti recipe in the Instant Pot. This recipe will be in our dinner rotation! Husband: It was good (a man of few words) Daughter (9 years old): It was really good. (She helped me cook dinner). Older two kids are all out with friends but I am sure they will be eating some when they get home.
I would say 4 servings is pretty accurate- maybe even 5 since it seems there will be enough leftover for me to take for lunch tomorrow
