This Instant Pot Spaghetti is an easy way to make a classic dish that’s filled with tender pasta and a savory homemade seasoned meat sauce! This family favorite hits the table in just 30 minutes!
The only thing missing from this pasta dish is a side of garlic bread! And I have your options covered with my Garlic Bread With Pizza Dough!
This Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce will have you looking forward to those weekly spaghetti nights! And even those lunch leftovers for the next day!
Spaghetti has always been a family favorite in our house! It’s one of the few meals that please everyone’s palate. But sometimes, using the same old spaghetti sauce can create some dinner-time dread.
So let this delicious, flavorful meat sauce bring the excitement back to your table and bellies! It combines seasoning, ground meat, and crushed tomatoes with your favorite jarred pasta sauce for a taste you won’t believe!
Why This Recipe Works!
- Add veggies! Load this meat sauce up with veggies! Try adding in chopped green peppers, celery, carrots, zucchini, or mushrooms!
- Choose your meat! Swap out the ground beef for the meat of your choice! Italian sausage or ground turkey would both be an excellent choices!
- 30-Minute Meal! Everyone needs tried and true 30-minute meal recipes like this one! That way a delicious meal isn’t the sacrifice on those busy nights.
- Easy Clean Up! Clean-up is quick and easy since this entire recipe is made right in the instant pot.
Ingredient Notes
This Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe starts with a handful of ingredients that are likely right in your pantry! Such as olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground black pepper, and granulated sugar.
From there you’ll continue building the recipe with water, spaghetti, pasta sauce, and diced or crushed tomatoes. If you have a homemade pasta sauce that you’d like to use you can certainly use that here!
Finishing up this recipe is the meat! This time I made it using ground beef but you can truly use any ground meat you have on hand or prefer.
When it’s time to serve you may want to garnish your dish with parmesan cheese. I know it can’t be spaghetti night at our house without it!
How To Make Spaghetti In An Instant Pot
- Combine the crushed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sugar into a large bowl.
- Add olive oil to the instant pot and set to sauté.
- Fry up the ground beef in the oil and then turn off the sauté function.
- Drain the excess fat from the pot and scrape any stuck bits off the bottom.
- Pour water over the ground beef and place the halved spaghetti in instant pot. Spread the spaghetti around so that it isn’t in just one big clump.
- Add the sauce mixture over the noodles. Make sure the noodles are covered in liquid but do not stir, then seal the pressure cooker.
- Cook on high and then use the quick release. Afterward, stir the spaghetti to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Serve and enjoy this Instant Pot Pasta after the sauce has thickened!
Can I Store These Leftovers?
Of course! To store them just place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. You can then use up the leftovers within 3 to 5 days!
The leftovers can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Still Make This Recipe Even If I Don’t Have An Instant Pot?
Of course! You can make this recipe right on the stovetop, you’ll just need to cook the spaghetti and meat sauce separately.
To make the meat sauce, you’ll want to use a deep skillet.
Does Two Cups Of Water Make This Spaghetti A Little Bit Watered Down?
Not at all! I tried to cut back the water and instead use more sauce but each time, it burned. Water in Instant Pots is just essential to build steam and to keep certain ingredients from burning.
So cutting back on the water just doesn’t work. However, this recipe still turns out incredibly delicious and is not watered down in the least bit!
How Come I Can’t Stir The Pasta Before Sealing The Pressure Cooker?
I’ve found that stirring it causes a gummier texture and can cause burning. The pasta has a much nicer texture if you don’t stir it before cooking.
For best results you have to stir it after it has cooked!
Can I Make This Recipe Using Whole Wheat Pasta?
Yes, you can! And no changes even necessary to do so!
Instant Pot Spaghetti
EQUIPMENT
- Instant pot
- Wooden spoon
- Can opener
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring Cups
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 14.5 ounces diced or crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 16 ounces spaghetti dry
- parmesan cheese for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sugar into a large bowl and combine. Set this mixture aside.
- Add the olive oil to your instant pot and set the function to saute. Break up the ground beef and add it to the oil. As it browns, use a hard spatula or wooden spoon to stir and break up the meat so that you don’t have any large chunks. Cook the beef completely through. Turn off the saute function. Drain excess fat from the pot. Make sure that you scrape the bottom of the instant pot well with the wooden spoon. We don’t want any bits stuck there when we pressure cook later.
- Pour the 2 cups of water over the cooked ground beef.
- Break handfuls of the spaghetti in half and place them on top of the water. Criss-cross and spread out the handfuls so that the spaghetti is not in a big clump.
- Then, spoon the spaghetti sauce mixture over the noodles until they are completely covered. We want liquid above and below the spaghetti. Press the spaghetti down a little under the sauce if there is still some uncovered after adding the sauce.
- Do not stir. The sugar from the sauce needs to stay above the bottom of the pot while cooking, otherwise, it will crystallize and begin to burn.
- Seal the pressure cooker and set the time for 8 minutes on HIGH.
- When the cook time is done, use the quick release. When the pressure is released, give the spaghetti a thorough stir to mix together all the ingredients. Leave the lid off and allow it to sit for a few minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken
