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INSTANT POT Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

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We decided to finally give spaghetti a try in the Instant Pot and it was a hit! My kids GOBBLED UP this Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce!

I love how simple this recipe is and that it only dirties ONE POT! Can’t beat that! The noodles are cooked in the sauce which gives them great flavor.

What you will need to make our INSTANT POT Spaghetti with Meat Sauce:

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef (or mild Italian sausage would be great)
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, optional
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 lb. spaghetti noodles
  • 1 24 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
  • 36 oz. water, 1 1/2 empty jars
  • 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, we used the basil, garlic & oregano flavor
  • 2 pats of butter, optional
  • salt and pepper to taste

To make our INSTANT POT Spaghetti with Meat Sauce:

Turn your Instant Pot to saute mode and wait for it to read “HOT.” You want to wait until it is hot to add the oil because that will help to make the pot non-stick. We made this in our 6 quart Instant Pot.

Once HOT add the tablespoon of olive oil and the onion. Cook for a couple minutes until translucent.

Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.

Now add the ground beef and brown. Next time I make Instant Pot spaghetti with meat sauce I am going to try it with Italian sausage. YUM!

A few years ago my parents taught me a trick to making jarred sauce taste more “homemade.” Just add some balsamic vinegar. I only added a half a tablespoon this time but you can do more, or none, depending on your taste. Using a good olive oil also makes the sauce taste more authentic, but I just used the cheap stuff this time.

Break the spaghetti in half and criss-cross on top of the meat. The noodles do tend to stick together, so the more they are separated before hand the better. I just did half the noodles one way and half the other way this time but will mix them up more next time.

Pour the sauce over the noodles, DO NOT STIR. We are BIG fans of Newman’s Own Sockarooni. Give it a try!

Next add the can of tomatoes. We used the kind with basil, garlic and oregano, but plain tomatoes will be fine. Once again, no stirring.

Time for the water. We just filled the spaghetti sauce jar 1 1/2 times. Now is the time to add salt and pepper to taste. Still no stirring. 🙂

Close the lid on the Instant Pot and ensure the valve is set to sealing. Set on High Pressure for 8 minutes.

When the time is up do a quick release by carefully turning the valve to venting. Once the pressure has released and the pin on top has dropped, you can open the lid. Steam will still release so I always open the lid away from myself. 🙂

Now give everything a good stir and let it sit for a couple minutes to absorb the liquid. For a richer flavor add a couple pats of butter.

We served ours with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

An easy, peasy, yummy dinner that the whole family will love!


INSTANT POT Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
This Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce is very simple to throw together and is a meal that the whole family will enjoy. The noodles cook right in the sauce which gives them great flavor. Use your favorite jarred spaghetti or marinara sauce. We used ground beef this time, but ground sausage would be great!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef (or mild Italian sausage would be great)
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, optional
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • ½ Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 lb. spaghetti noodles
  • 1 24 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
  • 36 oz. water, 1½ empty jars
  • 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, we used the basil, garlic & oregano flavor
  • 2 pats of butter, optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Set Instant Pot to saute
  2. Once the screen reads "HOT" add the olive oil and chopped onion
  3. Saute for a couple minutes until translucent
  4. Add the garlic and cook a minute more
  5. Next add the ground beef and cook until brown
  6. Turn the Instant Pot to off
  7. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and criss cross on top of the hamburger
  8. Pour the jar of spaghetti sauce on top of the noodles, do not stir
  9. Pour the tomatoes on top of the sauce, do not stir
  10. Add the water, do not stir
  11. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  12. Close the lid and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes
  13. Quick release the pressure and open the lid once pin has dropped
  14. Stir and add a couple pats of buttered if desired
  15. Let sit for a couple minutes to absorb the liquid
  16. Serve hot
  17. Top with cheese if you would like
  18. (Note: The time on the recipe does not account for the time to come to pressure. It can vary depending on the size of your pot, but count on around 10 minutes or so.)

We hope you love our Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce as much as we do! Let us know if you give it a try. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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