Description
A quick and comforting Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe that combines tender pasta and rich, flavorful sauce all cooked together in one pot. Perfect for busy weeknights, this recipe delivers a hearty, kid-friendly meal with minimal cleanup and maximum taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
Pasta
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles, broken in half
Sauce Base
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
Aromatics & Seasonings
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings (Optional)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics and meat: Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté function and add a splash of oil. Cook diced onion and minced garlic until fragrant and translucent, then add ground meat, breaking it up as it browns. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Add liquids and pasta: Pour in crushed tomatoes and broth, stirring gently to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and layer them evenly over the sauce without stirring to prevent clumping.
- Pressure cook: Close the lid securely and set the valve to sealing. Select manual or pressure cook mode and set the time to 8 minutes. The noodles will cook perfectly, absorbing the rich sauce flavors.
- Quick release and stir: As soon as cooking finishes, perform a quick pressure release to prevent overcooking. Open the lid carefully and gently stir the spaghetti to mix noodles and sauce evenly.
- Serve with toppings: Serve hot, topped with freshly grated Parmesan or your favorite garnishes like fresh basil or parsley.
Notes
- Layer, don’t stir before cooking: Laying the pasta flat over the sauce helps prevent sticking or clumping during pressure cooking.
- Use enough liquid: Broth and tomatoes together provide enough moisture for the pasta to cook fully without drying out.
- Quick release with care: Do the quick release immediately to avoid mushy noodles from residual steam.
- Choose the right pasta shape: Spaghetti or thin pasta works best; thicker noodles may need adjusted cook times.
- Double the recipe for leftovers: Instant Pot spaghetti reheats beautifully, making great next-day meals.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg