Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Plated spaghetti with meat sauce topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

4.80 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Make weeknight dinner easy with this Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce! A hearty, one-pot meal ready in about 25 minutes — no draining, no fuss, just perfectly cooked noodles and rich, savory sauce the whole family will love.

Prep Time10

Cook Time9

Inactive Time15

Total Time34

Course: Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: instant pot spaghetti with meat sauce

Servings: servings

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Deanne Frieders

Equipment

6 quart Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion diced (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
1 teaspoon minced garlic about 2 cloves, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti noodles broken in half
24 ounces marinara sauce or your favorite spaghetti sauce
24 ounces water (3 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning optional but recommended
grated parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

Sauté the beef: Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 pound lean ground beef. Cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Add flavor: Stir in 1 teaspoon minced garlic and diced 1 small onion. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Press Cancel to turn off Sauté.
Deglaze the pot: Add a splash of water and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot — this adds flavor and helps prevent the dreaded burn warning.
Layer the ingredients: Spread the 12 ounces uncooked spaghetti noodles over the beef in a criss-cross pattern (this keeps the noodles from sticking).
Pour 24 ounces marinara sauce and 24 ounces water over the top, covering the noodles as evenly as possible. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
Do not stir.
Pressure cook: Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 9 minutes.
Natural release: When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes (that just means leave it alone). After 10 minutes, carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
Combine & serve: Open the lid and gently stir to combine the pasta and sauce. Let it sit for 1–2 minutes to thicken slightly before serving.
Finish:Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Notes

Leftovers: Let leftovers cool and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.

To Reheat: Warm in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring between each, or on the stovetop with a splash of water.

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