Instant Pot Spaghetti

21 Oct 2024, 00:00

two image collage showing spaghetti in instant pot and a scoop of spaghetti. diagonal overlay with text in the center.

This Instant Pot Spaghetti is a no-fuss, mouthwatering dinner that is ready in just 20 minutes! This delicious, one pot recipe combines ground beef (or use Italian sausage if you prefer), onion, garlic and a scrumptious sauce all cooked to perfection with your favorite spaghetti. Perfect for busy weeknights when you need a delicious, filling, family-friendly meal, fast!

Love pasta? We do too! Make sure to try our Chicken and Noodles recipe, Italian Pasta Salad and Chorizo Pasta!

Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe

This easy Instant Pot spaghetti recipe might just change your weeknight dinner routine indefinitely. Use your favorite jarred sauce or homemade spaghetti sauce (if you’ve got extra time) to transform this tried and true weeknight favorite into something incredible. This simple, hearty dish is made even easier by cooking the entire recipe – start to finish – in your Instant Pot in under 20 minutes! Serve it with cheesy garlic bread and a side salad, and you’ve got a delicious weeknight meal with minimal mess!

This delicious, one pot recipe combines the rich flavors of ground beef (or use Italian sausage if you prefer), onion, garlic and a scrumptious sauce all cooked to perfection with your favorite spaghetti. This recipe is so quick to make, it leaves you with barely enough time to pop some cheesy garlic bread into the oven and prep a nice side salad. Grab some red pepper flakes and grate some Parmesan cheese and your family will be ready to dig in!

Why You’ll Love Instant Pot Spaghetti

Making spaghetti in the instant pot is so fast and so good. All that flavor is absorbed by the spaghetti noodles which transforms this classic dish into something incredible. There are so many reasons to love this simple, straight forward recipe:

One Pot. One Instant Pot and we’re done. None of that multiple pots and pans cleanup. From start to finish, the entire recipe is made in one pot. Need I say more?
Time Saving. Everything is cooked in the Instant Pot and the entire meal is ready in under 20 minutes. With traditional boiling that could take 20 minutes alone, not to mention the cook time of the meat, veggies, and sauce. You get the perfect noodles and flavors every time.
Customizable. Simply swapping in a different flavor spaghetti sauce is enough to change the flavor profile in this dish. Top it with Parmesan, fresh basil or red pepper flakes to give this dish even more flavor.

Perfect Pasta Dishes

We love pasta recipes because they are so easy, usually require minimal ingredients and are ready fast! Here are some of our favorites:

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5 SECRETS TO GETTING DINNER ON THE TABLE...FAST!

Instant Pot Spaghetti Ingredients

Get a delicious dinner on the table in no time with this easy spaghetti recipe. As always, you can find the full printable recipe with complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need…

lean ground beef – You can also opt for Italian sausage or use half and half!
extra virgin olive oil – Or your preferred sautéing oil.
onion – About half a yellow (or white) onion diced. Alternatively, use ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
minced garlic – Use fresh cloves or ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder. Add more or less garlic to suit your preferences.
Italian seasoning – the blend adds loads of flavor to the spaghetti. Use my homemade Italian seasoning or store bough, whichever you prefer.
salt – Enhances the flavors of the ingredients in this recipe.
beef broth or stock – I like to use low sodium but if you can’t find it, omit the slat from the recipe. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted.
spaghetti noodles – Can’t make spaghetti without these! You can use angel hair pasta if you prefer to cut off a minute or two of pressure cooking time.
spaghetti sauce – Feel free to use your favorite jarred sauce or make your own with my Homemade Pasta Sauce recipe.
Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated produces the best results as it easily melts into the hot spaghetti.

Optional Garnishes

Parmesan cheese
basil
parsley
crushed red pepper flakes

How To Make Spaghetti In Instant Pot

Cook ground beef. Set your instant pot to sauté mode. Add the olive oil and ground beef.and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Seasonings. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the beef is mostly cooked through. Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning and salt. Cook for one minute, stirring continuously, then turn off the heat.

Spaghetti. Stir in ½ cup of the beef broth or stock. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and sprinkle them into the instant pot (see image below). Make sure the noodles don’t lay in a big clump. Pour your spaghetti sauce over the noodles and add the remaining 2 cups of beef broth. Make sure the spaghetti is covered by the liquid.

Pressure cook. Lock the instant pot lid into place and turn the valve to the sealing position . Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Be aware that the 8 minutes does not include the time needed for the pot to pressurize.Open the quick release valve and manually release the pressure once the timer goes off.

Final touches. Remove the lid from the instant pot and stir the spaghetti to incorporate any standing liquid. Add the freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir. Serve while warm and garnish with extra cheese, fresh basil or parsley, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Storage Information

Leftover spaghetti should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To freeze, let spaghetti cool and then transfer to a freezer safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Reheat by warming spaghetti in the microwave or on the stove top until heated through. Stir in a tablespoon or so of water or broth so the spaghetti isn’t too dry.

Variations To Try

Sauce Swap. Simply swap in a new flavor of spaghetti sauce and you’ll have an entirely new flavor profile. Or make your own from scratch!

Pop In A Different Protein. Ground beef is great but we also love Italian sausage and ground turkey or chicken in this recipe.

Vary the Veggies. Sure, the sauce has some veggies in it but consider adding zucchini, mushrooms or other veggies to the recipe. Simple saute along with the onions for maximum flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I serve with spaghetti?

Looking for some equally quick and easy sides to serve to complete your meal? You could start with a fresh caesar salad or Creamy Cucumber Salad. Garlic bread is a must so why not try Air Fryer Garlic Bread for a quick and delicious bread option? Of course there’s always the Olive Garden way and adding a bowl of one pot Zuppa Toscana to your dinner!

What type of ground beef should I get?

The trick here is to use as lean a ground meat as possible so there’s no need for draining the grease. If you are using a fattier meat, you will need to add in the extra step of draining off that excess before adding the noodles, broth, and sauce.

Trish’s Tips and Tricks

It’s best to sprinkle in the spaghetti noodles as opposed to laying them in the pot. This leaves gaps between the pieces and allows the liquid and steam to cook the noodles without leaving them clumped together.
You can use your favorite jarred or homemade sauce for this. While a traditional Bolognese or red sauce is my go to, you could also try your favorite alfredo sauce for a unique twist!
This may seem like the pasta will over cook but you want to allow it to cook for the 8 minutes after the Instant Pot has pressurized. Trust the process! However, everyone’s Instant Pot may be different and you may want to lessen the cook time by a minute or 2. It’s always an experiment and learning process with varying kitchen gadgets.
Try to avoid venting the pot and removing the lid early.
Check the pasta after removing the lid for doneness. If the pasta is not fully cooked, add an extra ⅓ cup of liquid and stir gently before pressure cooking for a few more minutes.

More Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Gravy

Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff

Ham and Cabbage Soup (Instant Pot)

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti

This Instant Pot Spaghetti is a no-fuss, mouthwatering dinner that is ready in just 20 minutes! This delicious, one pot recipe combines ground beef (or use Italian sausage if you prefer), onion, garlic and a scrumptious sauce all cooked to perfection with your favorite spaghetti. Perfect for busy weeknights when you need a delicious, filling, family-friendly meal, fast!

Course Main Course, Main Dish Cuisine Italian Keyword instant pot spaghetti, spaghetti in instant pot, spaghetti instant pot Prep Time 5 Cook Time 15 Servings Calories 507kcal Author Trish – Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef or Italian sausage or use half and half
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ medium onion diced or use ½ teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons minced garlic or use ½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups low sodium beef broth or stock, divided (chicken broth or water can also be used)
16 ounces spaghetti noodles
48 ounces spaghetti sauce (use your favorite brand and flavor)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Garnish (optional)

grated Parmesan cheese
chopped basil
chopped parsley
crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Set the instant pot to sauté mode. Add olive oil to the pot and then add the ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes and then add the diced onion. Continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the meat is mostly cooked.
Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning and salt and cook for an additional minute, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat.
Stir in ½ cup of beef broth.
Break the spaghetti in half and sprinkle it into the instant pot, criss-crossing the noodles and making sure the spaghetti doesn’t lay in a big clump.
Pour the spaghetti sauce over the noodles followed by the remaining 2 cups of beef broth. Gently press the spaghetti down with a spatula ensuring it’s covered by liquid.
Place on the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it into place. Turn the valve to the ‘sealing’ position.
Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes (this does not include the time needed to pressurize the pot.
When finished, open the quick release valve to manually release the pressure.
Carefully remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Stir the spaghetti well to incorporate any standing liquid.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Serve immediately with additional fresh grated Parmesan, fresh basil and/or red pepper flakes. Garlic bread on the side is a must!

Notes

Storage Information Leftover spaghetti should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To freeze, let spaghetti cool and then transfer to a freezer safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Reheat by warming spaghetti in the microwave or on the stove top until heated through. Stir in a tablespoon or so of water or broth so the spaghetti isn’t too dry.

Nutrition

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Instant Pot Spaghetti - Mom On Timeout