Instant Pot Spaghetti is a classic one-pot pasta dinner for busy families. This mostly hands-off pressure cooker spaghetti uses jar pasta sauce and is ready in 30 minutes.
Turn this spaghetti entree into a full dinner with French bread and tomato salad or Sauteed Asparagus.
Here's a super easy and reliable spaghetti and meat sauce recipe you can add to your busy weeknight dinner plan. It's simple, delicious, and satisfies all the cravings for Italian food. It's 30 minutes from dry-to-done, but only the first 10 and the last 2 minutes are hands on with the Instant Pot method. Use the free time to make your sides. This recipe is a must for your pressure cooker collection, just like my Chicken Alfredo and Lasagna Soup.
Why we love this recipe
- one pot to wash - You won't have to clean multiple dishes after making this one pot spaghetti. Heck, you don't even need to boil water.
- budget-friendly - Simple pantry ingredients are used to make this an affordable option to feel your small army.
- versatility - Don't like onions? Leave them out. Want a vegetarian pasta dish? Skip the meat. Want spicy spaghetti sauce? Add some crushed red pepper.
- so much flavor - Instant pot spaghetti tastes like you cooked the pasta sauce all day because the pressure cooker helps build flavor faster than stove cooking.
- easy for any cooking level - Even pressure cooker beginners can find success with this pasta recipe because there is very little hands-on cooking. In fact, you don't really even need to know how to cook pasta in a pressure cooker. It does it all for you! Just follow the recipe directions and find yourself with a delicious pot of spaghetti.
Key ingredients
Visit recipe card below for printable amounts and instructions
- olive oil - or any kind of oil can be use to saute the ingredients.
- onion - aromatic vegetable that adds a sweet and savory flavor to the sauce. Use any onion
- garlic - fresh garlic (recommended) adds a traditional Italian flavor to any spaghetti and meat sauce recipe.
- pasta Sauce - use your favorite brand of jar pasta sauce.
- seasonings - we're adding oregano and Italian seasoning, but you know that sky is the limit here.
- water - 4 cups water might seem like a lot for this recipe, but trust me, the end result is the perfect consistency. Substitute any kind of broth if you prefer.
- spaghetti- I use classic spaghetti noodles for this recipe, but you can use any type of pasta.
How to make spaghetti in the Instant Pot
- Saute the onions, garlic, and beef. Deglaze the pot, if needed.
2. Break pasta noodles in half and criss-cross in stacks over the beef.
3. Whisk together pasta sauce and water in a separate container.
4. Pour pasta sauce mixture over noodles and press them under the surface.
5. Pressure cook and do a natural pressure release (see recipe below).
6. Open the lid, toss everything together, and serve warm.
Recipe tips for making spaghetti in the Instant Pot
Before cooking
- Instant Pot model - I use my 6 quart Duo for this recipe. If you use an 8 or 10 quart pot, there are no adjustments needed since this recipe calls for 4 cups water (see reference here).
- Pasta shape - This recipe is made with semolina spaghetti or plain spaghetti box or bag. Modifying the recipe with other pasta shapes (or gluten free pasta) can give varied results.
- Pasta amount - If you want saucier pasta than what you see in my photos, use 12 oz pasta instead of 16oz. It doesn't have to be exact.
- Pasta stacking - To avoid pasta clumping, the pasta should be broken in half and stacked in sections using criss-cross patterns on top of the cooked meat.
- Meat - Use ground turkey or Italian sausage in place of ground beef (changing these won't affect consistency).
- Go meatless - Make it vegetarian spaghetti by simply omitting the meat and following the recipe as is.
- Jar pasta sauce - If using a seasoned pasta sauce, feel free to leave out the seasonings listed in this recipe.
During cooking
- Deglaze the pot - If any browned bits are stuck to the bottom of the pot after sauteing the beef, add a splash of water and scrape with a stirring utensil, releasing them into the pot (this adds flavor).
- Excess liquid - When you open the lid after pasta cooks, there will likely be a small amount of excess liquid. Just stir it into the pasta and it will get absorbed in minutes.
- Reheating leftovers - When you reheat spaghetti leftovers, you'll likely need to rehydrate the pasta because the starch absorbs the liquid. Add liquid in small amounts until the consistency to your liking.
- Burn notice - uncommon with this particular recipe, but certainly a culprit of thicker sauce IP recipes in general. I recommend reading all about burn warnings and solutions from this pressure cooker safety guide.
More Instant Pot pasta recipes
I have tested and perfected these Instant Pot pasta recipes so you can get reliable dinners on the table.
- Chicken Alfredo
- Lasagna Soup
- Taco Pasta
- Tuna Casserole
- Ham Alfredo Pasta [Instant Pot or stove]
- Shrimp Pasta In Lemon Cream Sauce
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Instant Pot Spaghetti is a classic one-pot pasta dinner for busy families. This mostly hands-off pressure cooker spaghetti uses jar pasta sauce and is ready in 30 minutes. It's a must-have for your pressure cooker collection.
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Prep: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 cups
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef (uncooked), or ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano, optional
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning, optional
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 16 oz Spaghetti (uncooked), use only 12oz for saucier pasta
- 24 oz jar Pasta Sauce, or 2 ¾ cups
- 4 cups Water, or broth
Equipment
- measuring cup
- stirring utensil or slotted spoon
Instructions
Recipe yields 8 cups. If you cut the recipe in half, the instructions stay the same.
- Select "Saute" and heat OLIVE OIL until Instant Pot display reads "Hot".
- Add ONIONS, GARLIC, GROUND BEEF, OREGANO, ITALIAN SEASONING, SALT, and PEPPER. Saute until beef is cooked through, stirring as needed. Drain any excess fat, if needed.
- Deglaze the pot by adding a few splashes of plain water. Then, scrape any browned bits loose with a utensil, releasing them into the other ingredients. Select “Cancel” to stop the saute cycle.
- Break and scatter the SPAGHETTI NOODLES over the cooked beef in a criss-cross pattern.
- Whisk PASTA SAUCE and WATER together in a separate bowl and pour over the noodles. Press the noodles under the sauce mixture to submerge them.
- Close and lock the lid and set the pressure release valve to “Sealing”. Select “Manual” or “Pressure cook” on HIGH 2 minutes (for al dente pasta) or 3 minutes (for soft pasta). YES, YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT ... 2 or 3 minutes ... the pasta continues cooking in the next step (and we also don't like mushy pasta).
- At the end of the cook cycle, allow the pot to sit undisturbed for a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP...the pasta is still cooking.
- Release any remaining steam, open lid, stir ingredients until well combined. Serve warm.Note: When you first open the lid after pasta cooks, there will likely be a small amount of excess liquid. Just stir it into the pasta and it will get absorbed in minutes.
- To store, allow spaghetti to cool completely and refrigerate in airtight containers up to 5 days.
Tried this recipe? I'd love your review!Visit the comments below and tell me how it went.
Traci's Notes
Instant Pot spaghetti recipe tips
- Instant Pot model - I use my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo for this recipe. You don't need to adjust anything for the 8 or 10 quart pot (see reference here).
- Pasta shape - Use plain spaghetti box or bag. Modifying the recipe with other pasta shapes (or gluten free pasta) may give varied results.
- Pasta amount - If you want saucier pasta than what you see in my photos, use 12 oz pasta instead of 16oz. It doesn't have to be exact.
- Pasta stacking - To avoid pasta clumping, the pasta should be broken in half and stacked in sections using criss-cross patterns on top of the cooked meat.
- Meat - Use ground turkey or Italian sausage in place of ground beef.
- Go meatless - Make it vegetarian spaghetti by simply omitting the meat and following the recipe as is.
- Jar pasta sauce - If using a seasoned pasta sauce, feel free to leave out the seasonings listed in this recipe.
- Reheating leftovers - You'll likely need to rehydrate the pasta because the starch absorbs the liquid. Add liquid in small amounts until the consistency to your liking.
- burn notice - they do happen sometimes (but I have not had it happen with this recipe). Please read my notes in the above blog post.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 639mg | Potassium: 586mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 382IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
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Wendy says
Tried this tonight and the whole family loved it even my picky 15 yr old!!! Thank you so much!!! Can’t wait to try some others soon.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Wendy! I'm glad the whole family loved it, even the picky one LOL. That's great feedback (and quite the compliment). Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Vicky Stone says
The only thing I would do different is add a little more spice or double up on some of the spices. Otherwise it was very good and easy to make! It’s a keeper 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Vicky, more seasoning is always welcome in spaghetti 🙂 I kept the spices minimal since this recipe calls for jar pasta sauce that's likely already seasoned, but glad you enjoyed. Thanks!
Don says
This is the only way to make pasta, 3min HP then10 minutes NR,it turn out perfectly, thanks
The Kitchen Girl says
I couldn't agree more, Don. Glad you're enjoying the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback ... I appreciate it! 🙂
Neva says
Has anyone tried with 2 lbs of ground beef? Will it still work? Thanks!
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Neva, I haven't tried that but I don't see any reason that it wouldn't work. I would probably add another 1/2 (or full) jar of pasta sauce to the recipe to keep the sauce consistent. Let me know if you try it out 🙂 Enjoy!
Graeme says
How would you modify this recipe for whole wheat spaghetti? Looks delicious!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks! Honestly, I've used whole wheat spaghetti and find that there's no difference in cook time in the IP. I would explore using your pasta without altering the recipe and you can add another pressure cook minute(s) if it's not cooked enough. You just don't want to overcompensate and overcook the pasta.
JB says
This Instant Pot spaghetti recipe is easy, delicious, and dialed in. I appreciate that about all of your pressure cooker recipes. Thanks for another winner KG!
The Kitchen Girl says
I'm glad you think so, JB! So glad you're enjoying them 🙂
Brianna says
I absolutely loved how this spaghetti turned out in the IP, I'm never making it any other way!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay...so glad to hear it! I hear ya, it's hard to make spaghetti the old way after doing it like this lol. Thanks so much!
Amy says
OK it may be true that I am the last person on the planet who doesn't have an instant pot! But I have been toying with the idea. I love that I can make staples like these in them though. Didn't even realise I could make pasta in it. Awesome recipe. Thanks!
The Kitchen Girl says
Oh yes, Instant Pot pasta definitely made it all worth it 🙂 Hope you can pick one up soon...thanks!
Meenakshi says
Easy to follow recipe...perfect for week day dinners..thanks for the recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Glad you enjoy this one ... thanks so much!
whitney says
I do love that you don't have to boil any water and can throw it all in together! Instant pot meals are my fave!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes! That's my favorite thing about Instant Pot spaghetti ... no babysitting or schlepping hot water around. Thanks!
Claudia Lamascolo says
the kids ABSOLUTELY went crazy over this delicious sauce and pasta, I will make again as it went so fast its a great addition to the picky eaters me have!
The Kitchen Girl says
I'm so glad to hear it, Claudia. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂