Whenever you’re looking for a super quick dinner recipe everyone in the family is going to love, this healthy instant pot spaghetti and meat sauce is the recipe you’ll want to use!
I don’t know many people that can pass up a good old bowl of spaghetti and meat sauce. So, when you’re short on time, you can always rely on your trusty Instant Pot to come to the rescue!
When the days are super busy – which is everyday, right – the last thing I want to do is spend forever making dinner. But, I still always try to cook healthy and nutritious meals for us.
What ingredients do I need for Instant Pot spaghetti and meat sauce?
- Ground turkey
- Kosher salt
- Chopped onion
- Garlic clove
- Marinara sauce
- Spaghetti
- Optional ingredients: Parmesan cheese
Enter this amazing instant pot spaghetti and meat sauce. It comes together in a flash, and is all made in one pot! So yaaaaay for one pot meals, am I right?
I was so skeptical when I found out that one could make spaghetti in an instant pot.
My husband was also skeptical. He said “isn’t it just going to turn into one big clump?”
So I nervously followed the instructions and hoped for the best. The thing with an instant pot is that once it’s going, you can’t open the lid and mess around with what’s inside, it’s literally set it and forget it!
As soon as I heard the beep of the Instant Pot telling me the cook time was done, I opened the lid, gave the pasta and meat sauce a stir, and oh my goodness, it was perfection!
Pasta cooked to perfection, with meat sauce, all in one pot!! It was so easy and so amazing to make. Since first reading about this recipe in the One and Done Cookbook (I shared this recipe for carne asada fries from the same cookbook) I’ve made this spaghetti and meat sauce 3 weeks in a row.
If you’ve ever asked yourself “can I make pasta in an instant pot?” or “how to make spaghetti in an instant pot?” this recipe is calling your name, because it can be done (and its super easy!)
What’s amazing about this healthy instant pot spaghetti and meat sauce recipe is not only how quick it cooks or that it’s all done in one pot…but that it’s so versatile and delicious…while still being healthy. If you don’t have ground turkey on hand, you could substitute it with ground beef or ground chicken!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- 5 Ingredient Spaghetti Squash Pesto Pasta Recipe
- 5 Ingredient Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken & Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Healthy Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 jar marinara sauce 25.25-ounce
- 8 ounces spaghetti wheat or gluten-free, broken in half
Optional
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- press the saute button on an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker). When hot, add ground turkey and salt and brown the meat, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces as it cooks, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the marinara sauce, 2 cups water, and the spaghetti, making sure the liquid covers everything. Do not stir, as space will be tight.
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 9 minutes, until the pasta and sauce is cooked. Quick release, then open when the pressure subsides. Serve right away, topped with Parmesan, if desired.
Steve Gillette says
This looks wonderful, I think spaghetti is best when cooked together with the sauce. Now I won’t have to wait for reheated leftovers! If I use a quart of homemade spaghetti sauce, should I just add less water?
Sweetphi says
Yes, I’d just add a little less water, hope you enjoy!
Katie says
Can this recipe be doubled?
Sweetphi says
My pressure cooker is pretty full when I make this, but if you have a bigger pressure cooker (I use a 6 qt one) then you could totally try it, don’t know why it wouldn’t work!
Sweetphi says
I’d love to know how it turns out if you do double it!
Healthy Kitchen 101 says
Meat sauce is classic to spaghetti xD It’s like whenever I cook Spaghetti, I have to make tomato meat sauce 🙂 Thinking of some tasty plates tonight!
– Natalie
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much, so glad you like the sound of this 🙂
Rachael K says
I made this for dinner and I agree with you that it is honestly the most convenient way to make spaghetti, set it and forget it! I don’t think it was necessarily an overall time saver but it was way less stressful than keeping an eye on boiling water and pasta usually is! Plus using ONE pot is always the bomb. Thanks for this dinner staple so simple!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for coming back and leaving that awesome feedback Rachael, so glad you liked it!! I completely agree, I don’t think it’s a “time saver” but I love that once you put the lid on the instant pot, there’s no stirring or anything, it’s just set it and forget it!
Rhonda - Change In Seconds says
Making this tonight!
Sweetphi says
I hope you loved it!