If you’ve never made Instant Pot Spaghetti, you absolutely should start using this method to make perfect spaghetti. It uses the same ingredients, but is cooked all in one pot and in about half the time it usually takes to make.
» You might also like Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken or Instant Pot Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo.
Why You’ll Love This Pressure Cooker Spaghetti
- This one-pot meal that can be ready in a fraction of the time it takes to prepare spaghetti conventionally.
- Using the Instant Pot results in a richer and more flavorful dish that’s incredibly satisfying. The pasta comes out perfectly cooked and delicious.
- Instant Pot spaghetti is incredibly convenient. You can throw in all the ingredients, set it, and walk away until it’s ready.
» Love pasta? Try this Instant Pot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta.
Ingredients You Need for Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Cooking oil – I always use olive oil, but you can use any cooking oil you like, such as canola, sunflower, avocado.
- Lean ground beef – It’s best to use a 5% or less fat content, because then you won’t have to drain the excess grease out of the Instant Pot before you move on to the next step.
- Onion – I use a small white or yellow onion, chopped
- Water – The recipe does need a little bit of water to make sure the spaghetti doesn’t burn on the bottom, but it doesn’t need much.
- Spaghetti – An Italian would cringe at the thought of breaking the pasta noodles in half, but to fit the spaghetti in the inner pot, you need to break them in half. You can use regular or whole wheat pasta.
- Spaghetti sauce – I use a homemade tomato sauce for this recipe. It’s easy to make in the Instant Pot and you can move directly from the making of the tomato sauce to the making of the spaghetti to keep it easy. If you don’t want to make your own, you can use any store bought sauce that you like.
- Seasonings – Salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
Expert Tips to Follow
- When an Instant Pot recipe says not to stir the ingredients you should always follow that. This recipe is one of those. The recipe has been tested and will come out the best if done this way.
- Make sure the noodles are fully submerged in the sauce before cooking.
- When you first take the lid off the contents may seem a bit runny. Don’t worry. Stir it up, break up the noodle clumps, and let it sit for 5 minutes. The noodles will soak up the sauce.
- You can make your own homemade spaghetti sauce in the Instant Pot. Follow this recipe. Or use your favorite store bought spaghetti sauce.
- You can double the recipe, if you need to. The ratios stay the same.
- To avoid clumps of pasta, layer half the pasta, and half the sauce to make 2 layers.
How to Make Spaghetti in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Browning the Meat
Turn on sauté mode (on low, if available). Add the olive oil. When hot, add the ground beef, onions, and seasonings. Sauté, breaking up the meat, until browned. Turn off sauté mode.
Step 2: Add the Remaining Ingredients
Add the water and scrap all the browned bits off the bottom of the pot before proceeding. This is very important to avoid getting a burn notice while cooking.
Break the spaghetti in half and lay it on top of the ground beef. Do not stir them.
Pour the spaghetti sauce over the top of the pasta. Make sure the pasta is fully submerged in the sauce. If it’s not, just punch it down lightly with a spatula. Don’t stir.
Step 3: Pressure Cook
Lock the lid and set the vent to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set the time to 8 minutes. When the time is up, manually release the pressure.
Stir the spaghetti well. Let it stand for 5 minutes on Keep Warm to thicken. Serve it from the Instant Pot or bowl sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
Suggestions For the Best Outcome
Don’t Worry, it Won’t Be Watery
It might seem like a lot of water to put into the mix, but don’t worry, the spaghetti will soak it all up. At first, when you take the lid off the pot, it will look a little liquidy. You’ll want to stir it well to incorporate all of the liquid into the noodles, and break up any clumps of noodles. Then let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving on Keep Warm, to really set up.
By the time you serve the Instant Pot spaghetti, after a 5 minute rest, the wateriness will be gone and you’ll have perfectly coated spaghetti noodles in a thick sauce.
Avoiding Clumped Noodles
It’s possible to have an issue of “clumping” noodles. They sometimes stick together when they pressure cook. It’s not a problem, because you can break them up after cooking. They won’t stick together so badly they can’t be disconnected.
However, to avoid this problem in the first place, you can spread out the noodles well, and even layer the sauce and the noodles to there isn’t a huge clump packed together next to each other. This is most important when you double the recipe to make 8 servings, because you’ll have twice as many noodles.
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.
Homemade Tomato Sauce
I think one of the keys to great spaghetti is great tomato sauce. If you start with a bland or low quality tomato sauce, you can’t really expect it to become amazing. I always make my own tomato sauce, which is very easy to do in the Instant Pot. You can find our recipe here.
If you love meatballs in your spaghetti try this recipe for frozen meatballs in the Instant Pot.
Homemade Instant Pot Tomato Sauce
This Homemade Instant Pot Tomato Sauce is versatile, quick and easy to make. Whether you’re using it in lasagna, [...]
Read MoreStore and Reheat
To Store:
Allow the Instant Pot spaghetti to cool to room temperature after preparing it in the Instant Pot. This helps prevent it from becoming mushy or clumping together when stored. Transfer the spaghetti into an airtight container.
Place the containers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or up 3 months in the freezer.
To Reheat:
Microwave Method: The quickest way to reheat Instant Pot spaghetti is in the microwave. Place your portion in a microwave-safe dish, cover it with a microwave-safe lid or a microwave-safe plate, and heat in 30-second intervals. Stir between intervals to ensure even heating. Be cautious not to overheat, as it can make the pasta too soft.
Stovetop Method: To maintain the pasta’s texture and flavor, consider reheating on the stovetop. Use a non-stick skillet or saucepan over low to medium heat. Add a splash of water or sauce to prevent the pasta from sticking, and stir occasionally until it’s heated through.
Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the spaghetti in an oven-safe dish, cover it with foil, and heat for about 20-30 minutes. Check periodically to avoid overcooking.
Instant Pot Reheating: If you prefer to use the Instant Pot for reheating, place your spaghetti in the Instant Pot and use the “Sauté” function. Stir gently and let it warm up. Keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Why Use An Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is one of the most useful kitchen appliances you can buy, because it drastically cuts down on the cooking time for developing flavors in soups and stews, getting tough cuts of meat tender, and even baking a cheesecake. If you don’t have one, check out our guide on which one to buy. Also see our guide to How to Use an Instant Pot and the many accessories you can buy for it.
- Don’t Have an Instant Pot? This guide can help you choose the right one.
- See reviews and prices for Instant Pots on Amazon.
- Learn some great Instant Pot Tips & Tricks.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Instant Pot.
Questions About the Recipe
Can you put uncooked pasta in the Instant Pot?
Yes, you can make all kinds of pasta from dried in the Instant Pot. All you need is enough water to make sure the pasta becomes cooked through. It’s best to add 2-3x as much water as pasta. For instance, for 2 cups of ziti, add 4 cups of water. You can always drain the excess water from the pot.
For spaghetti, you’re trying to reach the perfect ratio of water to noodles so the noodles get cooked, but the pasta isn’t too watery.
How long does it take to cook spaghetti noodles in an Instant Pot?
It takes 8 minutes to cook spaghetti noodles in the Instant Pot. With about 5 minutes to come up to pressure to start and a quick release at the end. You can make any kind of pasta you like in the Instant Pot with these instructions. They’ll come out just over al dente, which I think is perfect.
How do you keep spaghetti from sticking together in the Instant Pot?
It’s possible to have an issue of “clumping” noodles. you can spread out the noodles well, and even layer the sauce and the noodles to there isn’t a huge clump packed together next to each other.
You can also try crisscrossing the noodles when you add them to the instant pot, instead of adding them in one big chunk.
How much water for 1 pound of pasta in the Instant Pot?
You would need 24 ounces of water for 1 pound of spaghetti, along with the pasta sauce.
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Before You Go
Once you’ve seen how easy it is to make pressure cooker spaghetti, I guarantee you will want to try more pasta recipes. It has become one of our favorite ways to cook pasta. Here are a few recipes you might enjoy.
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Instant Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni
- Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Easy Instant Pot Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
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Instant Pot Spaghetti
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 pound (227 g) lean ground beef
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
- 1 teaspoons (2 g) oregano
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) Italian seasoning
- 12 ounces (340 ml) water
- 1/2 pound (227 g) spaghetti
- 24 ounces (680 ml) spaghetti sauce (or use this recipe)
Instructions
- Turn on saute mode (on low, if available). Add the olive oil. When hot, add the ground beef, onions, and seasonings. Saute, breaking up the meat, until browned. Turn off saute mode.
- Add the water and scrap all the browned bits off the bottom of the pot before proceeding.
- Break the spaghetti in half and lay it on top of the ground beef.
- Pour the spaghetti sauce over the top of the pasta. Make sure the pasta is fully submerged in the sauce.
- Lock the lid on and set the vent to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set the time to 8 minutes. When the time is up, manually release the pressure. Stir the spaghetti well. Let it stand for 5 minutes on Keep Warm to thicken.
Notes
- You can make your own homemade spaghetti sauce in the Instant Pot. Follow this recipe. Or use your favorite store bought spaghetti sauce.
- You can double the recipe, if you need to. The ratios stay the same.
- To avoid clumps of pasta, layer half the pasta, and half the sauce to make 2 layers.
- When an Instant Pot recipe says not to stir the ingredients you should always follow that. This recipe is one of those. The recipe has been tested and will come out the best if done this way.
- Make sure the noodles are fully submerged in the sauce before cooking.
- When you first take the lid off the contents may seem a bit runny. Don’t worry. Stir it up, break up the noodle clumps, and let it sit for 5 minutes. The noodles will soak up the sauce.
Nutrition
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Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
Hi . I am not seeing how much chopped tomatoes to add.
Thank you
Sorry for that. The chopped tomatoes are not necessary if using store-bought tomato sauce. Only if you are making your own sauce.
Lol! Ok. I didn’t quite have a full jar of sauce. Thought I was supposed to add the chopped tomatoes so added a can anyway. It turned out perfect!
It’s good that you added the tomatoes then. It needs quite a bit of liquid to cook the spagetti.
This was really good and sooo easy!
Super easy to make in my instant pot!
This spaghetti turned out great! I love that it could be made in one pot, and it was so easy!