Instant Pot Spaghetti

Instant Pot Spaghetti is your classic pasta dish made easy in 20 minutes and one pot! Meaty, saucy, and incredibly tasty, it’s sure to be a family favorite!

When I received my Instant Pot last Christmas, I took it for a test run on my favorite roasted potato recipe and I thought it was a pretty nifty tool to have. It was, however, making Instant Pot ribs for the first time that completely blew me away!

This kitchen wonder continues to amaze me by how easily and quickly a meal can be put together. And as if super tender and flavorful baby back ribs in 30 minutes are not enough, this Instant Pot spaghetti is another reason why you’d fall in love with your pressure cooker all over again.

This pasta dish turns our meaty, saucy, and incredibly tasty in 20 minutes and one pot! It’s perfect for that 5 PM dinner rush when everyone is clamoring for a hot meal.

The spaghetti noodles are cooked right in the pot with the sauce so they come out extra flavorful, and there’s no need to boil water separately.

How Do You Cook Spaghetti in the Instant Pot

Step 1: Brown the Meat

• I use bulk Italian sausage but you can easily swap ground beef or turkey if you prefer.
• Using the SAUTE feature on NORMAL, add the Italian sausage, breaking apart with the back of the spoon. Cook, stirring regularly until it loses its pink and begins to render fat.
• Add onions, sweet peppers, and garlic and cook until softened. Feel free to add mushrooms and saute along with the other vegetables.
• Make sure to drain the meat of any excess grease.
• Add Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2: Add the Pasta

• Cut the uncooked spaghetti in half and place them in the pot on top of the meat in a crisscross pattern so they don’t lump or stick together when cooked.
• Pasta brands require different cook times. Check the box for manufacturing directions and use spaghetti that takes 9 to 11 minutes to cook al dente.
• The pressure cook time is 7 minutes and although the pasta is not mushy and has a good bite, please do not expect the same texture as one cooked on the stovetop.

Step 3: Add Spaghetti Sauce, Diced Tomatoes, and Water

• Add Spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, and water. You can swap the water with beef broth for extra depth of flavor.
• Do NOT stir lest the noodles break. Just push them down gently so they’ll be submerged in the liquid.

Step 4: Pressure Cook the Pasta

• Close the lid of the Instant Pot, making sure the valve is on SEALING position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 7 minutes.
• When the 7 minutes and the pressure cooker beeps, do a QUICK release.
• As you can see from the photo above, the pasta will look soupy. Do not be alarmed! Let it stand for a few minutes to allow the noodles to absorb the sauce.

Step 5: Stir the Spaghetti

• Give the noodles a good stir to distribute and evenly coat with the sauce. As you can see from the photo, our Instant Pot pasta has now thickened nicely.
• You can toss in Parmesan cheese or your favorite shredded cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack if you want it creamy and cheesy.

Give this Instant Pot Spaghetti a try. It’s quick and easy to make yet big on comfort flavors the whole family will love.