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.
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
Ingredients
- 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
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.
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**
I did this in a 3qt Instant pot. Really good!!!
I use 1 package (7 oz/200 gr) thin spaghetti, 1 jar (24oz) spaghetti sauce, 1 jar (24 oz) water. When it is done cooking I add 2 cans (5.5 oz) of tuna, 2-3 tbs caper, and ample amount of crushed red pepper. It came out saucy and enough for about 3 light dinner (a soup bowl) and 3 mini breakfast (in 8oz mason jars).
How long did you set it to cook for? The 8 minutes as the original recipe says or did you use a shorter cook time? I would think thinner noodles need less time. Please let me know.
I used 7 for vermicelli which was a bit too much al dente for my taste. After a good stir I set the lid on top to capture residual steam for about 2-3 minutes… perfect!
When it says to use 36oz of water, do it! I thought it seemed like too much and only put in 24 oz. and it was too thick.
This was the first of your recipes I tried and it was tasty. However, the sauce did seem to come out a bit thin for my personal preference. Also, my wife has issues with meat sauces and wanted me to try some slight changes. We have a spaghetti recipe we both love now, but it would not have been possible without the inspiration from yours.
I still follow your basic ingredients with the following changes. We do not use any ground beef. I saute Italian sausage in the pot just to get a good sear on the outside. I then remove them and cut them in to about half inch wide pieces. After deglazing the pot with a small amount of water, I add a bag of frozen meatballs to the pot and return the sausage to the pot. Instead of using 1 jar of sauce and a jar and a half of water, I use 2 full jars of sauce and about 3/4 of a jar of water that I get by rinsing out one jar then pouring it into the second to rinse it too.
Thanks for giving us the inspiration for one of our favorite instant pot meals. I would really love to see more instant pot recipes since every one of yours we have tried has been a success.
I”m not sure what happened. I made this but an Instant Pot spaghetti recipe I had used before only used two cups of water, so I just put in two. After sauteeing the meat, I put the pot on pressure and chose 7 minutes. I did forget to close the steam valve until about a minute after starting the pressure. The time never came and then I got a burn notice. I de-pressurized the pot and opened it. The spaghetti was totally cooked, and tasty, but there was one burned spot on the bottom. Is it because I didn’t close the steam valve before starting it? Or did I not use enough water?
Trying to make but it won’t build up steam. I cook the meant on saute; cut it off and let stand. Than put rest of ingredients and all it does is boil and stick to the bottom. What am I doing wrong?
Did you make sure you set it to sealed and add enough water, I made that mistake and burned the bottom
Really good. I didn’t have spaghetti noodles so i used penne. Cooked in 6 qt IP for 9 minutes as penne is more sturdy than spaghetti. As it’s my family’s preference, I did add a lot more seasoning including crushed red pepper & it was just right.
I have made this 4 times, it always comes out perfect! Thank you for this easy and good tasting recipe 😊
This was delicious! I used a smidge less water, gluten free noodles and one jar of marinara, plus a container of pesto. I also added sauteed onions and mushrooms. I have a 6 quart and pressure cooked it for 10 minutes . I was worried it was too watery, but i really does thicken up after you stir it for a couple of minutes.
My first meal in my brand new instant pot and it was amazing!
Thank you for the recipe. The spaghetti looked different than what I am used to, but the flavor infused in the noodles so well. It was delightful.
I did add some sliced pepperoni and used a tomato basil pasta sauce. Also added red pepper flakes and sprinkled parmesan on top.
My new favorite recipe!
I can’t wait to experiment more with the instant pot!
The recipe turned out great, but I think your calorie count is off. Mine came our to be 459/serving for 6 servings. I used 90/10 lean beef, American Beauty spaghetti, Classico saice in roasted garlic flavor, and a can of Aldi’s tomatoes.
Can I make this without the meat following the same instructions?
Yes
Hi, what kind of spaghetti sauce do you mean, I’m not in America and I’ve found the definitions for tomato sauce and things like that vary. Thanks
Spaghetti sauce is also called pasta sauce here in the us. Tomato sauce is the base and you can add whatever you like to make your own “spaghetti sauce”, including cut up veggies, cheeses, spices and seasoning. Typically they come premade with things like bell peppers, mushrooms, ground sausage, ground beef, onions, etc. I hope that helps!
Question, I use home canned sauce. Could i omit the water and just make sure the sauce covers the noodles?
Great recipe!! I used previously frozen, already cooked ground beef. My kids don’t like large chunks of ground beef, so I usually run it through a food processor just for a few seconds. I find it makes a big difference! I also used home made tomato sauce, a can of Italian peeled tomatoes instead of diced and water. Same proportions as recipe suggests. Turned out so good!! I found that it took a long time to build the pressure, probably 25 or more minutes, perhaps because of the frozen ground beef? But the 8 mins of pressure cooking was perfect. Thank you!!
I don’t know if I did this quite right, but it did not turn out well for me. I have spaghetti soup, with noodles that have the same consistency as canned chicken noodle- mushy. And also no flavor, tastes very watery. I followed everything scrupulously, but I live in the mountains. Should I have changed anything due to that? I really want to love Instant Pot spaghetti!
I am certain being that far above sea level is a factor that must be taken into consideration with regard to cooking times. Instant Pot has information for adapting recipes on Youtube, online and in some of their printed materials. I’d give them a call for assistance and not give up. There are a lot of users in Denver Colorado!
I used my 6 qt IP and same ingredients PLUS Bell peppers, onion, minced garlic, and sliced fresh mushrooms. It turned out great! I will definitely make it again. My only NOTE: Sautéing the meat and veggies take about 10 minutes at least, plus about 10 minutes to pressurize, plus about 10 minutes to quick release. So you are looking at a total of about 38 minutes from start to finish. I think it is important to let people know that is the reality, NOT 8 minutes to a delicious meal.
This worked very well, and was super-fast. However, it definitely needs more seasoning. I would also add mushrooms (sauted with the meat).
I recently made this dish but substituted it with Prnne pasta. Added onions and Red Peppers. Will let you know how it turns out as this Insta Pot is still new to us.
My insta pot arrives today. I’m so excited. I am going to try this first substituting mild Italian sausage will let you know how it works out! Thanks for the recipe. We love spaghetti and with the hours I work cooking dinner is always hard.
OMG – The best spaghetti I have ever had. My wife couldn’t stop eating it and she is a spaghetti critic. Ended up having to add more water to submerge the noodles… I think it was because I crissed-crossed all the noodles to prevent clumpiness which probably stacked them up higher. A little watery once complete but I simply strained and put back in the pot. Wow, so good!!!
Followed this exactly…..it was fabulous!! Thank you!
This is my go to Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe. I follow the instructions exactly (and I cross cross the spaghetti noodles) It turns out perfectly every time. You can easily add mushrooms, celery, peppers during the sauté process) Never doubt the amount of water, it is needed and doesn’t dilute the flavour.
So so good! I have made this twice now. So easy and delicious! I added a splash of red wine on top of the sauce and water combo for a kick of flavor!
I have a duo version of IP, it doesnt have the manual mode…. how do i program it?
Hit the pressure cook button. That’s what I did and what the book says to do.
This is my GO TO recipe for my instant pot. My husband and my 3 year old son scarf this up every time!
This is a great recipe.
My daughter really wanted spaghetti at 930pm. I had some leftover hamburger meat in the frig and all the ingredients in the cabinet so I said why not I’ll try it in my new IP thankful for this recipe otherwise I wouldn’t have! It came out great and delicious my whole family had a bowl.
Can I do this recipe without the can of tomatoes? I don’t have any.
I make this recipe 3-4 times a month. My family and I love it. I add in celery, carrots,red and green bell peppers,mushrooms, even spinach right at the end when I stir it and let it sit for about 5-8 mins and it cook the spinach perfectly! I put about 3 tbsp of Italian herbs and a splash of red wine. Super easy to make.
Do I need to drain tomatoes first or just pour the whole can in in liquid and all? Also using elbow macaroni instead of Sphagetti noodles. Do I still cook for same time?
I threw in the tomatoes, juice and all!! It turned out great!! Also, in my opinion, you may need another minute or two for the macaroni, versus spaghetti. Macaroni takes a wee bit longer to soften than spaghetti noodles.
This was my 2nd recipe in the instant pot and I was a bit afraid of all of the water. When it was finished it was VERY liquidy and I took a couple noodles out to test and some were undercooked, some were okay. I stirred it, put the lid back on and let it sit about 10 minutes and then all of the noodles were perfect and the liquid thickened up quite a bit so it was just very SAUCY. It turned out really good!
If I wanted to half the recipe (I’m only making for myself) would I need to adjust anything like the time cooked? Or can leftovers be frozen? Thanks!
This is love! I love the one pot vs pot for noodles, pan & colander and my family loved it – bonus for me! I followed the directions to a T and it was perfect- no noodles clumping and not extra saucy. I did swap 1.5 lbs of ground turkey for ground beef.
PERFECTION!!!! I was panicking cause i had this recipe in my foodi at the time there was a convo in a group that it came out watery!! WELL! it was the BEST pasta i have made from a jar. I even added some meatballs that i pre-sauted before i poured the sauce and macaroni on it. I used rigatoni instead. I was very skeptical of this pot but i use it every day now! LOVE IT!!!!!!! and yes i put that much water into it. PERFECT!!!
Made this last night. It turned out great. Didn’t have any diced tomatoes so we added another jar of sauce. Next time I might add just a touch less water with 2 jars of sauce & more seasoning to taste.
I made this. Very good. I would go for 9min next time.
This recipe is the best not only because of how delicious the spaghetti turned out–but also because it was so stinkin’ easy!! My husband found the noodles to be a bit overcooked for his liking, but I prefer my noodles softer. Also, will have to play with the amount of water next time, as I felt I had too much water even after cooking and had to add more pasta sauce to thicken it back up.
We loved it! Best part was that it stayed warm as everyone seems to eat at diff times. The kids said best spaghetti I’ve ever made.
Hi, love this spaghetti! How much is a serving though? A cup?
I just made this recipe. Very easy and good. I browned the meat with a quarter chopped onion, added 3 cloves of grated garlic, a package of sliced baby portabella mushrooms and seasonings. When meat was cooked, I decided to add more seasoning, so I ended up doubling the salt, onion powder, garlic powder and the Italian seasoning. I only had angel hair pasta. I used the jar and a half of water per instructions. I had some of the pasta that clumped and was undercooked, but easily removed from the pot while stirring. I served it right away and I would suggest waiting 10 minutes for the pasta to absorb the sauce a bit. It’s delicious!! I served w salad and garlic bread. I will definitely make again. I’ll use regular spaghetti pasta next time. Thank you very much!!!!
Does the meat need to be thawed first?
Just made this. Followed instructions to a “T” but added left over tapenade and diced onions. Was not too liquidy, but I measured the water exactly as written and stirred a bit at the end. Thanks!
Hi – I have an 8 quart Duo and this took 18 minutes to come to pressure? Should I have used hot water? I was worried the noodles would be mushy but the consistency was perfect and very tasty, just had to add a bit more seasoning. It just took much longer than expected (15 minutes prep time/browning for me and 26 cook time for over 40 minutes total).
First time making spaghetti in the instant pot and it was wonderful!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I was nervous when making this recipe but it turned out perfect and it’s delicious!!!
Made this to the recipe,( except I used my daughter in laws spaghetti sauce she cans every year). It was the best noodles we ever cooked, and her sauce made it perfect.
I didn’t add the tomatoes because my family doesn’t like chunks. I added fresh mushrooms. I also used a low carb pasta. This is so delicious! We all loved it!