Instant Pot Spaghetti

We’ve been working to develop an even faster & easier shortcut to cooking spaghetti in Instant Pot.

And this Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe is developed with busy moms, chaotic weeknights, long work days, or “few ingredients left in the fridge” days in mind.

Tips for Making Spaghetti in Instant Pot

1. Dump and Start One Pot Spaghetti:

We’ve developed this spaghetti recipe with an option for those who want the quickest & easiest “dump-it-all-in meal”. You can get this spaghetti meal on the table (including getting up to pressure time) in 30 minutes! 😀

*Note: Simply remember to break the seasoned ground beef into smaller chunks, then layer the ground beef, onions, garlic, dried herbs at the bottom of the pot before pressure cooking.

2. Deglaze Instant Pot:

It’s super important to fully deglaze the bottom of the inner pot after browning or sauteing ingredients in the Instant Pot. This will prevent the dreaded “BURN” notice. Don’t worry! These are not burnt food debris. These caramelized brown bits will add flavor to your Instapot spaghetti.

3. Spaghetti Tips:

Fully Submerge Spaghetti into Sauce: inevitably we need to break the dried spaghetti in half for them to fit in the Instant Pot. Try to spread out the spaghetti so they won’t clump together as they cook. Plus, it’s critical to fully soak all the spaghetti into the cooking liquid to cook them evenly.

Don’t Mix the Spaghetti: Resist the urge to stir the spaghetti with the peeled tomatoes or marinara sauce because this may warrant the sensitive “BURN” notice.

Spaghetti Texture: we like al dente spaghetti, so the cooking time in this recipe is intended to cook the spaghetti till approximately 85% – 90% cooked. The spaghetti will continue to cook during the “sauce thickening” step, as well as by the residual heat. So, keep tasting and cooking (with the lid open) until the spaghetti reaches your preferred texture.

4. Layer Ingredients

To prevent triggering Instant Pot’s sensitive “BURN” notice, it’s important to layer the ingredients in Instant Pot as directed in the recipe:

Ground Beef + Onion + Garlic at the bottom -> Chicken Stock -> Spaghetti -> Canned Tomatoes or Marinara Sauce on top (don’t mix after layering!)

5. Thicken & Season Spaghetti Sauce:

Don’t panic when you open the lid to a liquidy spaghetti sauce right after pressure cooking. That’s perfectly normal!

Thicken the spaghetti sauce by using the “Saute More” function, and bring the sauce back to a simmer. Use a few minutes to thicken, taste, and season the spaghetti and sauce to your preferences. These extra few minutes (plus extra few pinches of salt) will make a big difference to the spaghetti’s flavor & texture! 🙂

Time to cook spaghetti in Instant Pot!

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Spaghetti

Prepare Ingredients for cooking spaghetti in Instant Pot.

*Pro Tip: If you just want a super easy meal and don’t want to prep, you can substitute the onions and garlic with 1 tsp onion powder and ½ tsp garlic powder.

You can make this Instapot Spaghetti Recipe with a large can of whole peeled tomatoes or you can make things even easier and use a jar of your favorite Marinara Sauce.

Tools for Instant Pot Spaghetti

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Wooden Spoon
• Stainless Steel Grater
• Pyrex Measuring Cups

Optional – Brown Ground Beef in Instant Pot

*For Dump-and-Go Meal: skip the browning, sauteing, and deglazing steps below. Make sure to break the ground beef into smaller chunks, then layer the seasoned ground beef chunks, onions, garlic, dried herbs at the bottom of the pot.

*Pro Tip: This is an optional flavor-boosting step. If you have time, this step will greatly enhance the flavors of the Instant Pot Spaghetti.

First, heat up Instant Pot Pressure Cooker using “Sauté More” function.

*Tip: For older versions – press “Saute” button, then “Adjust” button. For newer versions – press “Saute” button twice.

Wait until it says “HOT” (takes roughly 8 minutes). This prevents the ground beef from sticking to the pot.

Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Then, swirl your pot around to make sure the oil is coated over the whole bottom of the pot.

Now, add 1lb (454g) ground beef in Instant Pot, then season generously with salt & black pepper.

*Note: The ground beef will start to release moisture. At the 5-minute mark, discard the ground beef juice.

You just have to let the ground beef brown in Instant Pot. Simply stir them once in a while until they’re slightly crisped and browned (~5 – 7 minutes).

Finally, taste the ground beef, then adjust the seasoning with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Saute Onion & Herbs

Now, add diced onions, minced garlic, 1.5 tsp (1.8g) dried basil, and 1.5 tsp (1.2g) dried oregano in Instant Pot, then saute for another two minutes.

*Note: you can substitute the onions and garlic with 1 tsp onion powder and ½ tsp garlic powder if you wish to further minimize the preparation.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Now, pour 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon (as shown below).

Give it a quick mix.

Pressure Cook Spaghetti

Add 3 tbsp (45ml) regular soy sauce, 3 cups (750ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot.

First, break the 1 lb (454g) spaghetti in half, then add spaghetti in Instant Pot.

*Pro Tip: It’s critical to make sure they are all soaked into the chicken stock.

Then, layer 1 large can (28oz) whole peeled tomatoes or your favorite Marinara sauce on top. Do not mix.

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

• Pressure Cooking Methods: Pressure cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes + Natural Release for 5 minutes

After 5 minutes of natural release, release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position.

When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Thicken & Season Spaghetti in Instant Pot

Don’t worry if your Instant Pot Spaghetti looks liquidy & thin when you open the lid!

*Note: we purposely cook the spaghetti to about 85% – 90% cooked at this point.

Now, use the “Saute More” function (press “Cancel” and “Saute”) to bring the content back to a simmer.

With a wooden spoon, break down the tomatoes, then stir to cook the spaghetti and thicken the sauce. It’ll take a few minutes to thicken the sauce as the spaghetti releases its starch.

Don’t forget to taste and season with more salt. You’ll need roughly 3 – 4 large pinches of salt to bring out all the flavors.

Turn off the heat (press “cancel” button).

Serve Instant Pot Spaghetti

Finally, garnish the deliciously al dente spaghetti with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, then serve!

Enjoy your Flavorful Instant Pot Spaghetti!

More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes

Instant Pot Pasta Bolognese

Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta