Pasta
Instant Pot Spaghetti & Meat Sauce
Spaghetti in one pot, made in about 45 minutes sort of seems like a dream come true, doesn't it? Once you try Instant Pot Spaghetti, you might never go back to the traditional stovetop method!
At a glance
What stands out: Spaghetti in one pot, made in about 45 minutes sort of seems like a dream come true, doesn’t it? Once you try Instant Pot Spaghetti, you might never go back to the traditional stovetop method!
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot pressure cooker
Servings: 6
Spaghetti is one of those meals that’s kind of a catch-22. It’s a straightforward go-to meal. It’s something that you probably have all the ingredients for without hitting the store. But it makes SO MANY DISHES dirty! A pan for the sauce, a pan for the pasta, a colander. It’s a bit of a pain.
Well, this Instant Pot Spaghetti is the answer to that problem. One pan – the insert of the Instant Pot. No need to drain the pasta. No need to wash three dishes for one recipe. We might never go back to making spaghetti the “regular” way again. Same goes for spaghetti and meatballs.
If you guys haven’t gotten on the Instant Pot train yet, we think it’s time. We use ours at least once a week and we're constantly getting Instant Pot recipe requests.
Our recipe for Instant Pot pasta with Italian sausage and spinach is such a popular one on our site, we knew we had to give you guys lots more straightforward pasta recipes to make in your pressure cooker.
About this Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe
We've made this recipe a few different times and a few different ways but we wanted to give you the most classic, recognizable version. It’s a straightforward recipe to “make your own” if you want to add or subtract anything.
We always love to use a ton of vegetables in spaghetti sauce. This recipe allows you to do that easily. We typically use ground turkey but you can use ground beef or ground Italian sausage — all three taste great with a tomato spaghetti sauce. We’ll chat about more ways you could mix this up and make it your own.
Spaghetti made all in one pot, including the pasta! Are you ready to get started? We'll run through the recipe here and give you a bunch of helpful tips.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lean Ground Turkey: You’ll need a pound of ground meat.
- Olive Oil: Just a teaspoon so the meat doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Onion: Any type of onion will do. Yellow cooking onions are economical and store well.
- Whole Wheat Spaghetti: This recipe is written for a 16 ounce box of pasta. Be sure to read the label. Many whole wheat pastas come in smaller sized boxes.
- Spaghetti Sauce: Choose your favorite jar of pasta sauce. There are so many to choose from!
- Water: It takes a fair amount of liquid to cook the pasta. It will all be absorbed. We always use the pasta sauce jar to measure the water. It’s convenient and rinses out the jar.
- Diced Tomatoes: Look for low sodium tomatoes. There’s usually plenty of salt in the pasta sauce. There’s not need to drain the tomatoes.
- Spinach (Optional): Use baby spinach leaves if you can. They are smaller and more tender. If you only have larger leaves, chop them a bit before adding them.
How it comes together
Prep ingredients. Make sure you have everything you need. Chop the onions and any other veggies you might want to add.
Sauté the meat and vegetables. Use the”sauté” mode on the Instant Pot to brown your meat. Put a bit of oil in first so the meat doesn’t stick.
When you’re browning the meat, add the onions to the pot, too. We like to add bell peppers, carrots, and/or mushrooms. Today we just used onions but feel free to load it up with any of the veggies you like!
Add uncooked pasta. After you brown the meat and soften the veggies, add the pasta in one layer on top of the meat. Break the pasta in half before you put it in. It needs to be completely submerged in the liquid to cook properly and the long pieces won’t fit in unless they are broken.
Add liquid. Pour the sauce, tomatoes, and water over the pasta and meat. Wiggle the pasta around a little bit so that it’s not clumped together and it’s covered by liquid.
It will look like a lot of liquid but don’t worry. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, absorbing all the water, and the consistency is reliable once it’s finished cooking. It’s kind of magical.
If you want to add broccoli instead of spinach, add it right on top (don’t mix it in) so that it can steam while the pasta cooks. (Am we the only person that adds a ridiculous amount of vegetables to our spaghetti?)
Pressure cook. Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot for “Pressure Cook” or “Manual – High”, depending on your model. Set the time for 8 minutes and press Start. It will take roughly 20 minutes to come to pressure. When the time has elapsed, do a speedy release.
Add spinach. After the pasta is done cooking, remove the lid, and add spinach if you like. It just needs a brief time in the hot pot to wilt the leaves. You can add the spinach at the same time as the pasta and sauce but we prefer not to overcook it so it stays bright green. But if you’re in a rush, it definitely works to add it at the same time as the sauce.
Cool briefly. If the sauce appears too juicy, just let the spaghetti set for five to ten minutes, and then give it a stir. It will thicken up nicely.
That’s all there is to it! It’s such a great meal for busy nights, we can’t wait for you guys to try this one.
Ways to serve it
Garnish the spaghetti with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if you happen to have it. If you have time, make a simple green salad with from-scratch Italian dressing. You’ll be in Olive Garden bliss.
Oh, and don’t forget the breadsticks! These at-home Pizza Hut breadsticks look better than the originals. We're definitely making them next time we have spaghetti (or sooner)! Try fresh bread with olive oil dipping sauce.
P.S. Are you as obsessed with pressure cooking as we are? Here’s a few more of our favorites: Instant Pot Chicken Piccata, Instant Pot Chicken Marsala, Instant Pot Chili, and southwestern Instant Pot Chicken and Quinoa.
Pasta in the Instant Pot
It’s rather memorable how well it turns out. We’ve done lots of different types of pasta from shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta to creamy mac and cheese. It’s rich and straightforward: no boiling water, no colanders. The only trick is to use plenty of liquid because the pasta absorbs it. Make sure there’s enough liquid to completely cover the pasta.
Make it Vegetarian
This is straightforward! Leave out the meat and load it with vegetables (mushrooms, bell peppers, carrot, olives). Finely chopped mushrooms will give it a meaty texture. You could also do something similar to our vegan bolognese with a combination of lentils and quinoa for a meat-like alternative.
Make it Gluten-free
We haven’t tested it with gluten-free noodles yet but we do love chickpea pasta and lentil pasta, and we're excited to try it. We think it would work but keep in mind that you may need to adjust the cooking time according to the pasta package.
If you’re more of a spaghetti squash person, you can also make that in your pressure cooker! Spaghetti squash is naturally gluten-free. Read about that method and five others in our guide on how to cook spaghetti squash.
Keeping leftovers
Refrigerate/Freeze: Leftover spaghetti with sauce will keep in the fridge for up to three days and in the freezer for up to three months. We like to freeze it in individual sized containers for a straightforward lunch or dinner for one. Larger containers should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Gently warm individual portions in the microwave until heated through or larger portions in a skillet on the stove.
Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this straightforward spaghetti recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #44 (Speedy & Straightforward). You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!
We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.
Leftover Love
Make spaghetti casserole.We f you have a lot of spaghetti left over, consider making it into a casserole. Simply put the leftovers in a greased casserole dish. Mix in the desired amount of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle some cheese on top, too. Place in a preheated oven (350°F) for 30 minutes or until the center is hot and the cheese is melted.
- Yield: 6
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey (ground beef or Italian sausage is good, too)
- ½ small yellow onion, diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 pound (16 oz.) whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce of your choice
- 36 ounces water (use the spaghetti sauce jar to measure the water, just fill it 1 ½ times)
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
- A few handfuls of spinach, optional
Method
- Heat Instant Pot to Sauté. Add olive oil and when it’s shimmering and hot, add turkey and onion. Cook, breaking up turkey with spatula, until browned and cooked through.
- Break pieces of spaghetti in half and add on top of cooked meat. Pour spaghetti sauce, water, and tomatoes over the pasta. Move pasta around a little with a spoon or spatula to separate the pieces of pasta to prevent them from clumping. Make sure they’re all submerged in the sauce.
- Secure lid of Instant Pot and turn valve to “seal.” Set on Manual for 8 minutes on high (or Pressure Cook, depending on your model). It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure.
- After cooking time elapses, quick release pressure. Remove lid and pile on spinach. Set lid back on (you don’t have to lock it on) and let spinach steam for 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Stir as needed to speed up this process.
- Serve immediately, or let set 5 to 10 minutes in Instant Pot for sauce to thicken slightly before serving.
Notes
If you prefer, use ground beef or Italian sausage in place of ground turkey. Drain excess fat off after browning the meat if needed.
If you wish to add more vegetables (bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms), you’ll want to sauté them with the meat. Add broccoli at the same time as the pasta. Put it on top of the sauce/pasta so that the pasta is all still submerged in the sauce.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
