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With perfectly cooked spaghetti in a rich and hearty meat sauce, this Instant Pot Spaghetti is a fail-proof recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes!
Kristen's Keys for Perfect Instant Pot Spaghetti
Paying attention to these things will ensure noodles that are al dente, not mushy AND help you avoid the dreaded burn notice.
- Use the RIGHT type of noodles. The timing is based on using regular spaghetti noodles, not angel hair or linguine noodles.
- Layer with Care. Crisscross the noodles in an alternating pattern, add the meat on top of the noodles, and always add the spaghetti sauce last. This will keep the noodles moist as they cook AND prevent the spaghetti sauce from burning while under pressure.
- Yes, you must break the noodles. In order for the spaghetti to fit and cook properly, it must be broken in half. I promise it does not impact the flavor.😉
- Use Exact Timing. I have experimented dozens and dozens of times to perfect cooking pasta in the Instant Pot. The formula I have landed on for spaghetti is to cook for 5 minutes on high pressure followed by EXACTLY 5 minutes of natural pressure release.
5-Star Reader Review
This is an excellent quick weeknight meal. The half sized spaghetti noodles fit nicely in the Instant Pot. I add mushrooms and olives too! Thank you for figuring out how to make this meal foolproof! Very Tasty! -Jan
How to Make Instant Pot Spaghetti
This section will help guide you through the process of making spaghetti in the Instant Pot, regardless if you are just learning how to use the Instant Pot or a seasoned pro.
Step One: Sauté Meat (Optional)
If you would like to add ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, or sausage) to the spaghetti, start by cooking the meat with the onion using the sauté function.
- Hit sauté on the Instant Pot, add in a bit of oil and let heat briefly.
- Once heated, add in the ground meat and minced onion and cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- Once nearly cooked through, add in the garlic to briefly toast for just 30-60 seconds.
- Then hit cancel to turn off sauté function. Remove the cooked meat from the inner pot, drain off any grease, and reserve for later.
- To prevent a burn warning, deglaze the inner pot by adding a bit of the broth to the inner pot and use a spoon or spatula to scrape off any browned bits of the bottom of the inner pot.
Meatless? If you are opting to make Instant Pot Spaghetti without the addition of ground meat, skip this step and simply begin the recipe by layering the noodles right inside the inner pot.
Step Two: Layer Ingredients
Again, let me state the way the ingredients are layered inside the Instant Pot is key to success. Don't be tempted to deviate from the order.
- Break the spaghetti noodles in half and carefully layer in the inner pot in an alternating pattern so that each layer goes in the opposite direction of the next. This is key to preventing the noodles from sticking together while they pressure cook.
- Pour the remaining stock over the noodles. It is okay if they are not fully submerged.
- Add the cooked meat over the noodles
- Finally, top with spaghetti sauce and do not stir.
Step Three: Pressure Cook
For perfectly cooked spaghetti,you must cook for 5 minutes on high pressure followed by EXACTLY 5 minutes of natural pressure release.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the vent, and set to cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, leave the Instant Pot alone for exactly 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, release the remaining pressure by carefully knocking the vent knob from sealed to venting. Stand back to prevent your face and hands from being burned by the steam released.
Step Four: Stir
After pressure cooking, give everything a good mix to combine. I find using tongs works really well. You will notice that as you stir that the pasta will quickly absorb the residual liquid, resulting in perfectly cooked and sauced spaghetti.
Still liquid left in the pot? If you find the noodles haven't absorbed the liquid after stirring, pop the lid back on the Instant Pot and let the past sit for a minute or two and stir again.
Step Five: Serve
While Instant Pot Spaghetti can stand alone as a hearty meal, I often like to round it out with salad and/or bread. Try pairing with a tossed Greek salad or copycat Olive Garden salad and homemade garlic toast or warm bread and bread dipping oil. YUM!
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free? The only brand of gluten-free noodles I have found to work in this recipe are Barilla gluten-free spaghetti noodles. Other brands release a lot of starch as they cook, which gives the dish an unpleasant flavor and can cause a burn notice.
- Vegetarian: Omit the meat and use vegetable broth in place of chicken stock.
- In Place of Jarred Spaghetti Sauce: Opt to use your favorite homemade spaghetti sauce or leftover Instant Pot Spaghetti sauce. While you can mix up a quick sauce to pour over the noodles, it won't be quite as flavorful as using a sauce that proper time to simmer. For Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, mix together 24 ounces crushed tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ½ teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt together until well combined and use in place of jarred sauce.
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
This simple all-in-one Instant Pot dinner delivers a comforting bowl of pasta that is possible on even the busiest of nights. And for more easy Instant Pot pasta recipes, browse some favorite below:
Instant Pot Spaghetti
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat of choice, optional
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock, divided
- 16 ounces spaghetti noodles, regular or whole wheat
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce, homemade or jarred*
- Parmesan Cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Hit the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add in a bit of oil and let heat for 30-60 seconds. Once heated, add in the ground beef and minced onion. Sauté the beef and onion together, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it browns. Once almost fully browned, add in the minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute to finish cooking the beef and lightly toast the garlic.
- Once the meat is browned, turn the Instant Pot off by hitting cancel. Remove meat from the inner pot, drain off any grease, and reserve the meat for later.
- Return the inner pot back to the Instant Pot. Add in ½ cup of broth to the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot to prevent a burn warning.
- Break the spaghetti noodles in half and add layer them inside the inner pot in a criss-crossing fashion, to prevent the noodles from clumping together.
- Pour the remaining 3½ cups of broth over the noodles. Gently submerge the noodles into the liquid using a spoon as best you can. It is okay if they are not fully submerged. Top the noodles with the browned meat mixture meat and the prepared spaghetti sauce.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is pointed to sealed. Set to cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes by hitting pressure cook or manual and then using the +/- buttons to adjust until the timing reads 5.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, let pressure release for EXACTLY 5 minutes naturally. Then release any remaining pressure by using a wooden spoon to knock the vent knob from sealing to venting, being careful to stand away from any steam that may be released.
- Open the Instant Pot and gently toss the noodles and sauce together. Serve with Parmesan Cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2026.
OMG!!!!! This is absolutely wonderful. I added a small green bell pepper and 2 stalks of chopped celery. It tasted great and i will never cook spaghetti sauce for hours again. Thank you so much for this recipe. It really turned out great just like your other vrecipies i have tried in my instant pot!!
Hi Annette! So happy to hear you enjoyed this spaghetti as much as my other Instant Pot recipes! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and let us know the changes you made. I hope you find many more recipe to enjoy!
Just made this today & it’s so good & simple. I had already browned ground beef so I didn’t add onion and it’s still delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Kathy! Thrilled to hear you enjoyed!
Made this tonight and it was a hit! Spaghetti is my favorite meal and this didn't disappoint. Thank you for the recipe!
You are so very welcome! I am thrilled you enjoyed this method for preparing your favorite meal!
Made all the adjustments as indicated in previous review and had perfect success. Turned out delicious.
Kristen, I need some guidance on this recipe please. I made the sauce recipe you included, but used 28 oz. of crushed tomatoes instead of 24 oz. Most cans are 28 oz., I think. I didn't have regular spaghetti, only thin spaghetti so I set the timer for 3 minutes since we like it al dente. I did use a bit less water because of the 4 extra ounces of crushed tomatoes used. After building pressure for about 20 minutes, the burn message came on so it never came to pressure. I did scrape the bottom well after browning the meat. We really liked the flavor of the sauce, but know adjustments need to be made to prevent the burn notice again. Would you suggest using a different type of pasta (penne, shells, etc.), or should I decrease the crushed tomatoes to 24 oz. and increase the water to 4 cups as indicated? Another possibility is to make the sauce thinner. It was pretty thick due to the 6 oz. can of tomato paste, but then it may end up being too saucy. In spite of it being burned on the bottom, I want to try it again since it was so good otherwise. It was great topped with some homemade pesto. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your suggestions.
Hi Sharon! I am sorry you had issues. Thin spaghetti does not work for this recipe. I would recommend regular noodles (or penne works) with the full amount of water (that is key in this recipe--28 ounces of tomatoes is totally fine) More importantly, did you layer the broth, noodles, then additional broth (or water) with homemade sauce and meat? That is another key. Also, be sure to check your seal on your lid. Let me know if you have any other questions or this didn't help 🙂
Thank you so much, Kristen, for your prompt reply. I will try it again with regular spaghetti or penne. I did do all the layering as the recipe directed, but now I realize I needed to do an additional 1/2 cup of broth (and not subtract it from the 4 cups of water). Will be trying to again soon with all your recommendations.
That will make a difference. Glad we figured it out.