Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce is a staple recipe! This classic tomato sauce tastes like it has been simmered all day, but comes together in less than 1 hour, thanks to the pressure cooker. Make a large batch of this Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce to always have on hand when needed!
Use this delicious homemade tomato sauce for Oven Baked Meatballs, Baked Rotini, Lasagna Soup, or Instant Pot Lasagna. And if you don’t have a pressure cooker, check out my Stove Top Tomato Sauce Recipe.
Hands down I prefer homemade tomato sauce over store bought sauce!
BUT, homemade spaghetti sauce is time consuming, as it takes hours of simmering to develop those rich flavors we all love in a good homemade tomato sauce.
Thanks to the Instant Pot, I have taken my recipe for Homemade Tomato Sauce and sped up the process!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
With a few simple steps, it is easy to have a rich, delicious tomato sauce that tastes like it has been simmered all day in under an hour.
This recipe for spaghetti sauce is rich, thick, and full of subtle Italian flavors and is made with simple pantry staples–no fresh tomatoes or spices are needed for this recipe!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Tomato Sauce
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Olive Oil
- Onions
- This is optional, but I love to add sauteed onions for an extra depth of flavor.
- Garlic
- Fresh garlic cloves are best. Just crush them slightly to allow the garlic flavor to be released
- Dried Herbs
- Dried Parsley
- Dried Oregano
- Red Pepper Flakes–just to perk up your palate a bit.
- Bay leaves
- Butter
- Adds a great depth of flavor and richness to your sauce.
- Feel free to omit to keep this Dairy-Free
- Honey
- Helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Feel free to sub out for sugar or omit altogether.
- Vegetable Stock/Wine
- This gives the sauce the liquid it needs to cook in pressure cooker.
- I personally like to use a mixture of dry red wine and stock for flavor, but all stock or even water will work. For dry red wine, choose a merlot or cabernet that is suitable for drinking.
How to Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Step One: Saute Onions
- Heat Instant Pot, using saute function.
- Once pressure cooker is heated, add in olive oil and onions.
- Saute for 1-2 minutes or until onions begin to soften.
Step Two: Add Tomato Sauce Ingredients
- Pour in wine and stock.
- Pour in tomato sauce, garlic, dried herbs, and butter into pressure cooker.
- Stir gently.
- Dollop tomato paste on top of tomato sauce and dot drizzle with honey.
- Let the tomato paste sit on top of the tomato sauce so it will not cause a burn notice.
- Mix into sauce once cook time has elapsed.
Step Three: Pressure Cook
- Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
Step Four: Allow Pressure to Release
- Allow pressure to release for at least 10-15 minutes, or naturally.
Step Five: Store Spaghetti Sauce
- Use spaghetti sauce right away, or store in glass or freezer safe containers.
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce keeps for 5-7 days in fridge.
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce freezes for 3-4 months.
Use Instant Pot Tomato Sauce for:
- The World’s Best Oven Baked Meatballs
- Instant Pot Creamy Italian Pasta
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
- Instant Pot Lasagna
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion minced
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsely
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon butter or additional olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot, using saute function. Once pressure cooker is heated, add in olive oil and onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until onions begin to soften.
- Add stock/wine or water to instant pot. Scrape up any browned bit that may have formed on bottom of the instant pot.
- Pour in wine and stock. Pour in crushed tomatoes (or sauce), garlic, and dried herbs, into pressure cooker. Stir gently.
- Dollop tomato paste on top of sauce mixture and drizzle with honey. Add butter to top of ingredients. DO NOT STIR. Secure lid on Instant Pot and make sure vent knob is sealed.
- Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release at least 10 to 15 minutes before doing quick release. Remove bay leaf, stir well and use accordingly.
Notes
- Use spaghetti sauce right away, or store in glass or freezer safe containers.
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce keeps for 5-7 days in fridge.
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce freezes for 3-4 months.
- For Dry Red Wine, I suggest a Cabernet or Merlot wine.
To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce, You May Need
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Thanks so much for being a part of A Mind Full Mom!
- Heat Instant Pot, using saute function.
- Once pressure cooker is heated, add in olive oil and onions.
- Saute for 1-2 minutes or until onions begin to soften.
Kristen Chidsey
Latest posts by Kristen Chidsey (see all)
- Homemade Taco Seasoning - January 27, 2020
- Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice - January 24, 2020
- Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies - January 23, 2020
I made this sauce last night. It was delicious! I will no longer be spending 4 hours making a sauce. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe.
Yay Carol! I so happy you enjoyed it so much and that it will save you time😊
This recipe is amazing 😉… would it be ok to add pork chops, Or is 25 min to long to cook them?
I am so glad you enjoy this sauce! As for cooking pork chops, 25 minutes is much too long. Sorry.
Just made this sauce for the first time and it won’t be the last. I am wondering it would be ok to add some sweet basil and if so how much? I’m thinking about a 1/2 a teaspoon.
What is your thought on this?
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much Doug! And yes, 1/2-1 teaspoon dried basil would make a great addition.
This was easy and faster than I thought. I used chicken broth b/c I didn’t have any vegetable broth and it came out delicious. Will make it again. Thanks!
I am so glad you had success and enjoyed this recipe Mary Anne 🙂
So delish and so easy!
Hi Kara! I am so glad you enjoyed!
Can I use fresh tomatoes for the tomatoes sauce? If so…what would you do and how much
Hi Michal! For fresh tomatoes, use 2 pounds quartered fresh tomatoes. I would only add in 1/2 cup stock and 1/4 cup wine as tomatoes have a lot of liquid. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
YES!!! The very first recipe I tried on the website was the meatballs and when I saw this linked out, I immediately bookmarked it and knew it was going to be a matter of time before I tried it. Holy crap! It blew me away. I even messed up and forgot the salt and pepper, and it STILL turned awesome! Can’t wait for an excuse to make it again!
Oh Amber! I am so glad you loved this recipe so much! My family adores this sauce and it makes my heart so happy to hear yours does as well 🙂 I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy!
Could you use chicken broth in place of vegetable broth with out changing the taste to much?
Absolutely!
hello! if I want to sub out the honey for sugar, how much sugar would I add? Thank you!!
Hi Nicole! I would add 1 tablespoon 😊 enjoy!
For a single batch, is it 2 total cups of wine/stock, or 4? The ingredient list says one each but in comments it states 2 each.
Sorry for the confusion Ruth, the recipe is correct as written.
Have you ever sealed the jars and kept them in the pantry for a couple of months???
Hi Alice! You would need to can the sauce in order to be able to do store this Spaghetti Sauce in the pantry.
I recently made this sauce after picking Eggplant from the garden to make eggplant parmesan, both the sauce and dinner was delicious. I I’m now left wondering how many cups of sauce this recipe makes? I didn’t think to measure at the time and I am in the process of operating an Italian food booth at a festival and would like to make this sauce for this dishes I’ll be serving. Im estimating that in total I’ll need about 40 quarts all together.
Hi Laura, I am so glad you enjoyed the sauce so much! I would have loved to have had the fresh eggplant with you–YUM! This sauce makes about just a little over 2 quarts.
Can the recipe be doubled?
Hi Jacqueline, as long as your instant pot does not exceed 2/3 of the way full (and you do a natural pressure release) you can double this recipe 🙂
Thanks
Please state an example of the type of wine you would use dry red doesnt clarify enough to your readers who are not educated on wine and wish to gain some basic knowledge. I do know cooking wine is a no no, but being faced with rows of wine bottles in the grocery store, I have no clue what to buy and no one to ask. PS please clarify this on all recipes that include wine. Thank you.
That is a good point Lee! For dry red wine I would suggest a Cabernet or Merlot.
2 C. dry red wine or vegetable stock
2 C. vegetable stock
Do I need to add a total of 4 cups of vegetable stock?
It is only 2 cups total–so 2 cups vegetable stock, if not using wine.
I am definitely trying this recipe. I love making homemade sauce but I find it’s getting too time consuming. Thank you for the recipe. 💜
Best of both worlds—easy and homemade taste. I hope you enjoy!
Great Sauce! Family loved it. I had to slow cook it on the stove top as my IP kept coming up “Burn”. Wondering if others had this problem as well. Any thoughts on how to prevent. I did double the recipe and added small can of dice tomatoes.
Hi Ted! Glad you enjoyed the flavor. As for the burn notice, a couple questions–did you put the thin liquid in first and then the tomato sauce or did you start with the tomato sauce? Did you scrape off bottom of instant pot after sauteing? Did you dollop with tomato paste or stir into sauce? Tomato paste can cause a burn notice as well. And do you have a 6 or 8 quart model? The 8 quart is a bit more prone to burn notice. Happy to help you troubleshoot!
Can you can this sauce?
Absolutely😊
I was looking for an IP pasta sauce recipe without ground beef and your Grandma had it down pat. Quick (important!) and tasty using basic ingredients that everyone is likely to have on hand. I will be making this over and over. My only timid suggestion is perhaps a teaspoon of lemon juice to make it pop. Other than that, in the future, I’ll be tempted to add sliced mushrooms, chopped carrots, sliced celery and/or, maybe, just a few sliced olives but that’s just me. Thanks so much for posting a timeless recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed Bob! And I love the lemon juice idea! I am glad you will be enjoying this recipe in the future 🙂
You included 1 Tablespoon of Honey Twice in the Ingredients. Do I need 1 Tablespoon or 2 Tablespoons. Not sure if the Honey was listed twice as an oversight or not. Please advise
That was an oversight Lynn. SORRY! You only need 1 tablespoon of honey.
Haven’t made this yet, but was perusing the recipe and it mentions adding “tomato sauce” with the wine and stock, do you mean the crushed tomatoes?
Yes that is correct. Sorry for the confusion. Hope you enjoy
This sauce was amazing! So easy and delicious. I won’t buy another jar of sauce again. Thanks, Kristen!
I love hearing that Susan! I just made it last night to stock back up!!
Bay leaf(s) are mentioned twice, but aren’t actually in the list of ingredients. The instructions on the top mention not to stir in the tomato paste so it won’t burn; but the instructions on the recipe card state to stir gently.
I am so sorry! All errors are fixed!
Question: You mention using garlic in the ingredients discussion at the top, but never discuss how to incorporate them in either of the recipe sections. How many do you use? When should they be added to the sauce?
Thanks!
Great catch! Sorry about that! I updated the recipe card. I use 3 cloves crushed garlic–but you can use 1 tablespoon minced if you prefer.
Love how quick and easy it is to make homemade spaghetti sauce!
Me too!!! Makes meal prep so much easier.
I don’t use my IP presser cooker nearly as often as I should. This recipe looks delicious. I’ll even bring my cooker out of the coset to make it!