Hello! I have not posted an Instant Pot recipe in a few months and thought I’d share my quick and easy recipe for Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.

It’s simple comfort food: Filling, tender spaghetti tossed in a delicious meat sauce made with lean ground beef, vegetables, select dried herbs and spices, crushed tomatoes, and beef broth that’s just so satisfying.

I’ve been into trying out pastas made from alternative ingredients. So far, I’m loving spaghetti made with lentil flour, which has added protein.

Finish this pasta dish with plenty of cheese (I like cheddar and parmesan). Sprinkle some green parsley as a garnish too if you want.

This recipe is adapted from my husband’s stove-top version that is truthfully just as fast to make. However, the difference is that the Instant Pot method uses only one pot (the stove-top method needs multiple) and you don’t even need to drain the pasta.

I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot spaghetti recipe!

How do you make this tasty pasta recipe?

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions available in the recipe card down below)

Sauteed onions and carrots in the Instant Pot.

In a heated Instant Pot, add olive oil, then sauté the carrots and onions until the onions are softened.

Sauteed vegetables and ground beef in the Instant Pot.

Add in the minced garlic and ground beef. Stir and break down the beef until brown.

Unmixed ground beef meat sauce in the Instant Pot.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with the herbs and spices. Stir to incorporate before mixing in a cup of beef broth.

Tip One: Scrap the bottom of the pot to remove and dissolve any brown bits. This will help prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of pot, which can lead to a “Burn” warning from the Instant Pot.

Randomly scattered dry spaghetti on top of meat sauce in the Instant Pot.

Scatter the spaghetti on top of the other ingredients in different directions (overlap is okay). DO NOT stir together. Pour the remaining cup of beef broth over the pasta. Press the pasta down gently to touch the broth.

Tip Two: The random arrangement of the pasta will help prevent it from sticking to one another.

Spaghetti and meat sauce in the Instant Pot.

Seal the Instant Pot and cook at high pressure for five minutes, then allow natural release for another five minutes, before giving it a quick release. Open and gently toss to incorporate the pasta and sauce together.

Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce on a white plate topped with cheese and parsley.

Plate and top with cheese and parsley if you like. Enjoy!

A closeup view of a fork holding Instant Pot spaghetti and meat sauce with cheese and parsley.

Here are four more Instant Pot dinner recipes to check out!

A side view of spaghetti and meat sauce with parsley and cheese on a white plate.

Overall, this Instant Pot pasta recipe is:

Delicious and filling: Simple spaghetti and ground beef meat sauce is wonderful comfort food.
Easy to put together: It takes around 15 minutes to prepare and is made all in the Instant Pot (for easy clean-up!).
Perfect to make for a weeknight meal or quick lunch.
Made from scratch: You know all the ingredients going into this recipe and so you can adjust and adapt to your taste.
Scalable: This recipe can be halved or doubled depending on how much you need.
Great as leftovers for the next day.

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce on a white plate with a fork holding the pasta on top of another white plate.

Did you make this Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe? If you did, please leave me a rating and comment down below or tag me on any of my social media. I’m @yay_for_food on Instagram. I’d love a picture!

Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Name: Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 oz. dry spaghetti pasta, broken in half; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 medium carrots, diced; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ½ lb. lean ground beef; 1½ cups crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried basil; 1 tsp fennel seeds; ½ tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional); 2 cups beef broth, low sodium, divided; Salt and pepper, to taste; Shredded cheddar cheese (or your choice of cheese); Chopped parsley (optional)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Enjoy a delicious, satisfying dinner with this Instant Pot spaghetti recipe. Featuring a simple meat sauce, it's the perfect family meal.

Ingredients

For the pasta:

8 oz. dry spaghetti pasta, broken in half

For the meat sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ lb. lean ground beef
1½ cups crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups beef broth, low sodium, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the topping:

Shredded cheddar cheese (or your choice of cheese)
Chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to "sauté". Pour in a tablespoon of olive oil and add in the carrots and onions. Using a wooden spoon (or heatproof spatula), stir until the onions begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
Add in the garlic and ground beef, breaking down and mixing the beef with the vegetables, until browned.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Mix in one cup of beef broth, making sure to scrap the bottom of the pot to remove any brown bits. Press “cancel” to turn off the Instant Pot.
Scatter the spaghetti on top of the other ingredients randomly (in different directions, overlap is okay). DO NOT stir together.
Pour the remaining beef broth over the top of the spaghetti. Press the pasta down slightly so that the majority touches the broth (it’s fine if some of it sticks out).
Seal the Instant Pot and cook at high pressure (“manual”/"pressure cook" function) for 5 minutes *(see first note). After it is ready, allow natural pressure release for 5 minutes before applying a quick pressure release to completely depressurize (until the floating valve drops).
Open the Instant Pot and give the ingredients a gentle toss to incorporate everything together. Taste for additional salt and pepper.
Plate and top with cheese and parsley if you like. Best served immediately.

Notes

*It takes 5-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
Nutritional information represents one serving for a total of four servings.

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Instant Pot - 6 Qt

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 603mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 24g

Nutritional values are estimated based on the ingredients used by the author; your ingredients may differ. These values are calculated using Nutritionix.

Thanigaivelan

Thursday 24th of October 2019

This meat sauce is too tasty...I really enjoyed it. Too yummy.

Marie | Yay! for Food

Friday 25th of October 2019

Thank you!

Bernice Hill

Friday 4th of October 2019

This is GREAT! I love my instant pot, but I've never done spaghetti and meatsauce in one go. I love that you don't need a separate pot for boiling the spaghetti. Pinning for later!

Saturday 5th of October 2019

Thanks Bernice! I appreciate you sharing the recipe too!

Patricia @ Grab a Plate

What a great way to make an easy & delish dinner! This looks like something that I want on rotation at my house!

Thanks so much Patricia! It's so easy to make.