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!
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. If you're craving more pasta, try out our Stuffed Shells too!
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! Check out our video for this recipe below!
~Nichole
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Instant Pot Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef, OR ITALIAN SAUSAGE
- ½ Teaspoon EACH Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning, OR MORE TO TASTE
- 1 Pound Spaghetti Noodles
- 1 (24 Ounce) Jar Spaghetti Sauce
- 36 Ounces Water, 1 ½ Jars
- 1 (14.5 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes, OR TOMATO SAUCE
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: I use the 8 quart Instant Pot which you can find by clicking the link (affiliate) below.
**This post may contain affiliate links, all opinions stated here are my own**
Great recipe and this is the only way I make spaghetti now. Yours is my go to recipe. Goodbye colander!
This is my go-to IP spaghetti recipe. So easy, and in my 6qt I make more than enough for four with tasty leftovers! I have tweaked it a bit since the first as-written trial, but that's something anyone can do very easily. I like to use beef bullion and red wine mix instead of water, add minced garlic, bump up the dry seasonings, and occasionally add pepper flakes and sausage instead of burger. Some have mentioned that it's not salty enough, but I always worry about adding too much, and Parmesan cheese added to it before serving often takes away the need for more salt in the recipe. I would echo what others have said about the need to make sure the pasta is fully covered with liquid, stirring it after cooking and letting it sit a bit to absorb the liquid. This is very flavorful and easy enough for beginners too. Love it!
I love this recipe. Works great with gluten free pasta. I often add fresh roughly chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms. No need to saute first. I also like to use frozen fully cooked meatballs or chicken sausage, again no need brown or saute. This is the only way I make spaghetti any more!
So far so good, I just set it to cook...I have the 6 q and thought it looked awful full but I made it work!
Aubrey- Gluten- free is new for me, I’ve made this numerous times with regular pasta and I was nervous as I’m doing this for a potluck today. Great feedback! Now I’ll be able to eat it too!
I would need to make adjustments because it was too water when done. The taste was good. Thw cleanup was easy. I probably would only do half of a box of spaghetti.
We’re redoing our kitchen so my stove is currently out of order. Found this recipe and gave it a go. It turned out awesome! Thanks! (I used Morning star crumbles for any vegetarians that might wonder of it will work)
I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper to this, used a marinara sauce and tomato sauce. After the 8 minutes I used a fork to separate clumped spaghetti strands and cooked on manual extra 2 minutes. I LOVED IT AND KIDS ENJOYED THIS VERY MUCH!
This has become my go-to recipe for spaghetti! I do tweak it a little to suit my personal taste. Extra seasoning and I add chopped onion and fresh minced garlic. I also replace half the water with beef broth. Perfect every time. Quick and easy. This is a keeper!
The first time I tried this (years ago now) I got the burn error! It was still edible but I wasn’t motivated to try again until last night when I really wanted a one-pot meal and clean up.
The trick is to have a good tasty spaghetti sauce and don’t be shy with the amount of liquids. My pasta was completely covered with cooking liquids (I was a bit skeptical) but went along with it and it turned out great. It will be watery when you open the lid but give it a stir and let it sit for a few minutes (it’s burning hot). Everyone loved this meal - me, my husband and my kids - a very rare occurrence with my cooking btw.
Someone told me about this recipe years ago. Due to a broken dishwasher and the need for a one-pot meal, I finally tried it. It was fantastic! Based on some of the comments here, I doubled the salt and garlic powder and added some chili flakes. I used Rao's sauce, so I figured it didn't need more seasoning than that. (I didn't use the onion powder or Italian seasoning.) I used thin spaghetti at 6 minutes pressure, then let it set up for a few minutes. So good! I loved it, my kids loved it, and my husband loved it. That doesn't happen too often. I'll be making this again.
Can you double this recipe in an 8 qt IP? How does that effect the time?
I picked this recipe since it had so many wonderful reviews but it just seems bland to me. I'm not good at cooking should I start at doubling or tripling the spices and then try it?
Hi! Yes, if it's bland to your taste, go ahead and double the spices 🙂
Love this recipe, and so fast!
This was the first thing I ever cooked in my instant pot & still love this recipe. It works well with deer meat instead of hamburger too. It’s a classic!! I throw in a few more spices or whatever I may have going on in the fridge, but always tasty.
I’ve made this several times and the only thing I would change about it is the amount of salt. Tonight I put 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in it and it still was not salty enough. Very bland. Next time I’ll try two teaspoons.
I love this recipe! I’ve been making it for years. Make sure you scrape the bottom of your pot after browning the meat and do not mix ingredients just place in layers and make sure liquids are covering the noodles. It’ll come out perfect every time! Thanks for sharing!!
This is my go to spaghetti recipe. It’s quick and delicious and makes the best leftovers for lunch the next day!!
This has been my go-to spaghetti recipe ever since I got the instant pot. It never fails, and it is the easiest clean up! Thank you!
This is a recipe the whole family loves and we have made it dozens of times. Thanks for a recipe that is quick and delicious. One adjustment I have made is to add the herbs and spices after draining the meat. I don’t want to lose any of that yummy Italian seasoning in the draining process.
I absolutely love this recipe! So easy I can make it when I am sick or really exhausted! I do add 1 minute to cook time or leave lid on an extra minute before opening. Delicious! I love cooking with my Instant Pots! I have a 6qt and an 8qt. I use the 6qt more. I use a 6 qt for this recipe. Thanks so much!
This was the very first ever recipe that I made when I got my IP about 4 years ago! This is my 18 y/o daughters absolute favorite dish. It’s a regular in our dinner rotation.