Instant Pot Spaghetti – The easiest spaghetti recipe ever! A quick recipe for spaghetti made right in the instant pot. Get a family favorite meal on the table even faster on busy nights!
Ok, you guys. I resisted as long as I could.
It was definitely time for me to get myself an Instant Pot, and see what all the fuss is about!
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If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll already know I bought one.
You may have been waiting and wondering what kind of dinner concoction was going to come out first.
Well, spaghetti it is!
It might SEEM boring, and unoriginal, but….c’mon, spaghetti is a total crowd pleasing, family favorite, classic.
Why not start there?
I was sitting around reading the manual for said Instant Pot and contemplating what to try first, when my son suggested spaghetti.
He loves spaghetti. Could eat it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack, and dinner. Not kidding.
Do any of you have an Instant Pot already? Thinking about getting one? I’d love to hear what you think!
For now, here are my first impressions.
Before I even used the thing my initial reaction was that this thing is BIG. Way bigger than my crockpot, and much heavier.
I got the 8 quart, which I’m happy about. Just saying, if you’re going to get one, make sure you have the room for it!
Definitely read the manual. If you don’t, you’ll probably feel stressed out and confused at all of the different buttons and parts.
My impression during and after making the spaghetti (which I did a few times to make sure cooking time would be accurate for you).
It was strange at first not being able to peek in the top like you can with a slow cooker. Ummmm, is this thing on?
But, you can definitely hear that there is some boiling going on inside.
It really did cook the spaghetti just perfectly!
The noodles weren’t “gummy” being cooked all together with the meat/sauce/water, which was something I was worried about.
I may actually like spaghetti cooked in the Instant Pot now, more than the typical boiling the noodles and putting it all together after!
My last but not least favorite thing is that this is a true one pot recipe. Spaghetti is always easy to make, but it also usually requires a pan for the meat, a pot for noodles, a pot for sauce, and a colander for draining.
One pot, and no colander needed here.
The meat cooks (I get super lean meat so I don’t even need to drain grease) then you toss in your pasta, sauce, water, and seasonings.
Dinner served in about 8 minutes!
How cool is that?!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
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Instant Pot Spaghetti - The easiest spaghetti recipe ever! A quick recipe for spaghetti made right in the instant pot. Get a family favorite meal on the table even faster on busy nights!
- 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
- 1/2 Teaspoon EACH Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning
- 1 Pound Spaghetti Noodles
- 1 (24 Ounce) Jar Spaghetti Sauce
- 36 Ounces Water, 1 1/2 Jars
- 1 (14.5 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes
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Set the Instant Pot to saute' and add the ground beef. Add the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasonings. Cook the meat and seasonings, breaking the meat up until it's completely browned. Turn the Instant Pot off. Drain any excess grease from meat if necessary.
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Break the spaghetti in half and place on top of meat in the Instant Pot. Pour over the spaghetti sauce, diced tomato, and water. Push the spaghetti down with a spoon if necessary to make sure it is completely covered in liquid.
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Seal the instant pot and set it to manual mode, high pressure, 8 minutes cooking time. When the time is up, use manual quick release to open the Instant Pot. Stir the spaghetti well. Serve immediately.
NOTE: This spaghetti may appear to be a little liquidy right after cooking. Be sure to stir well to incorporate all of the liquid into the noodles before serving.
NOTE: Some people have had an issue with their noodles "clumping" together. Try crisscrossing the noodles when you add them to the instant pot, instead of adding them in one big chunk. Some clumping is normal, simply use a fork to pull any noodles apart that have stuck together.
Note: I use the 8 quart Instant Pot which you can find by clicking the link (affiliate) below.
Instant Pot Spaghetti is a great easy weeknight dinner for families! The ground beef, sauce, and noodles are cooked together right in the instant pot pressure cooker for a quick and budget friendly dinner recipe.
**This post may contain affiliate links, all opinions stated here are my own**
The Instant Pot is amazing! I’m always amazed at what it can do!
So far, I’m amazed as well! 🙂
The timing for this recipe is for an 8 Qt pot, I have a 6 qt pot. How do I convert?
I’ve had several reviews that people made this in their 6 quart as written and it turned out great!
If you use the 6qt, should you lessen the amount of water? And if so, by how much? Thanks!
I don’t know how to get a comment in. I bought an XL Power Pressure cooler before the InstaPot craze. Can I use same Recipes? I love my XXL PPC. THANKS.
I just made this tonight in a 6 qt. exactly how instructions stated. Turned out perfectly!! Loved it!
Do you drain the diced tomatoes or just add the entire can?
You don’t need to drain them 🙂
can I use a baking bag for easy cleanup?
good to hear that as I have decided to get a 6 qt IP.
I have always used McCormick seasonings for my sauce. It is made by adding water and tomato paste. Questions: Should I make the sauce first then add it and the additional water? My line of thinking is that would be the case since the recipe is using premade jar sauce.
Hi! Yes, I would go ahead and make the sauce first for best results 🙂
Just made it a few minutes ago in a 6 quart. Tastes great but I only added half the water.
Do you have to use the can of tomatoes
No, you don’t have to use the tomatoes but if you don’t I’d recommend adding a can of tomato sauce instead.
The size of the pot should not affect the time.
I use the same instructions as she had for her 8 quart in my 6-quart and it turned out very delicious! Need more hamburg and maybe touch more liquid next time 🙂
In my experience, consistent success comes by completely covering (submerging) the pasta with water/sauce. Cooking time is best at half what is stated on the box or bag. I usually run 7 minutes for 12 to 16 oz. Formed pastas are most successful; strand pastas are not as consistent, but stirring on saute if there are some undercooked strands works well after the pressure cooking.
I have a 6 and 8 at and have made it in both and followed the exact same directions perfect everytime.
I have made this recipe in a 6 and 8 quart as well, with no changes to the recipe. Delicious both times! Thank you so much for helping out a single parent Dad with this wonderful recipe. My kids love it!
The timing is the same for 6 and 8 arts. Only the ingredients may need to be adjusted but in most cases not even that as long as it all fits below the max line.
Like instant pot safer than my old one though although on most of the settings you just have to adjust the time as little difference in how much pressure is
If I want to double the recipe should I double the water or just add a little extra?
Wanting the same answer. More water? How much more time ? How did it turn out for you? I’m afraid of messing it up. I would love to hear your experience.
Hi, did you double the recipe? If so, was it ok in 8 qt?
I doubled the recipe in my 6 quart by doing the following: (and by the way…this absolutely maxes out the capacity of my6quart). Sauté 2lbs beef with a full teaspoon each of dry spices. 24 oz spaghetti (1.5 boxes), 36 oz sauce (1.5 jars or cans…I used Hunt’s traditional 24oz cans), 2 cans petite diced tomatoes (14oz sized cans), and approx 36 oz of water… it may have been a bit less… I really had to push down on the noodles to get everything to fit under the “max” line in pot. Set the sealed pot to 8 min high pressure and it came out perfectly!
I cook onions and mushrooms in mine… can I throw these in the insta as well?
Yes, you can 🙂
would you add the mushrooms and onions with the meat or when you add everything else?
Love this recipe!
We use rigatoni and increased the time to 10 minutes using a 6quart instant pot. Comes out perfect Everytime!
The instant pot is truly amazing. Try corned beef and cabbage. Also do hard boiled eggs. After they cool, they peel so easy.
Hi Polly ….. would you share your CornBeef and Cabbage recipe …… many thanks!
I made this one last year for St. Patrick’s day and my husband is still raving about it.
https://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2017/03/instant-pot-corned-beef-and-cabbage.html
Polly…will you shAre your corn beef and cabbage recipe?
This is in my pressure cooker right now, I can’t wait to try it. I love spaghetti and this looked delicious.
Just made this and it is delicious! It’s a keeper. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Thanks Karen! 🙂
This is going to be my first recipe with my instant pot. When making the hamburger how do i know when it’s done? How long do I let it cook for?
You will want to cook the hamburger meat until it is no longer pink. This generally takes me 3-5 minutes or so.
Nicole, I used my 8 qt Instant Pot for the first time today. Looks like this is the perfect recipe to start off, learn the functions, etc. I did as you said, but when I opened the pot, the noodles were not soft. Not sure what I did wrong? So I set it for another 8 min, the pssta was perfect, but the very bottom was charred. Can you tell me what I could have done to not have the bottom burn? Thank you.
Linda,
Any chance you accidentally left it in Sauté mode?
I think LindaF had it on quick release I made that mistake once make sure it is on sealed. Loved this recipe tried it with ground beef log, worked just fine.
If I double the recipe in my 8 qt, does the cooking time or anything else change?
I only have a 6 quart….does same recipe apply
Hi Amy! Yes, it should work just fine in your 6 quart Instant Pot. The only thing you may need to do is reduce the water slightly. Just make sure all of the noodles are covered with liquid, and you’re good to go!
I’m new with the Insta pot got a question what about frozen hamburger can you still do that or does it have to be thawed out to make this spaghetti I’m disabled and it’s very hard for me to be able to cook every day and putting stuff in the fridge to thaw out and it goes bad it’s not something I want so be easier if I could go from frozen so is it possible with this recipe
Hi, John! I actually haven’t tried my recipe starting out with frozen meat. So, without further recipe testing, it is difficult for me to give an accurate response. My concern is that starting with frozen meat would cause you to end up with too much liquid, and I’m do think you would need to extend the cooking time as well.
If you start with frozen meat, it still needs to be cooked through, otherwise you will have a block of meat in the sauce when done.
How about trying the method and thawing your meat in your Instant pot, then doing Nicholes recipe from there? 🙂 Good luck John.
I just used frozen meat. It took a little longer to saute– but I put it on the ‘less’ saute button and within about 10 minutes it was all brown. 🙂 I have four small children and have a hard time always remembering to de-thaw things– so cooking from frozen this quick is such a life saver! Happy insta-potting!
p.s. also wanting the corned beef and cabbage recipe earlier mentioned!
Thanks for letting us know how it worked out with frozen meat, Joy! 🙂
This is in my 6 qt now. Nervous because I just saw the comment about reducing liquid. Hope it turns out well!
Tamara, it should still work out just fine! 🙂
I made this last night for supper will definitely make it again, but with less water. Was a little soup, but still delicious!
I have an instapot 6 quart; but prefer to slow cook. Would this recipe work? How long should I cook it?
A 6 quart instant pot will work fine for this recipe. However, I have not tried it using the slow cook function. Without further recipe testing, it is hard for me to give an accurate response.
Is the tomato sauce puréed tomatoes or prepared spaghetti sauce? Thanks
The recipe calls for a 24 ounce jar of prepared spaghetti sauce, and a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Hope that helps.
My girls won’t do the diced tomatoes – could I just leave them out and use more sauce? Would the water stay the same? I have an 8qt. thanks so much!!!
Carrie, I think using a can of sauce instead of the diced tomatoes would be fine. In that case, I would just add water until all of the noodles can be covered, you may not need the full amount.
Carrie have you tried using an immersion blender to chop up the chunks?
Made this tonight with gluten free penne pasta and had to leave out the tomatoes because I didn’t have any. It was DELICOUS! Thanks for much for posting this recipe!!!
Hi just wondering how long you cooked your gluten free noodles for if you had to adjust time for them? Thanks!
My noodles weren’t done. Just wondering if people used thin noodles?
My noodles weren’t done either. I turned it back on for another 3 minutes, we will see if they’re done after that.
Hi, Elizabeth & Jade! Sorry that your noodles weren’t finished. I have made this recipe several times to make sure it was the correct cooking time, and haven’t had an issue. I would say remember that it takes a couple of minutes for the Instant Pot to heat up. Maybe give it a minute or two to heat up all the way, then start timing at 8 minutes. Hopefully that helps! 🙂
I did not use thin spaghetti, just regular spaghetti and it was perfect after 8 minutes.
I used bucatini which like super long macaroni without the curves. 6 qt IP. I did approx 1/3-1/2 this recipe (used leftover sauce from earlier in the week) mine turned out real al dente but still quite edible using the 8 min timing. I left it in the pot and set it on saute until it was a little more done. Didn’t time it but as soon as it got bubbly I swiched it off and stired it every minute or so until the rest of dinner was ready.
Has anyone tried using chicken broth in place of the water? Just wondering how it would taste. It seems like adding that much water would make the spaghetti sauce bland?
Hey, Tiffany! I’ve never made this using broth, but if I was going to do that I think I’d go for beef broth. The sauce isn’t bland at all, I’d say this is because it’s all cooked together. It has great flavor 🙂
I am trying this now with the 6-quart pot and the full 36 oz of beef broth. I will let you know how it turns out…
So, it looked really watery at frst, but once it sat for a few minutes it was fine. The noodles are a littlle undercooked for the kids pallet. Not enough meat. Next time I will use 2 # ground beef. Other wise we will definitely do this again.
It is best to give it a good stir, then it won’t seem watery at all! Definitely, use more meat if that’s your preference, my family likes more of the noodles and sauce! Thanks for letting me know how you liked it 🙂
Hi Nichole! I’m planning to make this recipe this weekend but was hoping to double it. I have a 6 qt pot and was wondering if you knew what adjustments I would need to make. 72 oz of water seems like a lot if I double the recipe and I’m also thinking I might run out of room. Thanks!
Hi Christie! That’s a great question, and I actually never have doubled this recipe. I would personally get everything in the instant pot first, then just make sure you have enough water that you can push the noodles down to be completely covered. As long as the noodles are fully submerged, you should be just fine.
I am just now releasing the steam. . . I found I didn’t have enough liquid to completely cover the noodles. Maybe next time, if it’s not good tonight, I’ll put the cooked meat on top so the noodles will be more submerged?
Thoughts?
If you sub lean ground turkey would the same apply?
Yes, the recipe would stay the same
This was soooooo good. I usually follow recipes to the tee the first time, but I really wanted to do spaghetti tonight and didn’t have a single jar of spaghetti sauce, so I threw one together from one of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe recipes for quick spaghetti sauce. I worried it all was going to be a flop because I didn’t have tomato paste or sauce and just dumped in a can of tomato soup along with the other ingredients she mentioned. It was fantastic and so easy!!! I loved walking away but was a little nervous that it was going to be pastey and clumpy. I never go back for seconds on spaghetti, because it just isn’t my favorite meal, but I loaded up to the top of my stomach tonight. Thank you for a brilliant recipe. I promise to keep a jar of sauce on hand at all times from here on out!
Has anyone tried this with fully cooked meatballs? Would the cooking time be the same? Also, the way to get ‘perfect’ cooked noodles is to make sure there’s enough water to cover them; mine have been a bit undercooked a couple of times? I’m terrible at preparing meals the traditional way, so I got the Instant Pot because I hoped it would help me be less terrible. Thanks for any help!!
This was great! I made it as directed and found my noodles weren’t quite done after 8 minutes of cooking. I added another half jar of sauce because my family loves a lot of sauce and set it for 3 more minutes. Then it was perfect! The beef was so tender in the sauce and I used 93% lean. I consider myself a fairly good cook and spaghetti is normally an easy meal. This will now be my new way of making spaghetti. Clean up was so stinking easy!
Is ist safe to double spaghetti recipe
in 8 qt Instapot? Also like to add 14 oz
Can of mushrooms.. should I alter any
other ingredient/water?
Hi, Jocelyn! I haven’t attempted to double this recipe in my 8qt instant pot, so I would say use your best judgment. I believe it would all fit, but it’s hard for me to say without further recipe testing. You can add the mushrooms without any other alterations.
Thanks! Do you drain diced tomatoes?
No need to drain them 🙂
Hi! Came out scrumptious!!
I did sauté a chopped up onion & added the mushrooms last minute or two of sauté. Definitely unglaze/deglaze pot after sauté & before starting next step! Not sure enough space for doubling recipe. Extremely happy with my 8 qt Instapot!!
Just got it a few days ago & have made 2 roasts with veggies, hard boiled eggs & this spaghetti!!
Instapot customer service absolutely kills it!! I’ve called 5 times or so & they’re excellent help!
Everything turns out wonderful!
Love the One Pot!! Btw, I’ll be 83 in Jan.. Thanks again, Jocelyn
Jocelyn, the mushrooms sounds amazing I’m going to add some next time for sure! Thank you so much for coming back by and letting me know you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I just finished making this dish. It was wonderful. I am new to the installation pot and this is just the third time I have used it. It will be a favorite because I love pastas, thank you!
This is a really good recipe. I do slot of potlucks and this will be a favorite!
That made A LOT. There is only the 2 of us. The flavor was great. I just lost a lot of sauce as it cooled. No problem tho, I’ll just add more sauce when I reheat it. I have some tweeks I’ll do next time. But maybe you can help me with it turning out and staying saucy.
Turned out great! It’s like day-old spaghetti (which I love) because it infuses the flavors!
I made this again with a much better quality Jarred sauce. I did not have diced tomatoes so I left them out. I added beef Better Than Bouillon to the water. I sauteed cut up Italian sausage links and onions in the pot. Pressure cooked everything 8 minutes and a partial natural pressure release because I was hungry and couldn’t wait.
When you first open the pot it is like soup but as it sits the liquid is absorbed by the pasta.
Thank you for posting this recipe. It is now my new go to quick meal.
THANKS so much for posting this! I’ve made it once and what a success, my hubby loved it. I am making it again as I post! ♥♥🎋🎋😙
Thanks, Rhonda! 🙂
I just made this in the 6-quart with no changes. I didn’t read that the noodles needed to be submerged until it was already cooking and it turned out just fine anyway!
Do you think you can freeze the leftovers? Made it and it was delicious.
Easy and yummy!! I used 1lb meat, 12oz bag of noodles, 1 1/2 jars of Ragu, and 1 1/2 jar or water -did 8 minuets on high. Stirred up the Noodles -needed just a few more minutes. I put to sauté as suggested by others and stirred for about another 1-2 minuets and voila!!! Big hit!!!
That was yummy! I didn’t have fish sauce but included everything else. Next time I think I will include 3 dashes of wine. Thank you for the recipe!
Fish sauce? I didn’t notice that in the ingredients. Is this a typo?
There is no fish sauce in this recipe.
The recipe doesnt call for fish sauce. However fish sauce, which is basicly salty anchovy sauce, adds great depth of flavor to any tomato based sauce. (Chefs often concider this a secret ingredient) Could also use anchovy paste. You just have to keep an eye on the saltiness of the dish. I usually add the anchovy (whatever form) to the sauce first, then adjust the salt accordingly.
Thanks for the recipe!! I am a new IP owner and had fun trying this, although I failed a little bit.. I used linguine noodles because I ran out of spaghetti, and a lot of the pasta stuck together and didn’t cook properly, even though I mixed the sauce and water into the noodles before cooking. I notice the sauce tasted a little different from when I make it on the stovetop and realized your recipe is a little different from mine – I sauté tomato paste with meat and onions and add honey and cayenne at the end 🙂
Thank you for sharing. I used this recipe the other night….OMG it was really good. All 6 of us really liked how it turned out…Yummy and so Quick and EASY!!! Highly recommend.
5 Stars from me 🙂
Thanks so much, Tasha! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this! Got an IP for Christmas. This will be my first recipe. Do I seal the pot to sauté the neat?
Woohoo, best Christmas gift ever! No need to close the pot while the meat cooks. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I have 10 people in my house and the 8 qt instant pot. Is the 8 qt big enough to double this recipe?
My husband prefers angel hair pasta. Would I reduce the cooking time?
Hi, Sheri! I’d say the cooking time should be the same.
I just bought the 3qt model. Would all measurements be the same if I wanted to follow your recipe? It looks delicious!
I have the same question. Did you try out the recipe?
Made this tonight and it was a hit!! Noodles came out perfect! I did add in half a bag of frozen meatballs after the ground beef was sautéed but followed everything else to a T….. It was so good….Thank You!
Wow…how easy & delicious is that!! It was my 2nd trial with my new fancy pot (very similar to IP) I had to make some substitutions…I didn’t have thawed ground beef, so I used a 14 oz. bag of frozen meatballs. Also, I used a 12 oz. box of GF pasta, and added some beef base to the water. I sautéed some onion and garlic at the beginning. At first, it seemed too liquid, but I found that as it sat for just a bit, it began thickening up. If I had had some parmesan cheese on hand, I would have added some for thickening. In the end, it was great, and I received a thumbs up from my gang 🙂
I made this tonight but used a different brand of pressure cooker. It was my first time using a pressure cooker. It turned out pretty good, but there were some clumps of pasta that had stuck together; does this mean more cook time, less cook time, more water? Other than that it was great!!!
Hey! As long as your noodles were completely submerged in liquid you should have been just fine on water. Sometimes it helps to kind of “criss cross” the pasta when adding it to your pressure cooker, that should keep it from clumping 🙂
I cookes this tonight but it was soupy and my noodles were sticky and cluumpy, what did i do wrong?
Stacie, did you try criss crossing the pasta when you added it to the pot? It shouldn’t be soupy at all, especially if you give it a few good stirs after cooking.
What about adding meatballs, should I cook them first also with the hamburger?
Here I am eating my spaghetti not long after I asked the question about meatballs. I browned the hamburger, while it was draining in the colander I added meatballs to pot. Once the meatballs were browned I added the hamburger back in and followed the recipe. I did add less water as was suggested and I added the water and spaghetti sauce together stirred it well then added to pot. My husband loves it and said I could make it this way from now on. If the husband is happy, I am happy.
How much “less” water did you use?
I don’t have any meat on hand, will the directions still work if I just use spaghetti sauce, noodles, and the spices?
Yes, that should work fine 🙂
Bravo on this! Couple of thoughts. I let the cooking linger an extra minute before I hit quick release because I like soft pasta. Don’t know if that made a big difference but I liked the results. I think it’s important to use regular spaghetti. Linguini and other pasta with flat surfaces have a tendency to stick to one another. I crisscrossed the pasta as suggested and even then I had some sticking but with vigorous stirring it became unstuck. The liquid was just about perfect for me. A little watery but with stirring excellent consistency. Your spice portions we just about perfect. Used a box of Barilla that was 16 oz and that too worked well. One lb. of 93% ground beef. I can see where others might like more but I’ll stick with just 1 pound.Anyways thanks for the delicious recipe. My first attempt at pasta in an IP and it worked out very well.
Great recipe, turned out perfect, delicious.
Thank you
I cooked this recipe tonight and it turned out perfect. Thank you!
I made this recipe tonight and it turned out perfect. Thank you!
I just made this, fantastic. 10min was the sweet spot for my noodles, I added a good amount of crushed red pepper, sauted the meat in the juice from canned tomatoes to get it cooked to a fine consistency and topped with freshly grated parmesan! So yum!! Thank you 🙂
I made this tonite and it was indeed very good! Like some others posted, there was a bit of noodles that were stuck together and not cooked all the way. I have a 6qt IP and think it also may be a timing thing..to allow a few minutes of warm up. Turned out great for first time and picky eater kids. Thanks!
This is by far the best spaghetti I have made! Fabulous recipe, cooked perfectly usingwhole grain thin wheat spaghetti noodles. I bought the Instant pot because I love full time in a RV and wanted alternate cooking methods other than propane. I have been delighted with the versatility of this pot and find that this and my convection oven are my 99 percent cooking method. Thank you for a FAB recipe.
Made this tonight. We have a 3qt Instant Pot, I cut the recipe in half and made with elbow noodles, because that is what we had on hand. It was so good…whole family loved it.
Love this way of doing spaghetti. My noodles stuck together and to bottom of pan, but probably because I did without meat. Will try sauteing a bit of onions and oil first next time and see how that does. So much easier than boiling, draining, etc… and the end result was better. Now to refine a bit for me 🙂
I just tried this recipe in my new instant pot. I added some bell peppers and onions and followed the recipe to the letter except for that. It was delicious
Thank you for sharing i fo not have the Instant cooker YET but I definitely intend to purchase and make this dish , it is awesomely quick sothing I need having a daughter in middle school Band we stay busy!
Cali
I don’t have an instant pot & don’t know much about them but I’d like to try this in my pressure cooker. Sounds like that is the function you are using. Do you think that might work? Now I just need to get into the kitchen & wash all the dishes from the spaghetti I made last night. :/
I might be missing something as I’m brand new to my instant pot.. but how long do I set it to saute the ground beef?
You don’t need to set it for a time to saute the beef. Simply turn on the saute function, then turn it off once the beef is cooked through.
I just got the Instant Pot for Christmas, and this was my first meal. I made a couple of modifications, simply due to what I had on hand – shredded chicken instead of ground beef, penne pasta, no diced tomatoes (added a bit of extra water to compensate for the lack of the diced tomatoes). Due to other comments of undercooked pasta, and that penne is a bit thricker, set it for 10 minutes. PERFECTION! This was great, a hit with the family, and so easy. Very good initiation to my new toy. Thank you!
Just got an Instant Pot for Christmas. Thought I would try spaghetti for my first meal. Your recipe sounds very good. There are just 2 of us so 1 pound of spaghetti noodles would be way too much. If I use 1/2 pound of noodles, what else would I adjust?
Hi! If you half the noodles, I would half the rest of the recipe as well. 🙂
This was my question too! Would you also halve the amount of water?
I made it a few weeks ago and loved it. Just need to cut the amount down!
I’m thinking of making this tonight but wanted to make it “million dollar” style. Do you think I’d have to add any time or reduce water if I add the cream cheese and cottage cheese mixture?! I’m so excited to give it a whirl! Thanks in advance!
Hi there! I’ve never tried making this million dollar style in my instant pot, so without further recipe testing it’s hard for me to give an accurate answer. Sorry! I would, however, think that you’d want to decrease the amount of water when adding the cream cheese and cottage cheese so that the spaghetti doesn’t end up soupy. If you try it out, let us know how it goes 🙂
Turned out perfectly!
This was my very first meal in my Instant Pot! The flavor is good, but I think maybe more garlic would have better. The noodles taste so good! I think because they are being cooked in spaghetti sauce & water, rather than just water. The only thing I didn’t like was the amount of noodles. WAY too many for just a pound of meat. (but, that could just be the way my family likes it). I also recommend emptying it out into a large bowl and serving it that way (rather than from the IP) because although I thought I got the meat & sauce mixed in well… there was a LOT on the bottom when I went to put away leftovers.
I will definitely make this again (but will just use half of the dry spaghetti)
Very yummy, and super easy!! 🙂
As I sauteed the venison ground beef I used fresh crushed garlic and diced onion.
Can you double the amount of spaghetti sauce ?
If I don’t use the diced tomatoes, Do I add more liquid? like more sauce?
I would add an equivalent amount more sauce, yes.
Anyone ever add mushrooms or other veggies???
Is this time for cooking the meat mai lunch?! We do not eat meat but still make spaghetti.
Would I use the same time for not meat?!
Thank you!
I would go ahead and use the same amount of time to ensure the noodles are properly cooked.
Just made this tonight using the same ingredients you used in the 8 qt pot and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Dumping jarred sauce over pasta is not a recipe…annoyed!
Hi, Jamie! You most certainly don’t have to make my spaghetti recipe if you don’t like it. Thanks for stopping by!
Really Jamie? These are Instant Pot recipes, not grow and pick your own tomatoes and simmer your sauce all day recipes! Move along!
My very first meal in my new pot. Used gluten free rotini and discovered just before that I was out of canned tomatoes so used some tomato soup instead along with the jar of sauce. Used about 1/2 cup less water due to being a 6qt and it all came out perfect. Pasta was soft but not mushy, just right! Thanks for posting the recipe.
Thanks, Brenda! So glad to know you liked the recipe, and great to know that it works well with gluten free pasta as well! 🙂
Hi! Do you have any suggestions if I were to cut this recipe in half?
I made this last night and it was delicious! A few tips … yes it does look watery at first but just stir real good and once you put on your plate it looks like the recipe picture. Also when you put in the spaghetti kinda swirl the raw noodles. Don’t just clump them in or they will stick together once cooking time is done. If the noodles are too firm you can put on the saute feature for a few mins until cooked. Great recipe I will be making this often!!!
Happy New Year! I don’t have an IP but I do have a pressure cooker. I’d love to try this in my pressure cooker. Is there any reason why it might not work? I’m not familiar with IP’s and what the difference might be between the IP pressure cooker function and a traditional pressure cooker. Thanks for any info you might have.
Is the cook time 8 minutes after it has reached pressure?
YEs that is what I did and it turned out great. Put 8 mins on the timer and once it reaches pressure the timer will start.
Just made this and it is FABULOUS! My hubby just retired from the fire dept and they’d always go eat at this little Italian restaurant. He’s missed it. He said this is just about as good!! I added mushrooms when it was done cooking
We tried this tonight with frozen meatballs instead of the ground beef and loved it. My wife got one of these for Christmas, and I’ve been impressed with how easy it is to use. I was a bit skeptical of putting sauce and uncooked noodles in a pot, but everything turned out great.
I just recently got an Instant Pot for a Christmas gift and today was my first time using it and we made this dish. My husband and I both really loved this recipe and it was so easy to put together, we will be for sure making it again in the future! Thanks! 🙂
I just got my instapot delivered this afternoon and this was my first recipe. Based upon the comments and the fact that I’m snowed in, I modified it a bit. I (mostly) thawed out 1 lb. of ground turkey, followed the recipe to brown the meat with the recommended accompaniments and also added some fresh diced onion and 1 clove garlic. After browning there was quite a bit of water in the pot so I drained and placed the meat back in. I used gluten free pasta and since one box is only 12 ounces I broke open another box, i probably had about 18 ounces total all broken apart.
I broke it apart on a plate and then placed it over the meat. I pushed it down and added 2 jars (24 ounces each) of tomato sauce and omitted the diced tomatoes. I used the recommended 36 ounces of water and pushed the pasta down some more until everything was covered. I cooked for one minute longer than recommended (9 min.) since I had so much sauce. When it was done I carefully released the vent and waited a bit and after a few minutes opened up the pot. I stirred and found everything looked good. I fed a bunch of teenage boys and they raved over it! Great first recipe for my instapot. Thanks!!
I have a new 6 qt. Instant Pot and tried this as my first recipe. It turned out perfect! The only thing is that set for 8 minutes on manual it seemed longer than 8 min for the “countdown” before it beeped, then awhile for the steam to subside after quick release. This made a ton of food but was a big hit with everyone. Thanks for the recipe!
I just got another brand of electronic pressure cooker. I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds great and has gotten great reviews.
I’m wanting to double your recipe. I have the 10 quart IP. Im wondering about the timing? Do you have any idea how much more time, if any, I should add to the 8 minutes?
Does all of that water not make it very watery?
The spaghetti was delicious. I will definitely be making it again. I think I’ll add 1/2 -1 teaspoon of salt to the water. I may try different noodles next time, maybe like rotini or bow tie.
Made this tonight, what a hit! So good and so easy. Thanks for sharing.
Just made it for lunch for the kids and it turned out superb!!
This was the very first recipe I tried with my new Instant Pot, and it was so good! And super easy, even for a true Instant Pot beginner (that thing can be a little intimidating).
First of all, thank you for sharing this awesome recipe. 😀
I still consider myself a newbie to the IP scene, but I think I learned a lot today using your recipe.
You have a lot of great reviews on this post with some awesome suggestions/add-ins. I took a little of something from a few of your reviews and my spaghetti came out awesome!
Your seasoning was on point! I added a little extra of everything bc I like to have leftovers.
In my 6qt IP, I sauteed a small chopped onion and a little over 1 cup of mushrooms in 1tsp of Ghee, then set aside. (I was sure to deglaze the pot with a little beef broth before adding the meat.) After browning 1.5 lbs meat, I added the sauteed onion and mushrooms and stirred well. I crisscrossed the pasta just like you said. (I used 1.5lb of pasta) Then added 1.5 jar of sauce. Then I used beef broth to cover the noodles. I was right at the max line!
I set it to manual for 12 minutes thinking I needed the extra time for all the extra stuff. My pasta was a little softer than I usually make it, but let me tell you – IT WAS STILL DELICIOUS!
I should have stuck with 8-10 minutes on the cook time. I’m sure it would have been perfect.
I will never make spaghetti the old way again.
Thank you!
Is it normal for it to take a long time to
Come to pressure? I was worried it would overlook with how long it took.
I made this tonight, and the whole family loved it. I sauteed onions and garlic with the ground beef and only added 1 jar of water and cooked it at 9 mins. Came out great. I have the 8 qt IP. Thank you for the recipe. Bookmarked for next time.
I followed the recipe, other than subbing veggies for the ground meat. It worked beautifully in my 3 quart duo mini
This was delicious. Definitely a winner recipe!
Hi! Making this right now. Can I leave it in keep warm or not? Will it get mushy???
I got the burn notice and could not move forward with cooking I have the ultra Instant pot?
I made this to a T tonight with a 6 qt instant pot and it turned out amazing! Seriously though: don’t be alarmed when you open the lid!! It looked so watery I thought for sure it was ruined. Stir the spaghetti for 1-2 minutes, then LET IT REST FOR 10 MINUTES. Set a timer, come back, give it a stir and it will Be perfect consistency and still very warm! Pair it with garlic toast. Yum 🙂
Lol!!! That was me when I opened it!!!! 😨
But yes, stirring and setting is good and it was awesome. 😁
Alright!!! Finally grew a pair and did it. I used ground turkey instead of beef, so it only took like an extra couple minutes of cooking. Pasta came out great, no sticking. I just added a bit more on the salt and seasoning because that’s just my taste. Glad I did it, not I’ll have less nerves to try these recepies. 😁
I’ve been cooking for 34 years and this is one of the tastiest spaghetti dishes I’ve ever made. It was easy to make and the result is excellent. Third time I’ve used the Instant Pot! Thanks!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi! This recipe looks great and easy for my first time using my instant Pot. I do have a question and it may be a silly one but could I possibly use tomato juice rather than water? Did the water take any of the flavor away? I don’t mean any disrespect, your recipe looks delicious!! Thanks!!!
Hi! I personally don’t think the water takes any of the flavor away. I do know some people have added more spices based on preference. You could definitely try using tomato juice instead, or even half tomato juice and half water. 🙂
Hi Nichole,
I am planning on trying out your recipe tomorrow, but I always add a lot of veggies (mushroom, squash, zucchini, bell peppers, etc…) to my spaghetti, so how would you adjust for the extra veggies? Thanks!
Adding extra veggies should be just fine! 🙂
This recipe works very well and makes delicious spagetti. The one thing i found was that after it cools, the spagetti tends to get dry. (Because the noodles continue to absorb moisture.) So if you dont eat it all in one setting, you may need to add a can of tomato sauce to the leftovers before packaging it up to keep it saucey/creamy.
I wonder if adding some olive oil to the sauce would help prevent clumping? Also adds some good flavor. I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Looks great! Thanks.
this sounds great. i dont know what size and or brand to buy. any suggestions? also can i use the slow cooker type baking bags in this product. easy cleanup.
I think I did something wrong 8-( The taste was great but the noodles were mush. I ended up not liking it overall because I am an al dente girl. Any suggestions?
Note: The tip to criss cross the spaghetti was great! My advice: Have your 5 yo do it like I did. He did a great job and no clumps!
First insta pot attempt. I used ground sausage instead of beef. Worked Fantastic. Made a good size batch for me and the four kids. Will be using this recipe often, maybe eventually with homemade meatballs. Thanks 😊
I have made this twice now. The first time my noodles stuck a bit but it was still great. This time I really mixed up the noodles but then they weren’t covered with liquid so I added more water. I had to add two cans of tomato paste when it was done but we liked it better this way. My girls ages 14 and 11 say it is better than traditional spaghetti.
this recipe was very good. After making exactly per the recipe, and tasting at at the end of eight minutes, I added more spices and then added red pepper flakes since I wanted it a But spicy with some more flavor. I also only had linguine on hand so I added two minutes to the cooking time. After letting the steam release I noticed the pasta was not completely Al Dente so I reset for another minute and let it sit for another two or three after I Did a quick release again. I am in Denver so adding a few minutes to any recipe Is a definite must. Overall great meal for something that you need made quickly.
This recipe is amazing! So easy all 4 of my kids loved it! Thank you so much for posting!!
This was SO tasty. I used ground turkey and followed the recipe exactly aside from adding in the tomatoes, I don’t love tomatoes (but love spaghetti- weird, right?) and it still turned out PERFECT. I used a 6 qt 🙂 the noodles were perfect and if you mix it well the liquid all stirs in just perfectly. Thank you!
Do I need to alter cooking time if I am using angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti noodles?
Wondering if anyone has used gluten free noodles in this recipe? Curious about cooking time. I know flavor is just fine. Thanks!
We have made this twice and love how easy it is, this is truly a one pot meal!! Thank you for this!!
Quick question on the end to end cook time. It takes more than 8 minutes for us, I feel that it takes 8 minutes for the pressure to build then it needs to release. Is that about right? What’s the true end to end cooking time? Perhaps we are something wrong? I’m only asking this because my kids start smelling the spaghetti and cannot wait for it so I have to listen “I’m so hungry, when will it be ready” non-stop for 15 or so minutes lol
Can I use other types of pasta? Like elbow macaroni, bows or rotini? I know they are a bit denser than regular spaghetti, so not sure… THANKS!
Yes, you sure can! 🙂
What about doubling the recipe in a 8 quart IP? Time difference?
Is it 8 minutes for gluten free pasta too? Like Barrilla’s GF spaghetti noodles?
I use this recipe eveey time I make spaghetti in my IP. It is also the only one I recommend. Delicious!
I made this for my first ever instant pot attempt! But it came out a little mushy… good but mushy. Did I do something wrong? Or is there an adjustment I can make?
I’m sorry the noodles turned out mushy for you. I haven’t had that happen with this recipe. I’d say you could reduce the cooking time by one minute next time and see if that helps. Your noodles should come out a little more al dente that way. 🙂
mine did too! I’ve been waiting for someone to offer an adjustment. ill try to reduce by 1 min and see
Reducing cook time by one minute helps. I’ll also offer up to make sure to do a quick release and turn off the warm setting if it automatically sets to that after cooking. I do 8 minutes, quick release, turn the pot off, stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. Also, I tried angel hair spaghetti once and it was super mushy. I stick to regular now 🙂
Thank you!
This is my first time I’ve ever commented on a recipe but I wanted to thank you for posting this. My husband and I LOVED this spaghetti dish. I don’t cook a lot (my husband does most of it) but I got an Instant Pot for Christmas so I’ve been trying out a few recipes and this one was very easy and so good!
Awesome! What a great Christmas gift! I’m so glad that you’re enjoying your new Instant Pot and the spaghetti. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
About how long does this take to come to pressure? Thanks!
This is so good! I’ve been trying a lot of spaghetti sauce and pasta recipes for my new electric pressure cooker and this is by far the best. Sometimes I use the jarred sauce but mostly I use a can of crushed tomatoes and add extra spices. I add veggies too sometimes – bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and black olives are my family’s favorites. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
I know this is an old thread but I just found this recipe. I would like to recommend it to senior citizens (like us) who would love a spaghetti dinner without all the pots to wash. I make this using the “pot in the (Instant) pot”. I use this recipe as a template, using about 1/3 of the ingredients, and have made it with beef, pork, sausages, left over chicken, or whatever meat I have around. I use my own canned Italian tomato sauce, sometimes I add the diced tomatoes, sometimes not, roasted red peppers are a good addition if you are starting with chicken or Italian sausage. As above, olives, mushrooms, onions sautéed with the meat. Crisscross the pasta, use whatever shape pasta we are in the mood for. I have never had it over-cooked at 8 minutes. If the pasta isn’t quite done, I give it another 4-8 minutes, sip a glass of wine or have some salad. The combinations are endless so if you want an easy pasta dinner, this is a winner recipe in our house.
I adore this recipe. It was the first one I made in my Instant Pot and have made it my own by adding more spices, meat, and garlic. I always recommend it to people who ask what should they make for their first meal.
Tonight I’m making it with fusilli (corkscrew pasta) and was wondering if I should increase the water and/or time. I should have asked earlier, since it’s dinnertime!
Just made this as my first instant pot meal. Followed the directions exactly! Used store brand sauce, it cooked a little longer since my toddler pressed some buttons about 13 minutes I think and let it set for 5 minutes before serving and it is better than what I usually make!!!
I doubled the recipe using 1lb lean ground beef and precooked frozen meatballs. I also added a chopped green bell pepper.
Even using the 8qt. Instant Pot it was really filled up to the 2/3 fill line so I left out one can of diced tomatoes and the meatballs till after it was done cooking. The spaghetti was completely done, though a little too much liquid. I left it on high on slow cooker mode for 30 minutes and it was wonderful.
It took quite a long time for the pressure to build before counting down and about 4 minutes for the steam to quick release.
Thanks for the recipe. This worked really well. I was a bit apprehensive about the amount of water and thought the pasta might turn out watery but it did not. Tasted delicious too.
Got home and only had frozen pre-browned hb meat, so I decided to give this recipe a try 🙂 I used gluten free spaghetti noodles and it still turned out great! Since I was using frozen meat and gf noodles, I cooked for 11 minutes; I have an 8 qt IP.
Rave raving good. I must have shared this recipe today with all my friends I can think of that have IP. I used a lean ground beef /pork blend, still so good, Only thing I did different than the recipe is used spaghettini noodles. A little skinnier than spaghetti. I also increased the time to 10 minutes because my husband can’t eat eldente (sp?). This was by far the easiest and most favourite dish I’ve made so far. I especially like it’s just spices in with the meat sauté and not cutting and chopping. Although I know that we can easily add onions and peppers, but if you pick a good pasta sauce there is no need for that extra work. Everything was done perfect. I don’t know how, or why this works. And my fav part is also that it’s quick release. Really …with pasta? But yup. It worked. Means we could dig right in once the timer finished cooking! Ps … I have a 6 quart and it was perfect!
Just got an instapot yesterday and this was my first meal made in it tonight. It was awesome. Thanks so much.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I don’t really have a useable kitchen at the moment, so making a one pot meal with the Instant Pot was a Godsend! I used Rigatoni instead of Spaghetti but followed the recipe directions and it turned out great. The pasta was tender, not chewy or clumpy. My only issue is that the sauce was bland, however, I don’t know if I used some low sodium canned tomatoes or something by accident. I used enough salt, and added some tomato paste too, but it was a brand I’ve not used before so it also may have needed more salt. But, other pastas work for this recipe which is awesome! I will make this again for sure!
Looking forward to making this! Can we substitute penne pasta for the spaghetti noodles? Would we need to change anything like add more liquid and/or cook time?
Thank you!
Hi! I would love to try this recipe with another shape of pasta, short, like a penne, spiral or elbows, have anyone tried that? How long would be the cooking time? One pot recipe is definitely my favorite! Thanks for sharing!
I did all of this last week with rigatoni pasta and ooh la la ! So good. An amazing add is Sesame Seed oil oh man the flavor is awesome. I just add 1 Qt. of water with all that sauce. It was still wet until it was left overs and then it all was absorbed in the pasta.
Do you cook it longer if your using penne noodles ?
Thank you for a great recipe, followed it to the tee, using thin spaghetti, in a 6qt. IP.
Next time I need to half the recipe, this was way too much for just my husband & me, and
he doesn’t like leftovers. Would the time still remain the same? thanks again!
I make this so often! I love how the noodles soak in the sauce for a very flavorful spaghetti. I increase the time to 10 minutes, because every time I’ve tried it with 8 mins, the noodles are always quite a bit under done. Instead of adding tomatoes I add 1 and 3/4 jars of sauce, and when it’s done I add the remaining sauce to help thicken it up! It never fails to please everyone 🙂
This was a hit for both spouse and I! Sauteed onions and 1 clove garlic with the hamburger and spices. Used 1/2 tsp rosemary and 1/4 tsp for these; garlic & onion powder, basil, oregano, marjoram, Italian seasoning, thyme, After draining grease put a layer of fresh mushrooms and sliced 1 small zucchini about 1/8 inch thick. Then drizzled 2 tsp sesame oil over top. Used Protein plus noodles 1/2 of a 14 oz box criss crossing. Poured the spaghetti sauce over. Then diced no added salt tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano. Reduced liquid to 1 can 1/2 reduced sodium tomato juice, no sodium beef powder base for 1/2 can water. Before pouring this over sprinkled lightly with black & crushed red peppers and sea salt. Haven’t figured out if my pc has a manual setting used pressure cooker high setting for 8 minutes, quick released pressure after stopping it and let it sit while cooking garlic bread for 8 minutes. Was hands down the best spaghetti ever had!
Rao’s homemade jar sauces are the best. I used Arrabbiata for my spaghetti because it has a spicy kick to it. Substituted chili ready diced tomatoes with onions since it was what I grabbed first. I love the great value pot perfect pasta because it’s already halved. I used angel hair pasta and it turned out lovely! I popped in a couple of garlic cubes and a basil cube for some extra flavor. I’m all about easy peasy!! Thanks for the recipe! I’m going to try chicken spaghetti next time!
Ok just made it tonight and I have a 6 quart pot. It was way too soupy. I am having to cook a little longer to get rid of the excess water.