Instant Pot Spaghetti Dinner

This easy pressure cooker spaghetti is nothing short of amazing. Combining everything (including the pasta!) in the Instant Pot cooker makes this a convenient one-pot meal, and it is ready in less than 30 minutes. Just sauté the ground beef with the onions and garlic and then add all of the remaining ingredients. Set the time for 5 minutes at high pressure and press the button. That's all there is to it! A complete homemade spaghetti dinner just couldn't be easier.

If you like bell peppers in your spaghetti sauce, add about 1/2 cup of red or green bell pepper to the pot along with the tomatoes. Mushrooms make an excellent addition to the sauce as well. Saute them along with the ground beef.

The recipe makes about 4 servings, and it is easily doubled for a larger family or leftovers. It's even better reheated the next day!

Serve the spaghetti with garlic bread (see the tips) and a tossed salad.

What You'll Need

      2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion (chopped)
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• 1 pound ground beef
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• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
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• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
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• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
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• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
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• 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil (or 1 tablespoons fresh chopped basil)
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• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
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• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
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• 2 cups water
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• Optional: dash crushed red pepper flakes
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• Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh, Italian flat-leaf)
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• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated; plus more, for serving)

How to Make It

Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot set on Sauté. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chopped onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Crumble the ground beef into the pot. Continue cooking until the beef is no longer pink, stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Press the Cancel button.

Break the spaghetti into thirds and add to the pot along with the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, and water. Add a dash of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Stir the mixture gently to blend.

Secure the lid and make sure the venting knob is on Sealing. Press the Manual button and set it for 5 minutes (high pressure). When the 5 minutes cooking time is up (it will take several minutes to come to pressure before it begins cooking), let the pressure release naturally for about 5 minutes. With a pot holder or oven mitt, turn the knob to Venting to release the remaining pressure.

Stir the spaghetti and sauce and add the 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley, if using.

Spoon the spaghetti and sauce into a serving bowl and serve with extra Parmesan cheese.

Tips

Easy Garlic Bread: Heat the broiler. Split a loaf of Italian bread or a baguette in half horizontally and place it on a baking sheet, cut side up. In a small saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 cloves of minced and well-crushed garlic. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Toast the bread under the broiler until lightly browned. Remove it from the oven and brush with the garlic butter mixture. Place it back under the broiler for 20 to 30 seconds.