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.
Lisa says
This was perfect for my family on a busy weeknight! Thank you so very much for sharing this! I replaced 1 cup of water with 1 cup of white wine, simply because I like the flavor of a splash of wine in spaghetti sauce. I sprinkled some diced green peppers and fresh parsley on top of the meat before the spaghetti sauce. It all came out very flavorful!
Jen says
This is my first recipe in my brand new instant pot (8qt)! I only had ziti, so that is what I used. I didn’t see the note about the 8qt issues until it was already cooking, but mine did not burn. The recipe and the instructions on how to use the instant pot were easy to follow and the kids liked it! Thanks! ☺️
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Jen! So glad to know it worked will with ziti too.
Brianna says
I made this in the 8 quart ultra instant pot. I browned the ground beef on the stove and used my own spices and amounts, but otherwise followed the instructions. CAme out perfect, needed about 10 minutes to thicken up. Thank you! Will make this again
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Brianna!🙌🏻
Pamela craddock says
This is by far the best recipe for spaghetti that I have tried. Its now my go-to, we usually have it a couple times a month now. I do use beef broth in place of the water, which gives you a deeper flavor. I also use an 8qt Instant Pot.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Pamela! I am so glad y’all enjoy it. Beef broth is a great way to add extra flavor. Thanks for sharing that tip!
Jill mackissock says
I tried this recipe and got food burn as soon as the pressure was to where it should be
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
So sorry to hear that, Jill! 😩 A few people have had this issue, and I have not been able to figure out why.🧐 Are you by chance using an 8 quart? I have heard mixed results from people with 8 quart models. Also, you didn’t stir anything prior to cooking, right?
Michele Johnson says
I made this tonight for my family. My son can be a picky eater, so I wasn’t sure if he’d eat it already mixed together. I didn’t see until I had it going that the recipe was for 6qt. Pots and not 8qt. Until I already had it layered in the pot. Also, I used thin spaghetti and hoped it would work since it’s slightly bigger than angel hair. It was amazing!!! My son loved it and I kept telling my family how nice it was to just have one pot dirty instead of three different ones. I did have a little spaghetti stick to the bottom of the pot, but nothing was burned. I’m slowly gaining confidence in making more things!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad to hear it, Michelle!💖
Francine says
I made this dish for dinner tonight and it was a HUGE HIT! Our stove gave out a few weeks ago so we’ve been utilizing our microwave, toaster oven, air fryer and 8qt Instapot. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, marjorie!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Francine!! 💖 I am so glad y’all enjoyed it.🙌🏻
Trish says
So glad I found this recipe! Prior to the pandemic, I didn’t cook much, but now I cook pretty much every night. This is perfect for nights when I just want something quick and yummy. It’s nice to not have to constantly watch the pot of pasta. Pasta comes out perfect every time. Thanks.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Trish! I am so glad you are enjoying it.💖
Melanie Barbour says
This was the very first recipe that I tried with my instant pot. it turned out AMAZING! i’m so in love with it.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Woo hoo, Melanie!🙌🏻 I am so glad. And thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a rating.
Theresa says
So I have two questions
First if I want to use ground turkey what do I do differently?
Second my husband doesn’t like normal spaghetti noodles what other noodles can I use?
Thanks in advance
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I think ground turkey would need no adjustments. I am not sure about what other type of pasta. Some would be half-way sticking out of the water (due to shape), and I am not sure how that would work out. 🤔
Theresa says
We made it with ground turkey and spaghetti noodles turned out great it made great leftovers too
puebloperson says
(sorry, caps not seeming to work)
I must be living a charmed life. Have an 8 qt model and no problems. The only thing I do different is I don’t do the hamburger portion, I’ll either buy a meat sauce or have pre-made meatballs I add at serving. No burn warning at all.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad you are making this and enjoying it (without the burn error!) in an 8 quart.🙌🏻 Thank you so much for letting me know. Sorry about the caps too! This is an issue with my commenting system that I am going to have to hire somebody to help me fix. I haven’t been able to fix it myself.
Bob Johnson says
I’ve made this at least 6 or 7 times and it’s always been great. I followed the recipe exactly the first time, but have since modified it for my tastes. I now use 1 lb of ground beef, plus 1/2 lb of hot Italian sausage (browned together). After putting the meat back in on top of the pasta, I pile 1/2 lb of fresh sliced crimini mushrooms and one can (drained) of black olives on top. I then pour on the sauce, plus one can of tomato paste. When I open up the pot, I pour in about a glassful (6 oz) of Riesling before stirring everything together. The sweetness of the wine makes a nice complement to the bite of the sausage. Yummy!
On a side note, I pretty much always get the dreaded “burn” warning. I’ve learned to just ignore it, and pay attention to a clock rather than the IP’s display to make sure my cook times are good. No issues. I’m using the 6 Qt Nova Plus 60 Instant Pot.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That sure sounds delicious! Glad you are enjoying it.
Lindsay says
I just tried your recipe in an 8qt and angel hair pasta! 🤗 I actually used 1 24oz jar of sauce, 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with liquid and 1 jar full of water. Pressure cooked On high 1 minute and quick released the pressure! Came out perfect! Noodles called for 6-8 minutes cooking time on the bag!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Good to know what works for angel hair! Thank you for taking the time to circle back and leave a comment ant rating!🙏🏻💖
Cristina Del Llano says
Thanks so much for the recipe; it came out perfectly!!!! I will never make spaghetti any other way – no messy stovetop or multiple pots and colander to wash!!! Amazing!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Cristina! I am glad you enjoyed it.