This Instant Pot Spaghetti tastes like it has been cooking all day, but just takes minutes to prepare and cook.
Instant Pot Spaghetti
An easy weeknight meal that cooks completely in the Instant Pot. This comforting family favorite is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. I have a few tips and tricks that make this quick cooking one-pot pasta taste like it has been cooking all day. Instead of water, use a quart of low-sodium chicken broth and a dash of soy sauce. You won’t taste the soy sauce, it will just give it that extra layer of flavor and enhance the ground beef.
The Secret is in the Sauce
It’s taken me twenty years, but I finally found a jarred spaghetti sauce that I think actually tastes like homemade! Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce is more expensive than other brands, between $6 and $7 at my local stores, but it is well worth it! Honestly, I have always been a sauce snob. Is that a term? ? And I think this tastes almost as good as homemade. Plus it makes Instant Pot Spaghetti so quick and easy!
Layer the Flavor
Start by sautéing diced onions and minced garlic in olive oil, then brown the ground beef. I use extra lean or lean ground beef so there is not excess fat to drain. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper as it cooks. When I’m sautéing and browning meat in the Instant Pot, I always make sure the saute setting has been increased to more so that it is cooking at its highest temperature.
Then use the chicken broth to deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot by using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot while the chicken broth comes to a simmer. This has two benefits, the first is that it picks up all the extra flavor and the second is that it helps prevent a burn error on the Instant Pot. Then stir in the Spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, soy sauce and spaghetti noodles.
Instant Pot Pasta
The secret to successfully cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is to use plenty of liquid. Four cups of water or broth for one pound of pasta, plus the sauce. Pot-sized spaghetti noodles and bite sized pasta, like penne are perfect for the Instant Pot. A good rule of cooking time for cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is to use half the cooking time listed on the box.
Easy one-pot Instant Pot Spaghetti that tastes like it has been cooking all day.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
- 24 oz jar marinara sauce recommended Rao's
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pound pot-sized spaghetti noodles uncooked
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- fresh basil or flat leaf parsley
- freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
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In a 6 Quart Instant Pot, heat olive oil using Sauté function set to high (More setting.) Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes or until they start to soften, then add garlic and sauté for another minute.
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Add ground beef and season with one teaspoon of kosher salt and several turns of freshly ground pepper. Continue cooking ground beef breaking up as it cooks until cooked through.
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Add low-sodium chicken broth to Instant Pot and use it to deglaze instant pot by scraping the bottom of the Instant Pot. Stir in marinara, tomato sauce, soy sauce and uncooked spaghetti noodles.
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Lock lid in place and set Instant Pot to 5 minutes on High Pressure. Make sure pressure release valve is set to sealing. Instant Pot will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure, then will start 5 minute cooking time and countdown from there.
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Once Instant Pot has counted down from 5 minutes it has completed cooking. Turn pressure release valve to venting and let Instant Pot Quick Pressure Release. Stir in fresh herbs and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve immediately.
5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!
- Quick to make
- Light on your budget
- Easy to clean-up
- and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS
Thanks Melissa for this tasty recipe! I won my girlfriend heart with this lol
One of our favorites!
So delicious and using my instant pot made it that much easier of a dinner! Loved it!
Making this in the instant pot was so easy and SO DELICIOUS!
My boys almost licked their plates cleaned, haha! I’d call that a winner!
This was perfect for a busy weeknight! Such great flavor and easy to make!
Love this for a super easy dinner! So good!
A family favorite!! I can’t wait to try it!
Another great recipe for my Instant Pot! Looking forward to making this for dinner tonight; great for busy evenings!
Such a family friendly recipe & so quick & easy!! This is my favorite kind of recipe & tastes delicious!
This is soo delicious and so quick and easy!! Thanks for sharing, we’re obsessed!!
I love this one pot way to make spaghetti. So much less mess and it turned out great!
This is such a great spaghetti recipe for an easy weeknight dinner! The recommendation for Rao’s sauce was excellent and made for a very flavorful spaghetti dinner.
This took all the stress out a busy night. Dinner was on the table in a snap an everyone loved it. This is a keeper!
My family and I love this recipe! I will definitely be making this again!
I have never tried making spagetti in my instant pot but I will now. This looks so much easier and much less clean up. Thanks for the great idea!