Step-by-Step Guide on how to cook Instant Pot Spaghetti. Delicious al dente pasta with flavorful meat sauce. Minimal ingredients, prep, and clean up with dump and go option designed for all the busy bees. Enjoy this kid-friendly, healthy, quick and easy one pot spaghetti!
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Over the years, many readers have requested for more super easy Instant Pot dump recipes.
So we’ve been working in our Amy + Jacky’s Test Kitchen to develop an even faster and easier shortcut to cooking spaghetti in Instant Pot with simple ingredients.
And this instapot spaghetti recipe was born with the option of cooking Instant Pot spaghetti with jar sauce. Designed for those busy bees with chaotic weeknights or long work days. So it’s easy for you to adapt!
Tips for Cooking Spaghetti in Instant Pot
1. Dump and Go One Pot Spaghetti
We developed this easy Instant Pot spaghetti recipe with the quickest & easiest “dump-it-all-in meal” option. You can get this spaghetti meal on the table (including getting up to pressure time) in 30 minutes! 😀
2. Prevent “Burn” Error: Fully Deglaze Instant Pot & Layer Ingredients
To prevent triggering Instant Pot’s sensitive “BURN” notice, it’s important to fully deglaze the inner pot, and layer the ingredients in Instant Pot as directed in the recipe:
Ground Beef + Onion + Garlic at the bottom → Chicken Stock → Spaghetti → Canned Tomatoes or Marinara Sauce on top.
Amy + Jacky’s Notes: Don’t mix after layering all the ingredients!
How to Cook Spaghetti in Instant Pot
Prepare Ingredients for cooking spaghetti in Instant Pot.
Ground Beef. We developed this instapot spaghetti recipe with regular ground beef because there’s more fat. You can use lean ground beef if you like.
Unsalted Chicken Stock. We develop recipes with unsalted ingredients so we can better control the flavors. If you’re substituting with salted ingredients, the sodium level can vary a lot between different brands. Adjust accordingly.
- Substitute: For convenience, you can substitute it with cold water.
Onion & Garlic. If you want a super easy meal and don’t want to prep, you can substitute the onions and garlic with 1 teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Regular Soy Sauce. It’ll add a boost of umami flavor to the spaghetti. Give it a shot!
Canned Tomatoes vs. Jar Marinara Sauce
You can make this Spaghetti Instant Pot recipe with a large can of whole peeled tomatoes. Or you can make this Instant Pot spaghetti with jar sauce by substituting the tomatoes with your favorite Marinara Sauce.
Tools for Instant Pot Spaghetti
Skip the browning, sauteing, and deglazing steps below.
Optional – Brown Ground Beef in Instant Pot
Note: This optional flavor-boosting step will greatly enhance the flavors of the Instant Pot Spaghetti.
First, heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function.
- For older versions: press “Saute” button, then “Adjust” button.
- For newer versions: press “Saute” button twice.
Wait until it says “HOT” (takes roughly 8 minutes). This prevents the ground beef from sticking to the pot.
Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Then, swirl your pot around to make sure the oil is coated over the whole bottom of the pot.
Add 1 pound (454g) ground beef in Instant Pot, then season generously with salt & black pepper.
The ground beef will start to release moisture.
After browning the ground beef for 5 minutes, discard the ground beef juice.
With a wooden spoon, break the ground beef apart into smaller chunks, then let them continue to brown in Instant Pot. Stir them once in a while until they’re slightly crisped and browned. It’ll take another ~5 to 7 minutes.
Taste the ground beef, then adjust the seasoning with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Saute Onion & Herbs
Add diced onions, minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons (1.8g) dried basil, and 1½ teaspoons (1.2g) dried oregano in Instant Pot, then saute for another two minutes.
Deglaze Instant Pot
Pour 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon (as shown below).
Give it a quick mix.
Pressure Cook Spaghetti in Instant Pot
Add 3 tablespoons (45ml) regular soy sauce and 3 cups (750ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot.
Break the 1 pound (454g) spaghetti in half, then add spaghetti in Instant Pot.
- Spread Out Spaghetti: Try to spread out the spaghetti so they won’t clump together as they cook.
- Fully Submerge Spaghetti: It’s critical to fully soak all the spaghetti into the cooking liquid to cook them evenly.
Layer 1 large can (28oz) whole peeled tomatoes or your favorite Marinara sauce on top. Do not mix (as shown in the photo below).
With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
Instant Pot Spaghetti Cook Time: Pressure cook spaghetti at High Pressure for 3 minutes, then Natural Release for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes of natural release, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.
When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.
Thicken & Season Spaghetti in Instant Pot
- Sauce Consistency: Don’t panic when you open the lid to a liquidy spaghetti sauce right after pressure cooking. That’s normal! We’ll use the “Saute More” function to thicken the sauce. These extra few minutes (plus extra few pinches of salt) will make a big difference to the spaghetti’s flavor & texture.
- Spaghetti Texture: We like al dente spaghetti. So the cooking time in this recipe is intended to cook the spaghetti till approximately 85% – 90% cooked. The spaghetti will continue to cook during the “sauce thickening” step, as well as by the residual heat. Keep tasting and cooking (with the lid open) until the spaghetti reaches your preferred texture.
Use “Saute More” function to bring the content back to a simmer.
With a wooden spoon, break down the tomatoes, then stir to cook spaghetti in Instant Pot and thicken the sauce. It’ll take a few minutes to thicken the sauce as the spaghetti releases its starch.
Turn off the heat (press “cancel” button).
Serve Instant Pot Spaghetti
Garnish the deliciously al dente spaghetti with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, then serve!
What to Serve with Spaghetti
We designed this easy Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe as a tasty one pot meal. But you can serve this spaghetti with other main dishes, side dishes, soups, or desserts.
Here are some delicious recipes to serve with spaghetti:
Side Dishes: Garlic bread, focaccia, salads, Instant Pot Roasted Potatoes, Instant Pot Bread, Instant Pot Zucchini.
Main Dishes: Instant Pot Whole Chicken, Instant Pot Ribs, Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, Instant Pot Chicken Piccata
Soups:
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Instant Pot Mushroom Soup
- Instant Pot Clam Chowder
Enjoy your Flavorful Instapot Spaghetti!
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454g) spaghetti
- 1 pound (454g) ground beef
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock (or water)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Simple Marinara Sauce
- 1 large can (28oz) whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 (180g) onion , diced (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
- 3 cloves (15g) garlic , minced (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1½ teaspoon (1.8g) dried basil
- 1½ teaspoon (1.2g) dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) regular soy sauce
Equipment
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Instructions
- *For Dump-and-Go-Meal: Skip the browning, sauteing, and deglazing steps below. Make sure to break the ground beef into smaller chunks. Then layer the seasoned ground beef chunks, onions, garlic, dried herbs at the bottom of the pot.
- Optional Flavor Booster - Brown Ground Beef in Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot using "Sauté More" function. Wait until it says "HOT" (~8 mins). Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Make sure the oil is coated over the whole bottom.Add in 1lb (454g) ground beef, then season generously with salt & ground black pepper. After browning for 5 minutes, discard the ground beef juice. With a wooden spoon, break the ground beef apart into smaller chunks. Allow the ground beef to brown. Stir occasionally until they are slightly crisped (~5 – 7 mins). Taste then adjust with more salt & ground black pepper.
- Saute Onion & Herbs: Add in diced onions, minced garlic, 1½ tsp (1.8g) dried basil, and 1½ tsp (1.2g) dried oregano, then saute for another 2 minutes.
- Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Then fully deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
- Pressure Cook Spaghetti: Add in 3 tbsp (45ml) regular soy sauce, remaining 3 cups (750ml) unsalted chicken stock. Break 1 lb (454g) spaghetti in half, then add spaghetti in Instant Pot. Amy + Jacky's Pro Tip: Ensure spaghetti are not clumped together and all soaked in the liquid.Layer 1 large can (28oz) whole peeled tomatoes or Marinara sauce on top. Do not mix. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes, then Natural Release for 5 minutes. Release remaining pressure, then open the lid.
- Thicken & Season: The spaghetti sauce will look liquidy at first, and the spaghetti is about 85% - 90% cooked. Use the "Saute More" function (press "Cancel" and "Saute") to bring the content back to a simmer. With a wooden spoon, break down the tomatoes, then stir a few minutes to fully cook the spaghetti and thicken the sauce. Taste and season with roughly 3 - 4 large pinches of salt. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Serve: Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, then serve this tasty spaghetti. Enjoy!~
Notes
- Fully Deglaze Instant Pot: It's very important to scrub off all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon after browning or sauteing ingredients in Instant Pot. These are not burnt food debris. They'll add flavor to your spaghetti.
- Layer Ingredients as Directed in Recipe: Ground Beef + Onion + Garlic at the bottom → Chicken Stock → Spaghetti → Canned Tomatoes or Marinara Sauce on top.
- Don't Mix Ingredients Before Pressure Cooking
Nutrition
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