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!