Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (2024)

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Spaghetti Sauce is super easy, meaty and hearty when made in an Instant Pot. Using a pressure cooker to cook pasta sauce makes it flavorful and quick to prepare, but tastes like is has simmered on the stove all day. Pour this delicious savory sauce over a pile of cooked pasta!

Why This Recipe Works

One of my favorite comfort food recipes that my mom makes is her famous pasta sauce. When I was growing up we usually topped spaghetti noodles with it, but it is the perfect sauce for any pasta meal.

My mom would sometimes add a handful of veggies to the sauce to give it extra flavor and texture. Since becoming obsessed with my Instant Pot Duo, I decided to attempt a pressure-cooked version of her amazing spaghetti sauce recipe.

One of the things about her original recipe that always makes it taste so good is the long time it sat on the stove top simmering, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to achieve the same level of flavor in an Instant Pot.

Well guess what?! It turned out AMAZING! Don’t tell my mom, but it rivals her original recipe. This Instant Pot Pasta Sauce is jam-packed with bold and delicious flavor. It tastes like it has been simmering on the stove all day long and it is done in a fraction of the time!

My family loved this recipe and we hope you do, as well!

Watch This Web Story On Preparing Sauce!

Your instant pot makes magic with this spaghetti sauce recipe. Done in under 30 minutes, it tastes like it’s simmered all day!

How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce

Step 1

Set your Instant Pot to the saute function. Add the ground beef, ground sausage, garlic and onion and cook until meat is no longer pink; drain, if needed.

Step 2

Add the crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper to the pot; mix well. Deglaze the pot (remove bits from the bottom with a spoon).

Step 3

Place the cover on the pot and set the timer to 10 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the pressure cooker around 10 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.

Step 4

When cook time is done, do a natural release for 10 minutes then do a quick release.

Step 5

Recipe Notes

I love the combination of Italian sausage and ground beef in this sauce, but feel free to use one of the two instead. Or swap out both for ground chicken or turkey!
The marinara sauce in the recipe adds a boldness that I absolutely adore. Feel free to replace it with two cans of tomato sauce, if desired.
If you are searching for a sauce with even more flavor, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine!
In place of the crushed tomatoes, you can use 6-8 cups fresh tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 30-40 Roma tomatoes.
I have doubled this recipe minus the amount of meat used. If you double the recipe, use 3 pounds of meat and make sure the contents of the Instant Pot stay below the max fill line.

How To Make Spaghetti In An Instant Pot

Instant Pot Spaghetti is one of my new favorite recipes of ALL TIME. The noodles cook so perfectly and it has the best combination of flavors, you guys. If you haven’t tried it, go check it out!

How to Make Stovetop Spaghetti Sauce

If you are looking for a stovetop version of pasta sauce, consider making this delicious homemade pasta sauce recipe!

Spaghetti Sauce Made Using Tomato Sauce

Transform 2 cans of tomato sauce into a batch ofsuper easy pasta sauce! If you have tomato sauce on hand instead of tomato paste, this is a great option for you.

Make Pasta Sauce Using a Can of Tomato Paste

And if you have paste on hand instead of sauce, try this super easy way to transform tomato paste into a batch of pasta sauce!

How To Thicken Pasta Sauce

If you make or purchase a batch of pasta sauce and find that is thin and lacks substance, there are ways to fix it! Read on for tips about how to thicken spaghetti sauce.

If you do not have paste on hand, check out this guide for ways to thicken without using tomato paste.

Marinara vs Spaghetti Sauce

So close in texture, color and flavor that you could call them cousins! Let’s get to the heart of the issue and explore marinara vs spaghetti sauce. What are the differences?!

If you find yourself with a weak batch of marinara, learn how tothicken marinara sauce easily!

Recipes To Make Using Pasta Sauce

Aside from the obvious reason (the amazing FLAVOR!), my favorite thing about pasta sauce is that it is so versatile. Here are a few ideas for ways to enjoy it! First, check out this guide to learnhow long spaghetti sauce lasts in the fridge.

Pour it over the top of cooked noodles of any kind.
This roundup will provide you with recipes you can make using leftover spaghetti sauce so nothing ever goes to waste.
Use it in place of store-bought sauce in your next pan of Baked Spaghetti or Baked Ziti!
Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Lasagna and Cheesy Manicotti are both sooo good when made with Instant Pot spaghetti sauce!
Use it as an ingredient to stuffed spaghetti squash with!
Add it to your morning eggs because everything tastes great with eggs.

Instant Pot Recipes

The list of recipes you can make in an Instant Pot is endless! It can act as a slow cooker, sauté pan, steamer, rice maker, yogurt maker and pressure cooker. It can cook soup, chili, pasta, meat, potatoes, veggies, cake, beans and so much more. Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot recipes:

This Instant Pot Goulash can be ready in 30 minutes and cooks perfectly every time!
You are guaranteed a juicy, hearty, easy meal with this Instant Pot Ham.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup will be devoured by the family when you serve this for dinner!
I promise using a box mix will produce a less porous cake and remain so moist when you follow this Instant Pot Cake recipe!

Storing And Freezing Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Store homemade pasta sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If there are visible signs of mold, discard the sauce. To extend the shelf life, freeze it! Allow the sauce to cool completely and pour it into an airtight container.

Place in the freezer for up to 4 months. When you are ready to use the sauce, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw completely. Pour it into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes before serving.

Instant Pot Burn Notice

If you see that dreaded burn notice flash on your Instant Pot, do not fret! Know that your pressure cooker is keeping a good eye on your food. It has sensed that the temperature toward the bottom of the pot is too high and has therefore turned it off temporarily.

It is giving you a chance to fix the problem! This can happen especially with thick sauces or chilis because of the heaviness of the contents inside the pot. It can also happen if there is not enough liquid inside the pot.

If you see the burn notice, press CANCEL as soon as possible. Do an immediate quick release and wait for the silver float valve to drop. Transfer the inner pot to a hot pad holder. Scrape any bits of food that may have adhered to the bottom of the pot using a spoon.

If there are no burned bits:

Add 1/2 cup of liquid to the recipe that will thin out the consistency. If the recipe contains beef or chicken broth, add more of the same. If no broth is used in the recipe, add water.
Stir the contents of the pot thoroughly and resume cooking.

If you see burned pieces in the mixture:

Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Spaghetti Sauce is super easy, meaty and hearty when made in an Instant Pot. Using a pressure cooker to cook pasta sauce makes it flavorful and quick to prepare, but tastes like is has simmered all day. Pour this delicious savory sauce over a pile of cooked pasta!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 291kcal

Author: Megan Porta

Equipment

▢
Instant Pot

Ingredients

▢ 1 lb ground beef
▢ 1 lb ground sausage
▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
▢ 1 yellow onion chopped
▢ 56 oz crushed tomatoes
▢ 24 oz marinara sauce
▢ 6 oz tomato paste
▢ 1 tbsp italian seasoning
▢ 1 tbsp fennel seed
▢ 2 bay leaves
▢ 1 tbsp sugar
▢ 1 tsp salt
▢ 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

Set Instant Pot to saute. Add the ground beef, sausage, garlic and onion and cook until meat is no longer pink; drain, if needed.
Add the tomatoes, marinara sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper to the pot; mix well. Deglaze the pot (remove bits from the bottom with a spoon).
Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 10 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 10 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
When cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes; do a quick release.
Remove cover, stir and remove/discard bay leaves. Serve with your favorite pasta and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge!

Notes

I love the combination of Italian sausage and ground beef in this sauce, but feel free to use one of the two instead. Or swap out both for ground chicken or turkey!
The marinara sauce in the recipe adds a boldness that I absolutely adore. Feel free to replace it with two cans of tomato sauce, if desired.
If you are searching for a sauce with even more flavor, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine!
In place of the crushed tomatoes, you can use 6-8 cups fresh tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 30-40 Roma tomatoes.
I have doubled this recipe minus the amount of meat used. If you double the recipe, use 3 pounds of meat and make sure the contents of the Instant Pot stay below the max fill line.

Nutrition

Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep spaghetti sauce from burning in Instant Pot? ›

To prevent spaghetti sauce from burning in the Instant Pot, make sure you deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom with a spoon after sautéing the onions and garlic. This helps to remove any browned bits and prevents them from sticking and burning during pressure cooking.

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Does spaghetti sauce count as liquid in Instant Pot? ›

Does spaghetti sauce count as a liquid in Instant Pot? Technically, no. Spaghetti sauce does not count as a liquid in the instant pot, which makes the beef broth a critical element that will help thin the sauce so the instant pot can cook everything properly.

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Is it safe to pressure can spaghetti sauce? ›

Unripe tomatoes consist of a lot more acid as compared to fruit that has reached maturity. That is why it is recommended to make spaghetti sauce or preserve tomato-based sauces through the pressure canning method that requires no acid to be added to the sauce and ensures that the taste remains fresh even after days.

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Why do you put vinegar in spaghetti sauce? ›

If your pasta sauce is too sweet, add a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. The acidity will help cut the sweetness and create a more balanced sauce.

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How do you make spaghetti sauce without burning it? ›

You can simmer tomato sauce for hours on a low simmer. Stir it often so it doesn't burn. The longer you simmer the sauce the more depth and flavor it will have. Use a heavy duty sauce pot and simmer on low.

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How do you neutralize acid in spaghetti sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

What ingredient thickens spaghetti sauce? ›

Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.

Keep Reading ›

Do you have to pressure can spaghetti sauce with meat? ›

However, meat is a low acid food, which is the ideal environment for botulism. Because of this, low acid foods need to be processed in a pressure canner. Pressure canners raise the temperature of the jar and its contents well above the boiling point, which kills off even botulism and makes the product shelf stable.

Why do people add water to spaghetti sauce? ›

Once the pasta is in the sauce, add pasta water. This is the most vital step in the process. Starchy pasta water doesn't just help thin the sauce to the right consistency; it also helps it cling to the pasta better and emulsify with the fat and cheese you're going to be adding.

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How many pounds of tomatoes for a quart of sauce? ›

A bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 10 to 12 quarts of sauce-an average of 5 pounds per quart.

Do you have to add lemon juice to spaghetti sauce when pressure canning? ›

Even if you are pressure canning the tomato sauce, you still need to use the bottled lemon juice (or citric acid). Allow jars to remain in the canner for the recommended time to prevent siphoning of liquid which can inhibit a proper seal.

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Does homemade spaghetti sauce need to be pressure canned? ›

Use a Pressure Canner

Since this recipe includes low acid ingredients, it needs to be pressure canned for safety. A pressure canner heats the jars at a high temperature required to kill bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses.

Keep Reading ›

Why do Italians put sugar in spaghetti sauce? ›

Up until the early 1900s, the U.S. had a limited tomato supply, and it didn't stack up to Italian standards. It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home.

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Do Italians put sugar in tomato sauce? ›

"A pinch of sugar is a Southern Italian trick that was used when the sauce was made with end-of-season tomatoes that did not get ripe, or the tomatoes were so tart they needed to be balanced," Chiarello explained to Epicurious.

Learn More Now ›

Why does my spaghetti sauce burn? ›

Either your flame is too high, you aren't stirring often enough or the pot you're using isn't up to the task, meaning it's too thin and has hot spots.

See Details ›

How do I stop food burning on the bottom of my pressure cooker? ›

Make sure you don't place food directly on the bottom of the cooker. Use the items that come with it to elevate the food. Use added items such as an elevated metal plate to lift the food above the liquid. As soon as your cooker comes up to temperature and starts producing steam, make sure you have no leaks of any kind.

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