This is how I make Instant Pot spaghetti all in one pot. It is such a delicious and simple family dinner that you will eat on repeat!
I am happy to bring y’all one of my barely-a-recipe emergency dinners! This one is not made from scratch, but it is part of the reason I love it and make it often. 👍🏻 I make this with staples that I always keep on hand.
You can use any brand items you like. As for me, I am a Trader Joe’s girl.😉🙌🏻
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Convenience versus authenticity
Update: I have had sooo many hard core Italian cooks call me out for this recipe that I would like to respond. 😂 While making spaghetti from scratch may be more ideal, I know my target audience for this particular recipe. And no offense, but this is not written the authentic Italian cook. You guys are awesome, and I love you! 😘
So who is this for? This recipe is for the busy person who is simply just trying to get dinner on the table and cares very little about being “authentic.”
This is written in the spirit of quick and easy, but still yummy. For me, this would be my alternative to hitting up a drive through. Not that I never eat fast food either. I do sometimes.
But most of the time I’d rather throw this in my Instant Pot and call it a day. And after years of blogging (plus seeing the number of page views, pins and shares on this very recipe), I know a lot of you feel the same way.
So if you are offended by broken spaghetti or store-bought sauce, I still love you. 🥰 Promise! But this recipe is simply not for you, friend. Head back to the recipe index, if you wish, and find something you might like better. Okay, back to the recipe!
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I must admit that since I started making spaghetti this way in my Instant Pot, I rarely make it any other way. I am perfectly capable of making it from scratch. And maybe one day I will publish that recipe.
But with back-to-school season right around the corner, I knew y’all would appreciate me keepin’ it real.😎💁🏼♀️ And currently in our house, this is how we rock spaghetti night. 💃🏼💪🏻
First, you brown your ground beef in your Instant Pot. I take the opportunity to season mine up a little too – with some salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then I drain the fat off and set aside the cooked beef. I do not rinse the pot or anything.
How to Make Instant Pot Spaghetti
The next steps need to be followed pretty closely, including the order put into the pot. And no stirring!
First add, water and salt.
Next, you are going to add the pasta. I take a handful and break it in half, and I place the halves in criss cross fashion, as shown below. This prevents some (but not all!) of the noodles from sticking together.
It doesn’t have to be perfect or anything. I would estimate that for a pound of pasta I divide it into 3 handfuls, broken in half, which creates 6 halves. Hopefully this is making sense!😆
Then I use my spoon and gently press the stack of pasta into the water. All of the pasta doesn’t need to stay submerged or anything. This just gets everything wet. Next, I add the ground beef in top.
And then pour the sauce on top of that.
Then cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. It will take ten minutes or so to come to pressure. After the time is up, I let the pot sit for 5 minutes on natural release. Then I quick release the remaining pressure. I always throw a kitchen towel over the top to prevent spewing.
Troubleshooting texture and liquid level
There is a delicate balance here. You want to make sure you have enough liquid for the pot to come to pressure. But when you eat instant pot spaghetti, nobody wants it to resemble spaghetti soup. 🙅🏼♀️Nope! So here is what I do to ensure the best texture and liquid level.
Heads up: When you open the pot, it’s going to look like a mess. It’ll be very liquid-y. 😬
And some of the noodles will be stuck in clumps like this.
No worries! Use your tongs to grab those clumps and stir them up to separate. I stir for a couple of minutes, and then I let it sit for another 5 minutes or so to let that liquid evaporate, stirring a couple times in that 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, it’ll look like this. 😍👌🏻
And congratulations ladies and gents, you have dinner! 👏🏻 If you want to gussy things up a little, add some grated parmesan and fresh basil. 🤩 Yum!
I also want to add that this easily yields eight servings and makes great leftovers.
Tip: I often pack leftovers for my kids’ lunches in vacuum sealed thermoses. It stays warm until lunch, and they love it!
I hope y’all enjoy Instant Pot spaghetti as much as we do!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipe
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Instant Pot Spaghetti (one pot)
This is how I make Instant Pot spaghetti all in one pot. It is such a delicious and simple family dinner that you will eat on repeat!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef raw - sometimes I use the 1.25 pound packs, so a little extra is okay!
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles uncooked - do NOT use angel hair, but only standard spaghetti noodles
- 4 1/3 cups water
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce (1 jar - we love Trader Joe's marinara)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
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Set the Instant Pot to sautee, and add the ground beef.
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Use a wooden spoon to break apart the beef into chunks, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
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Cook until fully browned, about 7 minutes, and then remove the inner pot will heat protection, such as an over mitt.
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Remove cooked beef from the pot, draining the fat off. Tip: I use a large plate with a few paper towels, and I just dump everything on the plate to soak up the fat. Leave the meat out of the pot for now. No need to rinse the pot either.
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Wipe off any drips from the side of the pot or from the upper lip. You don't want anything to drip into the heating element of your Instant Pot. Once you are sure the outer part of your pot is clean, put the empty inner pot back into your Instant Pot.
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First, add water to the inner pot, plus remaining salt. Note: The order of ingredients is very important! And NOT stirring is also important.
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Next, break the spaghetti noodles in half, and place into the water. Tip: I do 3 hand fulls, broken in half. This equals about 6 halves, and I alternate the angle with each hand full so that each hand full criss crosses the last at about a 90 degree angle. It doesn't have to be perfect or precise, but this simply helps to prevent some of the sticking.
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I use my spoon and kind of press down to make sure all the noodles get some water on them. They don't need to stay in the water, but just get all of them wet.
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Add the cooked beef back to the pot, right on top of the noodles.
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Pour the jar of pasta sauce on top, and again, do NOT stir at all.
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Place the lid on the pot, and set to high pressure for 4 minutes.
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Let the pot release naturally for 5 minutes, and then release the remaining pressure with the manual pressure release.
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After the pressure indicator has lowered, remove the lid carefully. It will look pretty watery at this point.
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Use tongs to stir well, and pick apart any stuck pieces. There will be a few stuck pieces.
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Allow the spaghetti to rest for 5 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate. You can give it a stir a time or two during this to help it out. The liquid will reduce after a few minutes.
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Serve with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Leftover can be saved in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tongs are extremely useful for separating the spaghetti. (Amazon affiliate)
Do NOT use angel hair pasta for this recipe. Angel hair has a much quicker cook time that standard spaghetti noodles and will over cook and/or burn when used in this recipe.
I would not recommend this recipe for 8 quart models at this time. If you have successfully made this in an 8 quart model, please leave a comment and let me know. For now, I am guessing that most people who are having issues with a burn warning on this recipe are using an 8 quart model. I use a 6 quart model and have made this dozens of times with no issues.
Mariah says
Worked perfectly! It was my first time trying the instant pot. I make pasta frequently and this is so handy to do it all in one pot. Perfectly cooked and not too watery. Thanks.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad to hear that!❤️👏🏻
Carole says
I use this recipe at least twice a month for my family of 6. I’ve tweaked it some by adding more meat and 1.5lb pounds of pasta instead of 1lb, and some other little changes to make it our own. This recipe is wonderful and so easy, essentially fool-proof. I know there are others like it but this is the one I have bookmarked on my phone and the one I always use!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That makes me so happy to hear, Carole!❤️
Christina says
I love this recipe, I use my 8qt and have never had a burn notice. So easy!
David Montigny says
I am so glad to have found this recipe! I started working 12 hour shifts and was craving spaghetti and did not have time to make the sauce using my 3 hour simmer method. This recipe came to my rescue!!
I made this in my CrockPot Express and adapted it a bit by sauteing a large onion, a stalk of celery, and about 5 cloves garlic, adding a few bay leaves, 8 oz of sliced mushrooms, and using 2 cans of Hunts roasted garlic sauce. I also used 1lb of hot Italian sausage. All of this brought the contents right up to the MAX line on a 6qt PC. I also used whole grain thin spaghetti.
Unfortunately, I did not close the steam valve so the pot went through the cycle and sat for 3 mins afterwards before I noticed. I opened it up and stirred everything up to break apart the sticking noodles, which really weren’t sticking much that I noticed, and let it get back up to pressure for 2 mins.
The rest was EXACTLY as you described! After it sat for a bit from my post blunder (pray it works) fix the noodles absorbed the rest of the water and it came out PERFECT!
Thank you!
I just ordered the 8qt IP with air fryer and cannot wait to try this again the way it was supposed to be done.
Regardless, I made 6 quarts of spaghetti that rivals my traditional 4 hour (prep + simmer) method in about 30 mins!!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I love that, David! I am so glad you enjoyed it.👏🏻 And that you made it your own.👌🏻
Jean Corbitt says
Today will be the third time I’ve used this receipe and as before, delicious!!!
It does look soupy in the beginning, after time release i open my instantpot, set the saute again and stir it about a minute or two, and perfect!!
I live in an RV and don’t like propane so this instapot and these good receipes are a Godsend!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad that you are enjoying it, Jean! You are exactly right, that liquid will absorb. Honestly, you might want to try it without sauté. There seems to be enough residual heat for all that liquid to absorb/ evaporate. Thank you very much for taking the time to circle back and leave a review.
Adrian says
I just got my pot yesterday and would like to make just pasta and sauce. How much water do I put in? Then what do I do after past and sauce are in? As far as setting the machine.
Thank you
Irene says
Can you tell me if I wanted to make this, but didn’t want to cook the pasta inside it… how much would I decrease the water by?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Irene! I am not sure since I have not done it this way. Maybe no water to add at all, but I am not sure it would even come up to pressure this way. I would probably just recommend doing that on the stovetop, honestly.
Lori Hale says
I see where some think it was to much water.
Paul says
Perfect. It came out perfect. I spent an hour trying to find a recipe for one pot pasta for my instant pot that didn’t have me making my own sauce(I am a lazy guy, what can I say). It did look soupy at first, but once I stirred it and let it sit for five minutes it was perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Paul! Thanks for taking the time to circle back and leave a review.🙏🏻
Allison G says
This is my go to recipe for Spaghetti now. After opening the pot and letting it sit, all the water absorbed and the consistency was perfect. I’ll never make it on the stove again!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Allison!💖 So glad you enjoyed it.
Kathy says
This turned out excellent. I admit I worried that it was so watery—that is a lot of water, but after a few mins it was perfect! Thank you!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay! I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Kathy!💖
Dexter Charles says
Way too much water. The end result was spaghetti soup.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Sorry you didn’t enjoy that, Dexter. Did you read the details in the post about it being soupy when you open it up? It is a delicate balance, having enough liquid to avoid burn errors, yet not too much to be soupy. If you saw the details in the post and used the measurements in the recipe…stirring it and letting it sit without the lid off should remedy that. The liquid partly evaporates and partly soaks into the pasta pretty quickly. Should be the perfect consistency. Were you using a different kind of pasta, by chance, such as gluten free? That could certainly affect the consistency, although many have had success using GF pasta so 🤷🏼♀️
Kathryn says
Would it be possible to use tomato juice and add italian spices? If so, how would it change the amount of water?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Kathryn! I probably would not recommend it, as tomato juice would be way too thin.