Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb Lean ground beef (85% or 90% lean works best)
- 1 Small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 24 oz Jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- 1 lb Spaghetti noodles, broken in half
- 3 cups Water (or beef broth for extra flavor)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the Sauté function and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the ground beef and diced onions. Cook until the beef is fully browned, breaking it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Turn off the Sauté function and drain any excess grease if necessary.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the water or broth into the pot. Use your wooden spoon to scrape all the browned bits (the fond) off the bottom of the pot; this prevents the “Burn” notice. Layer the broken spaghetti noodles over the meat in a crisscross pattern (like a “haystack”) to prevent them from clumping together. Do not stir the noodles into the meat yet.
- Pour the remaining water and the entire jar of marinara sauce over the noodles. Use the back of a spoon to gently press the noodles down so they are mostly submerged in liquid, but again, do not stir. Secure the lid and set the valve to “Sealing.” Select Manual/Pressure Cook on High for 8 minutes. (Note: Use half the time suggested on the pasta box minus 1 minute for the perfect al dente texture).
- Once the timer beeps, perform a Quick Release by carefully moving the valve to “Venting.” When the pin drops, open the lid. The pasta might look a bit watery at first—this is normal. Use tongs or a large fork to stir everything together, breaking up any clumps of noodles. Let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the pasta to finish absorbing the liquid.
- Twirl the spaghetti onto plates using a large fork. Garnish generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serve immediately while hot and creamy.
- Cook Time: 25 minutes