Instant Pot Spaghetti

This Instant Pot Spaghetti is a quick one-pot wonder, packed with seasoned Italian sausage and a robust marinara. Super quick, super easy, and downright delicious!

Instant Pot Spaghetti is part of our Back-To-School Lifesavers — a series of recipes that are intended to have little (or no) veggie chopping, minimal prep time, around 10 ingredients or less (not including pantry staples), and use kid-friendly ingredients. Click here to see all the recipes in the series!

Instant Pot Spaghetti

We all know spaghetti is the hero of hectic weeknights. It’s fast, uses those trusty pantry staples, and is always a crowd pleaser. Sure, the stovetop version has its charm (this One-Pot Spaghetti has saved dinner countless times), but let’s chat about pressure cooker spaghetti and how it removes the need to stand over the pan and watch. It’s like waving a magic wand! Simple, speedy, and bursting with robust flavors! People might think you’ve been stirring and simmering a marinara all day to get these kinds of flavors. But in reality? Just 8 minutes of pressure-cooking magic!

Give your bowl of spaghetti the perfect finishing touch with some fresh Parmesan cheese and a dash of parsley, and voila! It’s like eating at a chic Italian bistro. It’s just the kind of recipe magic we need, especially during the bustling back-to-school season!

Instant Pot Spaghetti Ingredients

• Olive oil: Just a drizzle is all we need to prevent that delicious sausage from sticking to our pot.
• Ground Italian sausage: Feeling mild or spicy today? It’s all up to you! And hey, if you’re craving some extra heat, just sprinkle in some red pepper flakes later on—or let everyone customize their own plate.
• Yellow onion: Little tip to save your tears: pop the onion in the fridge for about half an hour before chopping.
• Minced garlic: Jarred garlic is quickest here, but if you’re wanting a bolder garlic flavor use fresh garlic.
• Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and pepper: These are our foundational seasonings for flavor in this dish.
• Spaghetti: Stick to regular spaghetti noodles for this recipe. Those thin, thick, or gluten-free versions might throw off our cooking time, and we haven’t tested these varieties yet.
• Rao’s® marinara: Trust me, this stuff is gold. The magic it brings in terms of flavor and texture is unparalleled. Your sauce is a big player in this spaghetti game, so go for the best possible marinara here!
• Water: A little tip: using filtered water can elevate that clean, fresh taste even more.
• Tomato Sauce: Like with the marinara, the better the sauce, the tastier the dish. If you’re reaching for a more budget-friendly option, a tiny sprinkle of sugar can help balance out any excess acidity.

Instant Pot Spaghetti Toppings

• Trust us, freshly grated Parmesan trumps pre-grated any day. It melts like a dream and packs a flavor punch that’s simply unmatched. Grab a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it right over the dish using a microplane. Not only will it elevate the aesthetic, but it also gives an awesome finishing seasoning to round out your flavors.
• For parsley, flat-leaf (Italian) parsley tends to have a more robust flavor than curly parsley. It adds a nice burst of freshness to this Instant Pot Spaghetti.

How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti (Tips)

• Prevent sticking: Before adding ingredients, use olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. It’ll prevent the sausage and other ingredients from sticking and burning.
• Deglaze the pot: After browning the sausage, make sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. This will keep you from getting the dreaded burn notice on the Instant Pot screen.
• Criss-cross spaghetti: To prevent the spaghetti from sticking together, ensure you place them in a criss-cross pattern. This not only prevents clumping but also ensures even cooking. 
• Seal properly: Make sure the Instant Pot’s sealing ring is properly placed, and the valve is set to the ‘sealing’ position before pressure cooking. This will ensure that the pot comes to pressure as intended.

Tips, Continued

• Stay nearby for quick release: This Instant Pot Spaghetti can become mushy if overcooked. Be around to release the pressure immediately once the cooking cycle ends.
• Be patient post-cooking: Once done, give the spaghetti a few minutes to rest before stirring. This allows the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly on its own.
• Stirring post-cooking: Right after pressure cooking, the mixture might look a bit watery. Give it a thorough stir and let it sit for a few minutes. The sauce will thicken up as it cools a bit.
• Al dente noodles: If you prefer your spaghetti with a bit more bite, reduce the pressure cooking time by one minute.

What To Serve With Instant Pot Spaghetti

1. Garlic bread: A classic choice! Crispy garlic bread, dinner rolls, or garlic knots are perfect for soaking up any leftover sauce on your plate.
2. Caesar salad: Fresh, crisp, and creamy, a Caesar salad with some crunchy croutons offers a refreshing contrast to the rich spaghetti.
3. Roasted vegetables: Consider roasted Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or broccoli as a nutritious and tasty side.
4. Caprese Salad: Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil leaves make a light and flavorful companion. Or try our popular Caprese Quinoa Salad!
5. Focaccia: This Italian olive oil-rich bread is a great side for any pasta dish.

More Instant Pot Faves:

• Instant Pot Risotto with frozen peas
• Salsa Verde Chicken with black beans and corn
• Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with the best sauce!
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup with tomatoes and black beans
• Shredded Beef Enchiladas with pressure-cooked meat

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5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Spaghetti

By Chelsea Lords

Instant Pot Spaghetti is a quick one-pot wonder, packed with seasoned Italian sausage and a robust marinara. Super quick, super easy, and downright delicious!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 pound ground Italian sausage (mild or spicy -- up to you!)
• ▢ 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, fine sea salt, and pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 jar (24 oz) Rao's® marinara sauce (Note 1)
• ▢ 4½ cups water
• ▢ 2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
• ▢ 16 oz (1 lb) spaghetti (Note 2)
• ▢ For serving: Parmesan cheese and parsley (Note 3)

Instructions 

• SAUSAGE: Set the Instant Pot to 'sauté' mode. Add olive oil, followed by the Italian sausage. Sear for about 1 minute on each side before adding in the onion, garlic, and seasonings. Cook until the sausage is fully browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Turn off the Instant Pot.
  
• SAUCE: Pour the marinara sauce into the pot. Fill the empty marinara jar with 2 cups water, shake to combine, then pour into the pot. Add the remaining 2½ cups water and the tomato sauce; stir to combine. Break the spaghetti strands in half. Fan them out in a criss-cross pattern on top of the sauce. Gently press down on the spaghetti, submerging it under the liquid.
  
• PRESSURE COOK: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealed position. Select 'manual' mode, and set it to high pressure for 8 minutes. Once done, quickly release the pressure to prevent overcooking the spaghetti. Upon opening, the mixture might seem liquid-y. Stir thoroughly, allowing the sauce to thicken and combine with the pasta. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed (I'll typically add another ½ tsp salt).
  
• ENJOY: Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Marinara sauce: This recipe is relying on a really good-quality, flavorful marinara sauce for flavor. And Rao's® is hands-down our favorite! Rao’s Marinara has lovely additions like olive oil, onions, garlic, basil, and more-- which add so much flavor to this recipe.

Note 2: Spaghetti: Stick to regular spaghetti for this recipe. Those thin, thick, or gluten-free versions have different cooking times, and we haven’t tested these varieties yet.

Note 3: Parmesan: We like to grab a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it right over the spaghetti using a microplane. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1463mg | Potassium: 970mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 825IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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