My daughter, Kara, would happily eat pasta every night, so this Instant Pot Spaghetti is a regular at my house. The noodles cook right in the meat sauce, and there’s no pot to drain.

Fork lifting Instant Pot Spaghetti from a yellow bowl

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I’ll admit I was skeptical about making pasta in my Instant Pot. I figured the noodles would turn out overdone, and it took me a few tries to get it right. Now that I have it down, I don’t change a thing.

To make this recipe, I brown seasoned ground beef in the pot, layer broken spaghetti noodles on top, and pour on water, diced tomatoes and marinara sauce. The pressure cooker handles the rest.

What You’ll Learn

How I keep the noodles from clumping together.
What to do if your spaghetti comes out soupy.
The easy swaps my readers have tried and loved.
How I store and reheat the leftovers.

Why You’ll Love It

There’s nothing fancy about spaghetti, and that’s why I love it. It’s a budget-friendly dinner that feeds my family of four, and it beats fast food on a busy weeknight every single time.

It’s also a true one-pot meal. The sauce, the meat and the pasta all cook together in the same pot, so the noodles soak up all of that flavor instead of sitting under it. Cleanup is one pot and a wooden spoon!

If your family is as happy about spaghetti as mine, my Chicken Spaghetti and Taco Spaghetti are both good next stops.

Readers tell me this was the first thing they ever made in a new Instant Pot, and I think it’s a great place to start. One reader said it went straight onto the weekly meal rotation.

If you’ve been wondering how to cook spaghetti in an Instant Pot, this is the method I trust. This pressure cooker spaghetti is my go-to Instant Pot pasta recipe, and it’s a classic spaghetti with meat sauce.

Instant Pot Spaghetti Ingredient Notes

This is a really basic recipe that you can doctor up however you like, but a few ingredients are worth a word.

Lean ground beef: Lean beef keeps the sauce from getting greasy, so you don’t need to drain anything. One reader used a fattier beef and said it came out a little oily.

Spaghetti noodles: Break them in half so they fit the pot. Regular spaghetti is what I test with. Thin spaghetti cooks faster, and one reader shortened the time for it.

Marinara sauce: Any jar marinara or spaghetti sauce you like will work. Use one you’d happily eat with a spoon, because it’s most of your flavor. Homemade spaghetti sauce works, too.

Diced tomatoes: Don’t drain the can. That juice counts as part of the liquid that cooks the pasta.

Warm water: Warm water helps a 6 quart Instant Pot come to pressure faster, and that matters with pasta. I also like my marinara at room temperature for the same reason.

Fresh basil and parmesan: Both are optional, but I always reach for them. It’s amazing how fresh herbs and grated parmesan cheese can make a basic dinner feel special.

How to Make Instant Pot Spaghetti

Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil. Season the beef with salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning first, then brown it until there’s no pink left. Hit cancel when it’s done.

Saucy noodles and ground beef cooked right in the pressure cooker pot

Now break the spaghetti noodles in half and layer them over the meat in a criss-cross pattern. Even two or three layers going opposite directions will really help keep the pasta from sticking together.

Pour on the water, tomatoes and marinara, then use a wooden spoon to gently press the noodles under the liquid. Don’t stir. You only want the pasta covered.

Close the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure. Use a quick release as soon as it’s done, then stir everything together. The sauce will look thin at first, but it thickens as it sits.

Every amount and step is in the recipe card below, so you can keep it open on your phone while you cook.

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How to Doctor Up Jarred Sauce

This is a basic recipe, and that’s what I like about it. A jar of marinara does most of the work, but a few small changes can make it taste homemade.

I always season the beef first, because that flavor carries through the whole pot. You can also sauté a little onion and garlic before the meat, or add a pinch of red pepper flakes if your family likes some heat.

A small pinch of sugar helps a sauce that tastes sharp. Fresh basil and parmesan at the end do more than you’d expect, so don’t skip them if you have them.

How to Cook Pasta in an Instant Pot

This is how to cook pasta in an Instant Pot without a colander. The pasta cooks in the liquid, so that liquid has to cover it, and there’s nothing to drain at the end.

Three things matter the most. Keep the noodles under the liquid, don’t stir before you lock the lid, and release the pressure as soon as the time is up. That last one is what kept my noodles from turning out overdone.

It can feel strange not to stir, especially if you’re used to a pot on the stove. Trust the layers. Once the lid comes off, the sauce will look thin and the noodles will look tangled, and one good stir brings it all together.

My Best Tips

Season the beef. Salting the meat before you brown it locks in a lot of flavor, so don’t save the seasoning for later.
Scrape the bottom. Before you add the noodles, use your spoon to loosen anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stuck-on bits are what usually cause a burn notice.
Keep the sauce on top. Layering the sauce over the noodles keeps it away from the bottom of the pot.
Release it right away. Pasta keeps cooking in the heat, so a quick release is what keeps it from going mushy.
Serve it soon. The noodles keep drinking up sauce, so this one is best right after you stir it.

Substitutions & Variations

Ground turkey: Use it in place of the beef to lighten this up a bit. We prefer ground beef in our spaghetti, but turkey works well.

Italian sausage: Brown it just like the beef for a bolder sauce, and spoon off any excess grease before you add the noodles.

Meatless: Skip the meat if you like. One reader sautéed mushrooms and onions instead and loved it, and another used plant-based ground beef with onion, celery and bell pepper.

Other pasta: One reader had no spaghetti and used ziti and spiral noodles, and another used rotini. Both turned out great at the same time setting.

Gluten-free pasta: A longtime reader had to go gluten free and tried this with gluten-free spaghetti. It came out great, which made my day.

Extra veggies: Sauté some onion and bell pepper before you add the beef. Keep your cups of water the same.

Extra cheese: Stir in shredded mozzarella or a little cream cheese after cooking, once the lid is off. I’d keep dairy out of the pot during pressure cooking.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Spaghetti

I like to keep this simple. Garlic bread and a green salad are all it needs, and that’s what makes it such an easy weeknight dinner. If you’d rather have something soft and buttery, my Honey Butter Rolls are wonderful for wiping up the sauce.

Instant Pot Spaghetti with meat sauce and fresh basil in a yellow bowl

How to Store Leftovers

Room temperature: Don’t leave cooked spaghetti out for more than 2 hours.

Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The noodles soak up the sauce as it sits, so it will look thicker the next day.

Freezer: Freeze it for up to 2 months. I’d expect the noodles to be a little softer after thawing.

Reheating: Add a splash of water or sauce before you warm it in the microwave or on the stove. That loosens everything back up.

Instant Pot Spaghetti FAQs

How long do you cook spaghetti in an Instant Pot?

I cook regular spaghetti for 8 minutes at high pressure, followed by a quick release. The pot also needs time to come to pressure, so plan for that when you’re timing dinner.

Why is my Instant Pot spaghetti soupy?

Give it a good stir and let it sit for a few minutes, because it thickens as it cools. Still thin? One reader turns on sauté with the lid off, and another stirs in a little tomato paste.

Why did my spaghetti get a burn notice?

A burn notice or burn message usually means something is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Scrape up the browned bits before you layer the noodles, and don’t stir the sauce into the pasta before cooking.

Do I have to break the spaghetti noodles?

Yes. Long noodles won’t lie flat in the pot, and the ends can stick up above the liquid. Breaking them in half lets them stay covered, and that’s what cooks them evenly.

Why is my Instant Pot spaghetti mushy?

It usually means the noodles cooked too long. Do a quick release right away, and stir and serve soon after. Thin spaghetti needs less time, so use regular spaghetti unless you shorten the cook time.

Should I use a natural or quick release?

Use a quick release. A natural release keeps the noodles in hot liquid for too long, and they’ll go soft.

Can I double Instant Pot Spaghetti?

One reader doubled the whole recipe for leftovers and loved it. I haven’t doubled it myself. Keep everything below your pot’s max fill line, and an 8-quart Instant Pot will give you more room.

Can I leave out the diced tomatoes?

Yes, if your family doesn’t like chunks. Replace them with the same amount of crushed tomatoes or more marinara, so the pasta still has enough liquid to cook. I haven’t tested this exact swap.

Can I make Instant Pot Spaghetti ahead of time?

I think it’s best right after cooking, because the noodles keep soaking up sauce. If you need to make it ahead, stir in a splash of water or extra marinara when you reheat it.

My sauce tastes a little bitter. What can I do?

Some jarred sauces are sharper than others. One reader fixed it with a small pinch of sugar, and that’s a good trick for any tomato sauce.

I’d love to see how yours turns out, so come find me on Instagram, where I share more easy dinner ideas. And if you’ve never trusted your Instant Pot with pasta, I hope this is the recipe that changes your mind!

More Instant Pot Dinners

Written by Crissy Page, a home cook, mom and recipe developer.

4.58 from 94 votes (82 ratings without comment)

21 Comments

Christine says:

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I have enjoyed this recipe for years. I recently have had to go gluten free for medical reasons and tried this today with Barilla Gluten Free pasta and it came out great. So happy I can still use this recipe – it is so convenient and easy. Thought I would let others know that it works great with GF pasta!

Mustaphe Calderon says:

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Turned out a little bitter when I made it, needed to add a bit of sugar but good still, thanks!

Bethann says:

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Excellent recipe. I made the following changes: add chopped vegetables: 1/2 onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 green bell pepper. Sauté veggies, add 1 lb Impossible ground beef, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp mushroom powder; brown then deglaze with 1/2 cup red wine. Add remaining ingredients in recipe and cook 9 minutes on high pressure. Quick release, then stir before serving. We like our pasta with a lot of veggies and this turned out perfectly. Thank you for posting your recipe!

Maria says:

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Before I try this recipe I was wondering if you drained the ground beef prior to adding the rest of the ingredients?

Na says:

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Made this tonight as I worked a 12 hour shift and was short on time ! I shortened the time to 5 min because I used thin spaghetti still turned out great !!!

Marcia Smell says:

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Love this recipe. Used Rotini instead and my own canned tomatoes. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Cathy says:

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Can I use a Jar pre made sauce instead of marinara and tomatoes?

Instant Pot Spaghetti