Description
This Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe is a quick and convenient way to enjoy a classic Italian dish with minimal cleanup. Ground beef is sautéed with simple seasonings, then combined with marinara sauce and dry spaghetti, all cooked together under pressure for perfectly tender pasta and flavorful sauce in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Oils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Liquids and Sauce
- 2 cups water, divided
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or tomato-based pasta sauce
Pasta
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti
Serving
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the beef: Turn an electric pressure cooker to the sauté setting and heat it. Add olive oil and ground beef. Break the beef into large pieces with a wooden spoon and season with kosher salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and breaking the beef down until it’s fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Add liquids and sauce: Turn off the sauté function. Pour in 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Add the marinara sauce and stir well to combine with the beef.
- Add spaghetti: Break the spaghetti strands in half and spread them evenly over the beef and sauce mixture in one or two layers. Important: do not stir from this point.
- Add remaining water: Rinse the empty sauce jar with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water by pouring water into the jar, replacing the lid, and shaking gently. Pour this water evenly over the spaghetti. Again, do not stir.
- Pressure cook: Seal the pressure cooker lid and set to cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes. It will take about 10-12 minutes for the cooker to reach pressure before the timer starts counting down.
- Release pressure and serve: When cooking time is complete, quickly release the pressure by opening the valve carefully. Open the lid and stir the spaghetti into the sauce until well combined. Remove the insert from the cooker, turn off the cooker, and serve pasta topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Breaking the spaghetti in half helps it fit better and cook evenly under pressure.
- Do not stir pasta until after pressure cooking to prevent sticking or burning.
- Use quick release to prevent overcooking the pasta.
- Feel free to substitute ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for ground beef for a lighter or vegetarian option.
- For additional flavor, add chopped onions or garlic during the sauté step.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes (including pressure build and release time)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Instant Pot spaghetti, quick spaghetti, one pot pasta, pressure cooker spaghetti, easy Italian dinner
