Amazing Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe

Last Updated on October 5, 2021 by Anne-Marie

Instant Pot Spaghetti with meat sauce will become one of your favorite Instant Pot recipes. It's perfect for busy weeknights.

A plate of Instant Pot Spaghetti with cheese on a linen napkin with a bowl of salad.

Why this recipe works

You'll love how all the spaghetti and meat sauce flavors come together.

Plus, since it's made all in the pressure cooker, clean up is a snap.

This soon will become a family favorite one pot meal and it's terrific to bring to potlucks.

You'll appreciate this recipe most when you realize there's now no need to cook spaghetti on the stovetop in a big pot!

How to make this Instant Pot spaghetti with meat sauce recipe

With a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of 15 minutes, this will become your go-to spaghetti recipe. Just follow these steps:

1. Set the 6-quart Instant Pot to the Sauté setting to preheat it.

2. Add the olive oil, ground meat, and chopped onions to the Instant Pot. Brown the meat using a wooden spoon or oven safe spatula to break up the meat as it cooks.

3. Turn off the Instant Pot. Then add the dry spices and 1 cup of water. Stir to combine.

4. Break up the spaghetti noodles into half or thirds. (Do whatever fits best in your Instant Pot.)

5. Layer the spaghetti on top of the meat mixture.

Make sure to lay out the pasta in a crisscross pattern on top of the meat. (See photo.) This prevents the spaghetti from sticking together during cooking.

Broken uncooked spaghetti in an Instant Pot.

6. Pour the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and 2 1/2 cups water over the spaghetti. DO NOT STIR!

7. Wipe the upper rim of the Instant Pot of any grease or food particles. This helps to avoid a burn message warning when you seal the pressure cooker.

8. Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Seal and cook on manual, High pressure for a cooking time of 7 minutes.

9. Do a Quick Pressure Release to vent all the steam from the inner pot. 

10. Remove the lid to release any remaining pressure.

11. Stir the spaghetti.

12. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to allow for any remaining liquid to absorb.

13. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, your choice of side dishes, and bread.

Get more Instant Pot Tips at When is it Safe to Open my Instant Pot?

Read this if you're wondering why your Instant Pot isn't heating or working.

Closeup of spaghetti with meatsauce twirled around a fork with salad in a white bowl in the background.

What kind of ground meat can you use?

You can use:

  • lean ground beef
  • ground turkey
  • or ground Italian sausage – either mild or spicy depending on your taste

If you use Italian sausage, you may find that you can cut back a bit on the Italian seasoning. But that’s up to you.

What kind of noodles can you use?

You can use any type of spaghetti - regular wheat, whole wheat, or gluten free.

Make sure lay out the pasta in a crisscross pattern on top of the meat. (See photo.)

This prevents the spaghetti from sticking together during cooking.

A white plate of spaghetti with meatsauce with a fork on a gray napkin with an Instant Pot of spaghetti with a wooden spoon, a loaf of crusty bread and a stack of plates in the background.

Ingredient tips

Use store bought pasta sauce: Use a 32 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce (like marinara sauce) for the two cans of crushed tomatoes.

I also like flavored tomato sauces like basil and garlic. 

Leftover homemade sauce: If I have leftover Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce or My Version of Alton Brown’s Tomato Sauce, I use that, too.

Garlic: Like to use fresh garlic instead of powdered? Use 1 tablespoon minced garlic.

Add it to the pressure cooker when you cook up the onion and brown the ground beef, turkey or sausage.

What can I serve with Instant Pot spaghetti?

Start with some Easy Fried Air Fryer Ravioli as a fun appetizer.

Then serve this with Instant Pot Meatballs! Cook up a batch up the night before.

Add some awesome garbanzo bean salad and some crunchy bread.

And don't forget the pitcher of ice tea sangria.

Got leftovers? Serve it up with some Instant Pot Lasagna

Closeup of a plate of spaghetti and meatsauce with a fork on a linen napkin with bread and a pressure cooker in the background.

More awesome Instant Pot recipes

If you’re looking for more Instant Pot recipes, try these:

Love soup but don’t have time to make it? You’ll love cooking up this quick Instant Pot Potato Soup.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork turns out moist, tender, and incredibly delicious. Serve it with Sugar Free BBQ Sauce.

This Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe is super creamy and filling.

This Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe isn’t just for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Use leftovers in Leftover Turkey Soup or Turkey Enchilada Casserole.

Yield: 6 SERVINGS

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Closeup of a plate of spaghetti and meatsauce with a fork on a linen napkin with bread and a pressure cooker in the background.

This Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. This Instant Pot Spaghetti with meat sauce is a family favorite one pot meal.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef, lean ground turkey, or ground Italian sausage
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pound uncooked spaghetti noodles (regular, whole wheat or gluten free)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 3 1/2 cups water

Instructions

  1. Preheat Instant Pot to sauté.
  2. Add your ground meat and chopped onions to the pot. Break up meat with a spoon as it cooks. Cook until browned.
  3. Turn off your Instant Pot.
  4. Add the dry spices and 1 cup of water, stir to combine.
  5. Break noodles in half or thirds, whichever fits in you Instant Pot.
  6. Layer the spaghetti noodles on top of the meat mixture.
  7. Pour the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and 2 1/2 cups water over the spaghetti. (DO NOT STIR).
  8. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on manual, high pressure for 7 minutes.
  9. Then do a quick release to allow pressure to escape.
  10. Remove the lid and stir. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to allow for any remaining liquid to absorb.
  11. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, your choice of sides, and bread.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 529Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 327mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 34g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.

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