Easy Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce that tastes like it's been simmering all day, but it's ready in under 30 minutes! The sauce is loaded with ground beef, Italian sausage, herbs, and plenty of veggies too. Serve this delicious zesty sauce over pasta, spaghetti squash, or mix it in Baked Penne Pasta.
Note: Although the recipe is titled "Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce, you can also use a Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker, which is what I used this time around.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
My Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauces isn't exactly from scratch, but it's pretty darn close. I start off by browning ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, green pepper, and garlic.
Next, I add the seasoning, herbs, tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, wine, and water. You may be thinking: "It sounds like it's from scratch to me..."
Here's where I cheat, but just a little. Instead of tomato sauce, I use jarred pasta sauce. Although adding an equal amount of tomato sauce would work too, you might have to adjust the seasoning a bit.
🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Meat: I used ground beef and Italian sausage in this recipe. If you'd like, you can substitute ground pork or ground turkey for a healthier option.
- Pasta Sauce: You can substitute the pasta sauce with tomato sauce.
- Vegetables: I added tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, onion, and mushrooms. If you don't like any of those, don't add or substitute with more of what you do like. If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use crushed tomatoes instead.
- Wine: Wine gives that sauce a delicious flavor. I like to use red wine but cooking sherry or white wine can also be used.
- Spices: I used the usual suspects, oregano, basil, and Italian seasoning. The crushed red pepper flakes can be left out if you prefer a milder sauce.
- Sugar: A tiny bit of sugar helps to cut the acidity in the sauce. I used brown sugar but white sugar can also be used.
🍝 How to Make Spaghetti Sauce In A Pressure Cooker
STEP 1: Set Instant Pot to "saute" and once hot, add olive oil.
STEP 2: Remove sausage from casing and add to the pot, along with ground beef. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.
STEP 3: Add mushrooms, tomatoes, spices, seasoning, tomato paste, wine, water, and pasta sauce.
STEP 4: Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the valve points to "seal." Next, select the pressure cook or high pressure option and use the up arrow to adjust the time to 15 minutes.
It should only take a few minutes to come up to pressure and begin counting down from 15 minutes.
STEP 5: Once the Instant Pot is done, allow a 10 to 15-minute (NPR) or natural pressure release. Carefully release the remaining pressure. Stir the sauce, as you deglaze the bottom of the pot. Your Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce is ready to enjoy!
Pro Tip: To avoid splatter, drape a washcloth over the pressure valve before releasing it. This will really cut down on the mess from the splatter...You're welcome! 😉
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Pasta sauce can easily be frozen. To freeze, follow these simple steps:
• First, allow the sauce to cool completely.
• Next, pour the sauce into gallon-sized freezer Ziploc bags.
• Release all the air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
• Use within 3 months for optimal results.
Pasta sauce can be cooked for as little as 30 minutes or for as long as all day. When cooked for many hours, the sauce thickens as it reduces. As a result, the flavor is intensified. However, the advantage of using a pressure cooker is that the sealed environment helps not only lock in all the flavor but also cooks the sauce much faster.
Yes, I highly recommend adding a small amount of sugar in the spaghetti sauce. Brown sugar, to be exact. Just a couple of teaspoons should do.
I'm leaving this an optional ingredient because I realize some people don't like sweet-tasting sauce or are watching their sugar intake. However, even a small amount of sugar helps to balance the flavor and mellow the acidity of the sauce.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
It's always a good idea to make this spaghetti sauce ahead of time and freeze it or store it in the fridge (for a short time) for those days when you need a quick and delicious meal.
This Easy Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce is delicious when mixed with spaghetti noodles or in my Extra Easy Lasagna recipe. Whatever pasta dish you decide to prepare, make sure you serve it with some extra parmesan cheese, cream cheese garlic bread, and a fresh salad!
Storage Suggestions
Store any leftover pasta sauce in an air-tight container, or a ziplock bag. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen sauce overnight in the refrigerator before using in your favorite recipe.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- To avoid splatter, drape a washcloth over the pressure valve before releasing it. This will really cut down on the mess.
- You can freeze the extra meat sauce in a large plastic Ziploc bag. To get all the air out of the sauce-filled Ziploc bag before sealing it, dip the filled bag into a sink filled with water. The water pressure will displace the air out of the bag. Seal as usual.
- Adding a little sugar to your sauce helps to balance the flavor and mellow the acidity of the sauce.
- If you are going to mix cheese, such as parmesan, in your sauce, it's best to do so once the sauce is defrosted. Creamy sauce doesn't freeze as well as a sauce made without cheese.
If you enjoy making your own homemade sauces, you may want to check out these other delicious sauces: Yogurt Shawarma Sauce, Pasta Cream Cheese Sauce, Homemade Enchilada Sauce, and 5-Ingredient Sriracha Aioli.
🥫Related Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi 6.5 qt. Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Italian Sausage links
- 1 pound ground beef (lean)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 medium green pepper (chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 6 medium mushrooms (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 ounce tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 1½ cups water
- 24 ounce pasta sauce (your favorite brand)
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients and chop vegetables.
- Set Instant Pot to “saute” and once hot, add olive oil.
- Remove sausage from casing and add to the pot, along with ground beef. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add mushrooms, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper, herbs, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, water, pasta sauce, and brown sugar, if using.
- Cover and seal the lid. Make sure the valve points to "seal." Select the "pressure" option and use the up arrow to adjust the time to 15 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot beeps, letting you know it’s done, do a 15 minute (NPR) or Natural Pressure Release. Carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the valve to "vent." Your Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce is ready to enjoy!
Notes
- To avoid splatter, drape a washcloth over the pressure valve before releasing it. This will really cut down on the mess.
- You can freeze extra sauce in a large plastic Ziploc bag. To get all the air out of the sauce-filled Ziploc bag before sealing it, dip the filled bag into a sink filled with water. The water pressure will displace the air out of the bag. Seal as usual.
- Adding a little sugar to your sauce helps to balance the flavor and mellow the acidity of the sauce.
- If you are going to mix cheese, such as parmesan, in your sauce, it's best to do so once the sauce is defrosted. Creamy sauce doesn't freeze as well as sauce without cheese.
Kathie Byrd says
Hi! I'm a newbie at this so I was wondering if you could share the brand of sausage and red wine you use for this recipe? Thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Kathie,
I do like Johnsonville Italian sausage, but you can use a different brand if you prefer. As far as the wine, I usually use burgundy or chianti, again no specific brand, just whatever I happen to have open in the fridge. You don't want to add a wine that's too sweet. Other than that, you make the call!
Dr. Matthew Banno says
Dear Hilda,
I am so glad that I have gotten to know you, firstly because you are the only Assyrian with Iraqi background to write proper English, and as an author of Hilda’s Kitchen Blog, you have brightened my cooking hobby in middle eastern or Mesopotamian recipes. Intact I am deleting most of the recipes that I have saved for the last 10 years (since my retirement) and gladly keeping yours. My birth place was Mosul, I am happily to pronounce that I am a Christian Assyrian Orthodox and pretty strict one.
I love my cooking which came through my late mother and grandmothers and definitely you are the closest to their cooking perfection. I currently reside in Melbourne Australia and retired as a Doctor in Mining engineering. So, I shall brief more about our getting cooking.😊👍🥂🤞
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Matthew, thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you are enjoying my blog, especially the Assyrian recipes. I know how it is trying to find recipes that match your family's recipes and I'm so glad mine fit the bill.Take care and thanks again! Hilda
Tiffany says
Grazi! This was an easy, fun & flavorful red sauce made while preparing the pasta. I love how you added wine, delicious choice! Tonight's winter dinner 🙂 Recommend.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Tiffany! I really appreciate your comment and review, enjoy!
Rachael says
I love this recipe and so does my family. I wouldn’t change a thing about it! Thank you for sharing!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Rachael,
Thank you so much for the review! I love that your family loves it!
Vicki Apodaca says
My family loves this sauce! Sooo good!
HildaSterner says
Hi Vicki! Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a review. Now come visit us in Montana!❤️