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Instant Pot Spaghetti

Quick and comforting Instant Pot spaghetti made with simple pantry ingredients for an easy weeknight meal.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat of choice optional
  • 1 small yellow onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock divided
  • 16 ounces spaghetti noodles regular or whole wheat; break in half
  • 24 ounces spaghetti sauce homemade or jarred
  • Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

  • Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add a small amount of oil to heat about 30–60 seconds.
  • Add the ground meat and minced onion; sauté, breaking up the meat, until mostly browned.
  • Add the minced garlic and cook 1 more minute until fragrant and the meat is fully browned.
  • Press Cancel. Remove the meat to a bowl and drain excess grease from the inner pot.
  • Pour ½ cup of the broth into the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom with a spoon.
  • Break the spaghetti in half and layer the noodles in a criss-cross pattern in the pot to help prevent clumping.
  • Pour the remaining 3½ cups of broth over the noodles and gently press the noodles into the liquid as much as possible; they do not need to be fully submerged.
  • Top the noodles with the reserved browned meat and then pour the spaghetti sauce over everything.
  • Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes using Pressure Cook/Manual.
  • When the cook time ends, allow a natural release for exactly 5 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to Venting with a wooden spoon to avoid steam.
  • Open the lid and gently toss the noodles with the sauce until combined. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Equipment

  • Electric pressure cooker (6–8 quart)
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Measuring Cups
  • Skillet or use the Instant Pot sauté function

Notes

  • If using frozen ground meat, cook it first in the Instant Pot, remove and drain, then continue with the recipe.
  • For gluten-free spaghetti, Barilla brand has worked best to avoid excess starch.
  • To make this meatless, omit the meat, onion, and garlic and proceed with the same liquid amount.
  • The cook time is generally half the time listed on the spaghetti package; many brands equate to 5 minutes in the Instant Pot.
  • For homemade sauce, mix crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried herbs, garlic, onion powder, sugar, oil, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste and use in place of jarred sauce.
  • See Instant Pot high-altitude conversion when cooking above 2500 feet.