Hey y’all! Darian here with another busy mama shortcut. As a wife and mother of three constantly on the go, I rely on my Instant Pot for quick, filling dinners. And one of my family’s favorites is Instant Pot spaghetti! With just 20 minutes of prep, you can have a hearty pasta meal on the table in under an hour. In today’s post, I’ll share my tips for making this classic comfort food in the pressure cooker along with fun ways to serve it up. Let’s get cooking!
A Faster Path to Pasta Perfection
Spaghetti and meat sauce is true comfort food. The tender noodles coated in rich, meaty tomato sauce make the perfect hearty meal. But traditional recipes can take over an hour between browning the meat, simmering the sauce, and boiling the pasta.
That’s where the Instant Pot comes in! This magical appliance lets you make the sauce and pasta all at once. The pot quickly builds pressure to cook the meat and meld the flavors. Then you release the pressure and stir in the pasta to cook right in the sauce. Dinner is ready in a fraction of the time without dirtying multiple pots and pans.
Using the Instant Pot also enhances flavor. The pressurized environment tenderizes meat and brings out sweetness from tomatoes that you just can’t replicate on the stovetop. Your sauce comes out rich, meaty and full of flavor.
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Minced garlic
- 1 Small onion diced
- 1 jar Pasta sauce
- 1 can Diced tomatoes 28 oz
- 340 g Spaghetti noodles
- 2½ cups Water
Instructions
- Begin by turning the Instant Pot onto saute mode. Drizzle in the olive oil and add the minced garlic, mushrooms, and diced onion ( if your not a fan of mushrooms, just skip them). Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring them around constantly.
- [ If adding ground meat into your spaghetti, add 1 lb of ground meat to the Instant Pot while on saute mode and cook until meat is just cooked through. ]
- Next, turn off saute mode. Toss in the can of diced tomatoes and the jar of pasta sauce. Give it all a good mix.
- After it's all mixed really well, break your spaghetti noodles in half and place them on top of the sauce.
- DO NOT STIR.
- Once the noodles have all been placed, pour in your water. Once again, do not stir.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set to manual pressure for 7 minutes. Making sure the pressure release valve is set to 'sealing'.
- It will take approximately 6 minutes to come to pressure before it begins.
- Once it's completed, switch the pressure release valve to 'venting'. It will take around 2 minutes to vent out the air.
- Serve immediately with your favorite garlic bread and top with some parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips
Through tasty trial and error, I’ve learned a few tricks for getting perfect Instant Pot spaghetti every time:
- Brown the ground beef first for deeper flavor
- Sauté aromatics like onion, garlic, herbs
- Use crushed tomatoes for thicker, richer sauce
- Add a splash of red wine for complexity
- Stir in tomato paste once pressure cooking finishes
- Release pressure naturally 10 mins then quick release
- Stir pasta right into the pot to cook in sauce
- Add reserved pasta water to thin sauce as needed
- Sprinkle with fresh basil and Parmesan before serving
DO NOT STIR THE INSTANT POT SPAGHETTI
Once the noodles have all been placed, pour in your water. Once again, do not stir.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set to manual pressure for 7 minutes. Making sure the pressure release valve is set to ‘sealing’.
This will take approximately 6 minutes to come to pressure before it begins.
Once it’s completed, switch the pressure release valve to ‘venting’. This will take around 2 minutes to vent out the air.
Fun Ways to Serve Up Instant Pot Spaghetti
While Instant Pot spaghetti is delicious on its own, you can also get creative with toppings and sides! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it:
- Keep it classic with grated Parmesan and garlic bread
- Make it meaty with meatballs or Italian sausage
- Go green with spinach and pesto swirled in
- Get cheesy with mozzarella, ricotta, or burrata
- Add veggies like mushrooms, peppers, or roasted broccoli
- Make it hearty with a side salad of mixed greens
- Bake up some cheesy garlic bread for dipping
- Finish with fresh basil, parsley or oregano
- Serve with crusty breadsticks or buttery garlic knots
- Garnish with lemon zest for brightness
- Enjoy with a chilled glass of Chianti or Pinot Grigio
FAQs
I know folks have lots of questions about Instant Pot spaghetti, so here are some common FAQs:
Do you really cook the pasta in the pot?
Yep, right in the sauce! No need for a separate pot.
How does the Instant Pot spaghetti not get mushy?
The quick cooking time prevents overcooking. Rinse noodles before adding to help separate.
Do you need a special pasta?
I prefer sturdy shapes like rotini, farfalle or rigatoni over delicate angel hair.
How much sauce does this yield?
My recipe makes about 8 servings of sauce to coat 1lb of pasta.
Can you make meatless sauce?
Absolutely! Just skip the ground beef and use mushrooms for meaty texture.
What about thickening the sauce?
If needed, stir in a slurry of cornstarch and water at the end.
With its deeply flavored sauce and tender noodles, Instant Pot spaghetti really satisfies. Best of all, it cuts down on cooking time without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. I hope these tips help you get this hearty classic on the dinner table in a flash. Until next time, happy pressure cooking!
Let me know if you have any other Instant Pot pasta questions. And stop by County Mama Cooking for more speedy, family-friendly recipes.