Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni (Bolognese/Johnny Marzetti) with homemade meat sauce will feed a crowd in under 30 minutes, but tastes like you were cooking all day.
Instant Pot Beef and MacaroniMy husband loves meat with pasta, I’m the opposite. I like my pasta with just sauce and a dollop of ricotta cheese, that’s it. To keep the peace, I alternate between meatless pasta and a pasta with meat, whether it be a meat sauce or Hungryman Barbecue Meatballs on top of his pasta.
Imagine making a one pot pasta dish with a sauce that tastes like you cooked it all day. With your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, you can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
This Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni (Bolognese/Johnny Marzetti) is probably his favorite, as it is loaded with meat. This was cooked in my 8 Quart Pressure Cooker, which I absolutely love! The 8 quart size is fantastic if you need to double the recipe.
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni
Can Other Ground Meat Be Used?
- Certainly. You can use ground beef, turkey, chicken, rabbit, whatever protein you like for Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni.
We use ground turkey quite a bit, in place of beef. Since I prefer my pasta sans meat, I will make myself the Instant Pot Spaghetti Dinner and hubs can have his meat.
Pro Tip: Use spaghetti noodles and you’ve got spaghetti and meat sauce!
Sauté the Meat in your Pressure Cooker
After the pot is hot, add your oil and start to brown the meat.
If your meat is frozen, this Meat Mix N Chopper is great to use while sautéing to break the meat into small pieces! No one wants clumps of meat!
By the way, you are all invited to join my Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Facebook Group for more recipes and inspiration!
Brown Meat and Crush Fennel Seeds
Break up the meat really well and then add in the chopped onions.
For a super duper simple spaghetti dinner, check out my Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe and you will find an easy recipe using pre-made sauce and meatballs. That being said, you can use that recipe and use your own meatballs.
Sometimes you are in a rush and just want to toss everything into the pot and push a button. It is an incredible recipe I created years ago and it is now found all over the internet. People cannot get enough.
Use as Much Garlic as you Like
Sauté for a few minutes and then toss in the garlic and sauté for another minute.
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Should I Drain Out Excess Liquid?
- This is up to you. Fat adds lots of flavor. Some meat gives off more than others, so use your judgment.
- Ground turkey is a very dry and doesn’t give off much fat. In fact, I usually add a bit extra oil when sautéing ground turkey. We love flavor.
My Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce is great for those doing low carbs or wanting to enjoy a veggie with a spaghetti meal. That sauce is very similar to this, so if you love this Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni dinner, you will love the spaghetti squash meal just as well!
Rich and Flavorful Homemade Sauce
Add in the rest of the ingredients, except Cavatappi and mix to combine.
Why use jarred sauce when it is so easy to quickly make your own. Really nothing to do but toss in all the spices and tomatoes.
If you just want to make a big pot of Spaghetti Sauce in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, my Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Sauce takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and you will think it cooked all day. Use it for meatball submarine sandwiches!
Cute De Cecco Cavatappi
Dump in the Cavatappi, right from the box.
Does Brand of Pasta Matter?
- Absolutely it does. Very often I say to buy the best ingredients, which you can afford. For pasta however, while you should still buy the best you can afford, De Cecco holds up really well under pressure, so think about using this brand.
- Interestingly enough, it is super cheap when you buy this De Cecco Cavatappi Pasta on line here as you the prices are usually cheaper than in the grocery stores. You can get all shapes and most are in packs of 5 or 12, so you can take advantage of the lower pricing.
I do love the Cavatappi shape for this recipe though as it is just so cute and fun to eat. Any macaroni or pasta you like will work. Remember to check the notes section below for the TOG Pasta Rule of Thumb so you can find the cook time for your type of pasta or noodle.
Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni For Dinner
Give it a good stir. This is going to be wonderful!!!!
The Pasta Continues to Absorb Liquid
How yummy does this Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni look? The hubs really enjoyed this meal!
I love these Reditainer Extreme Freezer Containers and Freezer Labels. Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni freezes so well and is an excellent addition to those who love Freezer Meals.
There are only two of us in my home, so you can be sure that my freezer is stocked with leftovers.
Makes a Great Freezer Meal
The Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker makes it so easy to heat up, using the Pot in Pot Method.
Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni
Sprinkle on some Asiago, Parmesan, Pecorino, Romano, whatever you like. Chef Boyardee, see ya later! If you don’t want meat with your pasta, try my Pressure Cooker Quick Spaghetti Dinner.
More Pasta Recipes to Try:
- Instant Pot Creamy Baked Ziti
- Instant Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Instant Pot Steak Fajitas Pasta
- Instant Pot Jalapeno Macaroni Ham and Cheese
- Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- .A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Cilio Olivewood Spatula
- Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- De Cecco Cavatappi Pasta
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef (or turkey, chicken, Italian sausage, rabbit, bison)
- 1 pound Cavatappi or other Macaroni
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 medium Yellow/Brown Onion diced well
- 1/2 medium Green Bell Pepper diced (optional)
- 3 Cloves Fresh Garlic minced fine
- 28 ounces Pureed Tomatoes (Jersey Fresh)
- 15 ounce Tomato Sauce
- 3 ounces Tomato Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (2 Tbls if using turkey) (or fish sauce)
- 2 teaspoons Dried Basil
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley Flakes
- 2 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup Dry Red Wine a good Cabernet!
- 2.5 cups Fresh Water
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Select Sauté or Browning on your Pressure Cooker and allow it to heat.
- Add olive oil to the Pressure Cooker cooking pot and swirl to coat bottom.
- Add ground beef (or whichever ground meat you are using) and break and smash into pieces as you brown.
- When meat is partially brown, add onions (and peppers, if using) and sauté until meat is mostly brown.
- Add garlic and sauté one more minute.
- Drain excess grease, if needed. You don't need to drain if you don't want as the fat from the meat will add more flavor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Lock on the lid and close the Pressure Valve.
- Cook on High pressure for 4 minutes for Cavatappi Pasta. See notes for cooking times for other types and shapes of pasta or noodles.
- When Beep sounds, allow a 5 minute natural release, then carefully do a quick release.
- Top with freshly grated cheese.
Notes
This Old Gal's Pasta Rule of Thumb
- Look at package of pasta and find the variable cook time. Choose the lesser time given and then subtract 2 minutes. For example, if your package of pasta says "cook for 8 - 11 minutes," take that 8 minute number and cut it in half, which is 4. Then subtract 2 minutes from the 4 minutes and you will end up with the proper cook time. In this example the cook time will be 2 minutes.
- After the 2 minute pressure cook time is up, wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- If the variable cook time on your package of pasta is 11 - 16 minutes, err on the lesser side. In this instance, the cook time would be 3 minutes. It is better to end up with overly firm pasta rather than mushy because you can continue to cook the pasta, but if it is mushy, there is nothing you can do to correct.
- If the pasta is too firm or al dente for your taste, simply put the lid back on the pot and let the pasta sit in the hot pot. The residual heat will continue to cook the pasta. Check after a few minutes to see if the pasta has reached the perfect firmness for your liking. If not give it a stir and let sit some more.
Nutrition
PIN this Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni {Bolognese/Johnny Marzetti}!
Pressure Cooker Beef and Macaroni {Instant Pot Bolognese/Johnny Marzetti}
This was the first dish I made with the uncooked pasta as part of the recipe in the Instant Pot and it came out delicious. I have the ceramic non-stick inner pot and it took about 20 minutes to come to pressure. We will definitely be having this again.
This looks yummy, however, your picture shows diced tomatoes and your ingredients don’t mention it. So do I need the tomato sauce since the recipe calls for the puree? Or do I need both diced and sauce?
Question about making this a freezer meal–
Can the uncooked pasta be frozen with the other ingredients?
Hi Sandy. I would not do that, as all it does is take up freezer space. Jill
This looks delicious. Can it be made in 5 quart pressure cooker? Thank you!
Hi Lisa. This can be made in any size pressure cooker, any brand pressure cooker. Jill
Hello, I am trying to avoid canned items. Instead of the tomato sauce and the tomato paste, could I just add more pureed tomato?
Thanks!
Made this tonight and it was great. Thank you again for the great recipe.
I see Petite diced tomatoes in the pic. Did you use that in place of something else?
Once again, you rocked it! This is amazing! So easy and quick. My house smells divine!! Yay!!!
Jill, you rock! This recipe is so delicious, it will definitely become a regular in our home.
I used a 6-quart Instant Pot, but it would not seal and pressure cook.
It did cook regardless, but I’m curious as to why it would not pressurize (it’s a new model, only a few months old and I’ve never had a problem with it until now).
Is it because the mixture is too thick?
I’ve read that other folks have experienced this, but the answer wasn’t definitive.
From your vast experience using pressure cookers, does this sometime happen?
It still reached a point without sealing and started counting down.
Thanks kindly in advance.
One of your biggest fans (there are many!),
Bob
Hi Bob~
The number one reason, that some people have a problem with their pots not coming to pressure is due to not deglazing the pot thoroughly. If anything is left on the bottom of the pot after browning, there is a good chance, more will stick to it and not allow the pot to come up to pressure. I am so glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you so much. Jill
I also had problems with my electric pressure cooker not sealing when making this recipe. I’m wondering if it was because there wasn’t even liquid to form the seal? After I took this out of my pressure cooker, I tested my cooker with 1 cup of water and it sealed, so this is why I think it needs more liquid in recipe. I have a newish Cuisinart pressure cooker.
Oops..I meant ‘enough’ liquid, not even!
I made this last night. The only variation was I used Italian table wine instead of Cabernet. It was good but way too tart. Can’t figure out where I went wrong or how to fix the rest of it.
I used ground turkey and made some adjustments. I chopped a full med/small sized onion, a yellow pepper (that’s what I had rather than green) and a sliced zucchini. I don’t drink so instead of the wine, I used vegetable broth. The tomato sauce I used was an already seasoned tomato sauce, so I cut back in some of the seasonings listed. Added some oregano. This turned out really good and very easy. Basically, I found that you can adjust this recipe in any way that suits your tastes. You just need to remember that because you are using a pressure cooker, don’t cut back in the amount of liquids in the recipe.
I tried this for the first time tonight. I was a little nervous because my husband loves all things pasta, and Italian. As soon as I heard, “it’s delicious, omg”. I knew it was a hit! Thank you so much!
Hi Debby~
Thank you for the nice compliment. I am you and your husband enjoyed the dinner.
Jill
Did I miss something about after you dump the pasta from the box? I don’t see a step to allow it to cook.
Abrra, if you look at the actual recipe in the recipe box, it has all the instructions. I, too was confused by the blog and photos. It did not have the final step.
I didn’t have much time to prepare dinner tonight so I chose this recipe. Unfortunately (!) did not have red wine so substituted equal amount beef broth. Jill…this was so easy AND delicious! Thanks for another awesome recipe. Cheers!
My old pressure cooker broke (great excuse to finally get an instant pot!). I tried this recipe is the now dead cooker, and it was such a hit there have been multiple requests to have it again. Can this recipe be adapted to a dutch oven, and if yes, can you please help me figure that out?
Thanks for the yumminess!
You mention heating this up in the pressure cooker using the pot in pot method which I understand but my question is do you add the frozen food to the pot and if so what setting do you recommend a person to use? I have never tried reheating something in my pressure cooker.
I heat up leftovers using the steam setting. Just make sure there’s water int he bottom if doing PIP. I also like to add water, milk or oil to whatever I’m reheating to help give it a bit more moisture, unless it’s soup or something really liquidy already. I usually start at about 5 minutes and check the food to see if it’s warm enough or if it needs longer, but I have yet to reheat frozen foods in it. I hope this helps!
Followed this to the letter in my Instant Pot and was very disappointed. The noodles were not cooked so I added 5 more minutes under pressure. Still not done but sauce was getting too thick so I added water and simmered till noodles were done. (I guess the IP needs the full amount of cooking time suggested on pasta box?) In the end it was very tomato paste-y, heavy and unappetizing, but my boys seemed satisfied.
Must be the recipe then. 😉
I forgot to put in the red wine because the ingredient wasn’t on it’s own line!!
Followed the recipe to the letter (used ground bison) and it turned out perfectly. Thank you!
Can a 6quart pressure cooker be used?
Tammy, yes.
Jill