Recipe ~ Instant Pot Spaghetti

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

This is basically just my regular spaghetti sauce recipe, but with instructions for including the pasta right in the pot instead of cooking it separately in a different pot. The only differences are the pasta in the pot and the addition of extra water.

 I had previously found a recipe elsewhere for Instant Pot spaghetti, but I only really was going for the information I needed for time and additional liquid, cause the recipe itself was just straight up jarred sauce and pasta, which, IMO, doesn't really qualify as a recipe at all, but rather, a method. Anyway, I took into account the fact that the sauce would already be hot, and adjusted the cook time and liquid addition accordingly, and that's it. But I figured I'd post it anyway, since it's Spaghetti September and all. (Yes, I'm still going with that. I won't stop. I will make it a thing.)

 

So, without further ado, I present to you... 

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Total Time: 30-40 minutes (including time to come to pressure & natural release time)

Equipment:

•  Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker

 Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs Ground Beef, Meatballs, Italian sausage, or other meat (can reduce for cost or health)
• 1-3 Tbs Olive Oil
• 2 Lg Yellow Onions, Diced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded & diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 lb or so carrots, chopped (or minced, it you want to hide them)
• 3-4 Lg stalks celery, roughly chopped
• about 8oz sliced mushrooms of desired type (fresh or canned-drained) 
• 1 Cup white wine (can sub red/merlot) 
• 2 cans (28oz) diced or stewed tomatoes (or 4 14oz)
• 1 can (14oz) crushed/pureed tomatoes
• 1 can (4oz) tomato paste
• 16-24oz good store-bought or homemade marinara sauce
• 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
• 2-4 plums, figs, or dates (fresh or dried), chopped, diced, or pureed (Or sub 2 Tbs sugar)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1/4 Cup finely minced fresh parsley (or 3 Tbs parsley flakes), more to taste
• 1 whole rind from one wedge parmesan (optional)
• 1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)    
• 4 Cups water or broth
• 1 lb spaghetti pasta, broken in half 

 

Directions: 

• Set to sauté, add meat to pot and start to brown, breaking up into smaller pieces if ground.
• Add garlic onion, peppers, and seasonings, and continue sautéing, stirring regularly, until onion starts to turn translucent, adding olive oil if needed to prevent sticking (not usually needed with leaner meats).
• Add additional veggies and cook for another 3-5 minutes.     
• Deglaze pot with wine allowing it to boil and reduce for about 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes, paste, sauce, plums/figs/dates/sugar, parsley, Parmesan grated + rind and crushed red pepper (if using), and stir well.
• Seal and cook on high pressure for 20-30 minutes w/natural release, or 30-35 minutes w/quick release.
• Remove lid, add broth/water, stirring down to bottom of pot as well as able.
• Add pasta to pot in a criss-cross pattern, ensuring it is completely covered in liquid by pushing down with spoon or ladle. 
• Seal and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes w/natural release 
• Stir well & serve