Instant Pot Spaghetti: Spaghetti with hearty meat sauce and classic Italian flavors. Weeknight friendly: cooks in 5 minutes!
The Instant Pot has made weeknight cooking so much faster and easier! One of my favorites is Instant Pot Spaghetti.
While you might not think of making spaghetti in the Instant Pot, I love it because it means less dishes! The beef, pasta, and sauce all cook in just one pot!
This dish was a hit with my family, and I hope it is for yours too!
Yellow Onion: Onion gives great flavor to our store bought sauce.
Olive Oil
Ground Beef: You can also use ground turkey or sausage if you’d prefer.
Italian Seasoning: Gives great flavor to our store bought sauce.
Salt, Garlic Powder, and Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes: Add more (or leave it out) depending on how much spice you prefer.
Minced Garlic
Spaghetti: Other pasta like macaroni, cavatappi, or rigatoni would also be yummy.
Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite!
Diced tomatoes
How to Make Spaghetti In the Instant Pot
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, turn your Instant Pot to saute. When it reads “Hot”, add the olive oil and onion. Cook the onions until they are soft, then add the meat and seasonings.
Continue to cook until beef is browned.
Once the beef is done, push “Cancel”. Add a small amount of water to deglaze the bottom of the pot (about a quarter to a half-cup).
Next, break spaghetti in half, and layer on top of the cooked meat in a crisscross pattern. Pour the jar of marinara sauce over the pasta, then pour the diced tomatoes on top.
After that, pour the remaining water around the sides and on top of the ingredients. Push down lightly with a spatula to make sure the pasta is completely covered).
Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, and seal the pressure valve. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. All pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Release any remaining pressure, and stir. This Instant Pot spaghetti recipe makes 4 large servings.
How Long To Cook Spaghetti In The Instant Pot
Spaghetti takes 5 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot. Please note, this does not include the natural release or the time it takes to come to pressure.
If you like your pasta even more al dente, you can shorten the pressure cook time to 4 minutes.
Do not cook it any longer or you may end up with overcooked noodles.
What to Serve With Spaghetti
A crispy Caesar salad is a great side dish to serve with spaghetti. Hot garlic bread or breadsticks are always a winner too. Finally, spaghetti also makes a great side dish for dishes like chicken or Veal Parmesan.
How Much Spaghetti Per Person
Generally, 4 ounces of dry spaghetti will make enough for one person. (this makes approximately two cups of cooked spaghetti).
If you’re unsure what four ounces of spaghetti looks like, there’s two easy ways to tell. 2 ounces of spaghetti together is about the size of an American quarter.
**Life Hack**: Many pasta serving spoons have a hole in the middle. If you thread spaghetti through it, the amount of pasta that fits is one serving!
Can You Freeze Spaghetti?
While you can freeze spaghetti as a whole dish, the noodles can get mushy. If you want to prepare your spaghetti in advance, I would cook the meat and spices and freeze that. Cook the meat and spices together, then place in an airtight container or ziplock bag. The cooked meat mixture can be stored in the freezer up to two months.
When you’re ready to serve, let the meat completely thaw in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook add beef to your Instant Pot, and follow the recipe from the step where you add the noodles.
Instant Pot spaghetti is a hit for any weeknight or a group potluck. Because of its short cooking time and common ingredients Instant Pot spaghetti has earned a place in my dinner rotation!
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Instant Pot Spaghetti: Spaghetti with hearty meat sauce and classic Italian flavors. Weeknight friendly: cooks in 5 minutes!
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Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 599kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Sweet Onion Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Minced
- 1 16 Ounce Package Spaghetti (Broken in Half)
- 1 24 Ounce Jar Marinara Sauce
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
- 3 Cups Water
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Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute mode. When hot add olive oil and onion. Cook until softened.
- Add beef, Italian seasoning, salt/pepper, garlic powder, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until browned.
- Deglaze pan with about ½ cup of water.
- Break spaghetti in half. Lay on top of meat in a criss cross pattern.Pour marinara sauce, and diced tomatoes over pasta.
- Pour remaining water on top of tomatoes and down the sides. Push down with a spatula to cover pasta.
- Place lid on top, and seal the valve. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Release remaining pressure.
- Stir and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 599kcal
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What do you think of this Instant Pot Spaghetti? What is your favorite Instant Pot Meal?
I made this last night for dinner and it was fantastic! Only two comments: 1. Way too many red pepper flakes! Maybe 1/2 of a tablespoon next time. I had to “fix the heat” by adding some brown sugar to lower the spice level. 2. I used thin spaghetti (the recipe did not mention what size pasta was used, regular, thin or angel hair) and cooked as per the directions for 5 minutes. The spaghetti was a lite too stiff, so I reset the Instant Pot for 1 more minute and it was perfect! Very easy to make with great results! Just watch the red pepper flakes!
Hi Mike,
Thanks so much for your review and suggestions. I really appreciate it!
I’m a big fan of spaghetti. What I love the most in this recipe is the meat. Thank you for sharing this!