Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce is a fantastic dinner you can throw together in about 10 minutes. Sure beats using jarred sauce!
Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade SauceMake this Instant Pot Spaghetti and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
If you want to use a jarred sauce rather than take the extra few minutes of making a homemade sauce, no problem, it’s so easy. Try this recipe Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, but if you want an incredible meal my Instant Pot Spaghetti is the way to go.
Another delicious spaghetti dinner with pasta and homemade meat sauce is my Pressure Cooker Beef and Macaroni. It is also a one pot meal and totally delicious.
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Spaghetti
Really, why use a jar of sauce when it is so easy to make your own homemade sauce in the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. It tastes like it simmered all day and the process is super easy. You will never use a jar again.
If you don’t want to make your own sauce, I’ll tell you how in the notes section below.
Make sure you also are preparing my delicious Air Fryer Garlic Bread Buns, so you can sop up all the delicious sauce.
Saute Some Onions
If you want ground beef/turkey, sausage, meatballs, etc., in your spaghetti, check out my Pressure Cooker Beef & Macaroni recipe (or, just brown your meat in a bit of oil and continue on with this recipe).
Use the Sauté or Browning function on your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker and allow the cooking pot to get nice. Heating the cooking pot before adding any fat, helps make the pot non stick.
Sauté the onions for two minutes and then add the garlic and sauté one more minute.
Sink the Spaghetti into the Sauce
Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the spaghetti or pasta and close the lid. Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce is just about ready.
After seeing how quickly this comes together, can you honestly say you would prefer jarred sauce? Not me!
If you want to add in vegetables, like zucchini or carrots, chop them very thick and add them in when you add in your pasta.
Pro Tip: Brand of spaghetti does make a difference when cooking under pressure. I highly recommend using De Cecco Spaghetti. I have found that this brand is cheaper to buy through Amazon than in stores.
Unclump Noodles
Spaghetti noodles WILL clump a bit, but just take a fork and break them up and they will be fine and perfectly cooked.
Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce
If you just want to make a pot of sauce, please see my Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Sauce.
If you would like to make this recipe with jarred sauce, check out my Pressure Cooker Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe.
Don’t forget Air Fryer Garlic Bread Buns, to get every drop of the sauce.
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes to Make:
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Pesto Penne + Video
- Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
- Instant Pot Baked Ziti (Pressure Cooker)
- Instant Pot Greek Lemon Butter Fettuccine Pasta + Video
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s 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
- Microplane Artisan Course Grater
- Rachael Ray 24 oz EVOO Stoneware Dispensing Bottle
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Alton Brown Salt Box
- De Cecco Spaghetti
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Yellow/Brown Onion chopped
- 2 cloves Fresh Garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds crushed
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ cup Red Wine/Cabernet a good Cabernet!
- 28 ounces Diced Tomatoes w/Juice
- 3 ounces Tomato Paste
- 15 ounces Tomato Sauce
- 2.5 cups Chicken Stock/Broth (or 2.5 cups water + 2.5 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base) (or plain water)
- 1 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
- Parmesan Rind chunk optional
- 1 pound Spaghetti broken in half or other Pasta
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley Flakes
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Push Sauté or Browning function on Pressure Cooker. Allow it to fully heat.
- Add oil to cooking pot.
- Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add basil, oregano, fennel seeds, sea salt, crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper and give it a good stir.
- Pour in wine and deglaze cooking pot.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste and mix to combine.
- Turn off pressure cooker.
- Mix in chicken broth and brown sugar.
- Add spaghetti to sauce and push it into the sauce as much as possible.
- Drop in Parmesan rind (if you don't have a rind, add about 1/8 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. Not the powdered grated stuff, the real thing).
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook on high pressure (most machines default to high pressure) for 5 minutes.
- When Beep sounds, wait 5 minutes and then carefully release the rest of the pressure. You will need to do intermittent turns of the pressure valve to avoid anything from spitting out of the pot.
- Remove lid and stir in parsley flakes.
- With a fork or spaghetti server, separate any clumps which may have formed and mix in. The once clumped spaghetti will continue to soften as you are stirring, so don't worry that it may be a bit firm when you first look.
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 case 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 13 - 16 minutes, err on the lesser side. In this instance, the cook time would be 4 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.
PIN this Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Quick Spaghetti Dinner
Thank you so much for publlshing this recipe. I have been interested in making spaghetti in the Instant Pot, but really didn’t want to use a jar of sauce if I could help it. Well, I made the recipe but only used half the ingredients (plus a half pound of lean ground beef) because it’s just my husband and myself. There were NO complaints from husband (for a change) and I also thought that it tasted really delicious! Now I can have spaghetti and meat sauce, made with the convenience of the Instant Pot, and no yucky pots and colanders from which to wash (and scrub!) that yucky pasta residue.
This is a great recipe!! Love that it doesn’t have a jar sauce. I added Italian sausage!! It is the best spaghetti I have ever made!! I have made it 4 times now!! So good it’s in my pot now!! ? Thank you
Thanks, Kellie. Jill
So good! I used whole wheat Rigatoni and added ground turkey. Delicious, thanks!
Since I am only cooking for two, can I cut the recipe in half? Does that change the cooking time. (If you cannot tell, I am a total newbie, just got my IP last night)
Thanks
Are you using a large or small clove? Makes a big difference.
Thanks and really liked the recipe
Hi Rick. We like garlic, so large cloves. Jill
This Old Gal, thanks so much for your recipes and tips. I like your website.
What is ratio of water to pasta for cooking pasta? I see that you said:
The general rule of thumb is to cook the pasta for 1/2 of the time, minus 2 minutes, erring on the lowest side, indicated on the package.
Still, I would like to know the ratio. Here, the tomatoes add water also.
Thank you.
Help?
Both times I’ve made this it has burnt. Could it be because I use spaghetti sauce instead of tomato sauce?
That would be my guess, Jeanne. Try using the recipe ingredients and let me know how you enjoy the recipe. Jill
How would I do this with homemade pasta which only takes about 2 minutes to cook anyway?
In the sauce it’s 28 ounces of diced tomatoes right? (Want to be sure. It looks great)
I don’t think I have ever commented on a recipe before, but I am so excited about this recipe I had to review it! I just made it tonight after 7 hours of baseball and softball games. It came together super quickly, even with defrosting ground beef and sautéing it in the instant pot. And the best part was that my whole family, including a very picky son, and 100% Italian picky eating husband loved it! My daughter and I aren’t as picky and we loved it too! I will definitely be making this again!
Absolutely delicious! I hoped it would be good but didn’t expect this good! And thank you for a recipe that didn’t take a jar of sauce! I searched pinterest for instant pot spaghetti and yours was the only one without jarred sauce! I did add ground beef. Oh such a good recipe!
Hi Tara. I am glad you enjoyed the spaghetti. Jill
If I have a bunch of frozen homemade sauce, do I have to adjust the water that I add /as opposed to using jarred sauce)?
Hi Robin. Since I don’t know your recipe, it is hard to make a guess. You would need to add water, to cook the spaghetti. Jill
Well, hey! That worked out! I used whole wheat pasta, browned 1.25 lbs. ground turkey on saute, and the rule-of-thumb pasta formula. This is only the third pasta dish I’ve tried in the IP, but it’s the first one where the pasta hasn’t been over-cooked. Hooray!
Hi Meredith. I am so glad your pasta came out great. 🙂 Jill
Your recipes for QUICK SPAGHETTI DINNER and PRESSURE COOKER SPAGHETTI DINNER sound like they are delicious.
Could the spaghetti dinner recipe use meat as well and start by browning ground beef and then adding rest of ingredients. Would all of the other ingredient amounts remain the same?
Just made this tonight and it was yummy! Thank you for a great recipe.
Just got my instant pot, looking forward to trying your recipes.
Delicious. I added a yellow squash shredded and squeezed, a half green pepper diced and a half red pepper diced. Because I had a 17.6 oz. packet of spaghetti, I added about a 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes that I had on hand and another quarter cup of water. I used the Better than Bullion mixed into my water. I had some issues with my noodles not all cooking at the same speed. Had to add 3 minutes after the first round and NPR. I had added frozen meatballs on top, maybe that changed the dynamic?? The sauce was fantastic. Easy peasy.
I made this a few days ago, exactly according to the recipe, with the addition of a small bag of frozen meatballs right on top of the other stuff. It was PERFECT! I love the fact that you can rely on TOG’s recipes to have perfectly balanced seasonings!
Hi Jessica~
I am so glad you enjoyed your meal. Thank you for visiting my blog. 🙂
Jill
I haven’t tried yet but knowing ahead of time that my husband doesn’t care for the jar sauce because of too much tomato-based. What would you suggest I do, if anything to make this be one he likes.
To clarify – if using your sauce recipe do I include the 15oz of tomato sauce as well? or is the 15oz tomato sauce if I’m skipping the sauce recipe and using jarred sauce?
Tried the spaghetti recipe today, delicious