Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

A delicious Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe with Italian Sausage made in less than twenty minutes with simple ingredients, many of which you may already have on hand.

Course main meal pasta

Cuisine American

Keyword how to cook spaghetti in instant pot, how to make instant pot spaghetti, instapot spaghetti

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 820kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. Italian Sausage
½ sweet onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
½ tablespoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 ½ cups water
12 ounces spaghetti
32 ounces marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese optional

Instructions

Add the olive oil to the instant pot. Turn the pot to sauté and add the Italian Sausage. Brown the sausage breaking it up as you go. Halfway through the browning process, add the onion and continue cooking until the sausage is browned and the onions are soft.
Turn the instant pot off and add the garlic, marjoram, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Continue cooking with the residual heat while stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Pour in 1 1/4 cups water. Break the spaghetti in half and place in the pot crisscrossing the pasta as seen in the picture. Pour in 1 1/4 cups water and the marinara sauce making sure the pasta is down in the liquid.
Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. When it is done, use the quick-release valve and open the instant pot. Stir the pasta to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For best results, serve promptly.

Video

Notes

You can substitute ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken for the Italian sausage.
Turn off the instant pot before adding the garlic, marjoram, thyme, and red pepper. Stir continuously and let the residual heat cook the garlic and herbs.
Add half the water after cooking the sausage, onions, garlic, and herbs. Scrape the bottom of the pot well to remove any bits from the bottom of the pot. This will help avoid any BURN warning from the instant pot.
Break the spaghetti in half to fit in the pot, and arrange the spaghetti in a criss-cross pattern as you put it in the pot. See the picture above. This will keep it from sticking together.
Do not stir the pasta before cooking. Leave it in layers. Stirring it will make it sticky and gummy, so avoid doing that.
Make sure the cooking time is complete before pressing the quick release. On the flip side, let the pressure off after it is done cooking by pushing the quick-release button.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze for up to 3 months in a sturdy freezer container. For best results, cook the pasta al dente so it does not become overcooked when reheated. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition