Instant Pot Spaghetti

Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 8 mins (plus time to reach pressure) | Servings: 6


Ingredients

  • The Protein: 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage.
  • The Pasta: 16 oz spaghetti noodles, broken in half.
  • The Sauce & Liquid:
    • 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce.
    • 3 cups water or beef broth (just enough to cover the noodles).
    • 1/2 small onion, finely diced.
  • The Seasoning: 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and salt/pepper to taste.
  • The Topping: 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese.

Instructions

  1. Sauté: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Brown the ground beef and diced onions until the meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
  2. Deglaze: Pour in 1/2 cup of the water or broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape all the browned bits (fond) off the bottom of the pot to prevent a “burn” notice.
  3. Layer: * Lay the broken spaghetti noodles over the meat in a “criss-cross” pattern to prevent them from clumping together.
    • Pour the jar of marinara sauce over the noodles.
    • Pour the remaining water/broth over the sauce. Do not stir. Use a spoon to gently press the noodles down so they are mostly submerged in liquid.
  4. Pressure Cook: Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on Manual/High Pressure for 8 minutes.
  5. Release: When the timer goes off, perform a Quick Release of the pressure.
  6. Finish: Open the lid and stir the spaghetti well to incorporate the sauce. The sauce may look thin at first but will thicken as it sits.
  7. Cheesy Topping: Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top and close the lid for 2–3 minutes to let it melt into a bubbly, golden layer.

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