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Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Spaghetti cooked right in its meat sauce, all in the one pot. No colander, no second pan, and dinner in about half an hour.

About 35 min 6 servings Easy
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Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

One pot, no colander

Spaghetti usually means a big pot of water, a colander in the sink, and a second pan for the sauce. Here it is one pot and no colander. The noodles cook in the sauce and the water, right on top of the beef.

It tastes like the spaghetti I grew up on, the kind where the sauce and the noodles are one thing instead of two. Five minutes under pressure and dinner is on the table. The washing up is one pot and a spoon.

Two small rules that make it work

Break the spaghetti in half and spread it out pointing in different directions. Noodles in a pile cook in a clump. Noodles spread out cook loose. When the time is up, open the valve right away and let the steam rush out. That is a quick release, and it stops the pasta before it goes soft.

The second rule is the sauce. Spoon it over the top and leave it there. Do not stir it down to the bottom, where it can scorch and set off the burn warning. For another pasta night in the same pot, the tomato parmesan penne runs on the same trick.

THE RECIPE

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Serves 6 · Total time 35 min · Easy

Prep
10 min
Pressure
5 min
Release
Quick

Amounts are written for a 6-quart cooker. Total time includes estimated pressurization and release.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Set the pot to Sauté and warm the olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink. Drain off the fat.
  2. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  3. Pour in the water. Lay the spaghetti over the meat pointing in different directions, so the noodles stay apart instead of landing in one clump. Push them down into the water where you can.
  4. Spoon the marinara sauce over the top in an even layer. Do not stir. Sauce that sits on top, away from the bottom of the pot, is much less likely to trigger the burn warning.
  5. Lock the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes. When it beeps, open the valve right away and let the steam rush out. That is a quick release. Wait until the float valve drops before you open the lid.
  6. Stir everything well, breaking up any noodles that stuck together. Let it sit for 2 minutes and the sauce will thicken. Serve with the parmesan on top.

PER SERVING

Nutrition breakdown

ESTIMATED

520 calories per serving.

Protein27 g · 21% of macro calories
Carbs58 g · 46% of macro calories
Fat19 g · 33% of macro calories
Fibre
5 g
Sugars
9 g
Sodium
780 mg
Saturated fat
7 g

Approximate values based on the listed ingredients and 6 servings. Brands and substitutions can change the totals.

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