The Instant Pot Miracle: One-Pan Pasta & Meat Sauce

Adapted from Skinny Taste's One and Done Cookbook. This Instant Pot one-pan pasta with meat sauce comes together very quickly. It has been a huge hit with the kids and a godsend on busy weeknights. Notes: I have the 6-qt Instant Pot IP Duo. The timing may differ for you depending on the size/model of your Instant Pot. The recipe calls for high pressure for 9 minutes. I've been doing 6 minutes. It may take some trial and error to get right given your model/pasta shape. The recipe calls for spaghetti, broken in half. My children have trouble with spaghetti, so I use a short pasta. Marinara Sauce: I've been liking a local-ish brand called It's a Utica Thing. I've been using their Maa-Da-Nad marinara sauce. 1 pound of ground meat makes for a very meaty sauce. You can use 3/4 a pound of meat with success. Recipe calls for 93% lean ground turkey; I use 85% lean ground beef. Finally, the recipe does not call for any olive oil. I prefer sautéeing the onion (in the Instant Pot) in a little bit of olive oil first, then adding the ground meat, but know that you can skip the olive oil, brown the meat first, then add the onion and garlic.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced to yield about 1/2 cup
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 to 1 pound ground beef, see notes above
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1 (25.25-ounce) jar marinara sauce, see notes above
• 8 ounces dried short pasta, such as Campanelle or rotini, see notes above
• Freshly grated Pamigiano Reggiano, for serving
• Freshly cracked black pepper, for serving

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Press the sauté button on an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker. Add the oil, onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the ground beef and salt and brown the meat, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces as it cooks, about 3 minutes.
2. 2Add the marinara sauce, 2 cups water — I pour some of the water into the empty marinara jar and shake it to get every drop of sauce out — and the pasta to the Instant Pot. Give it a stir.
3. 3Seal and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes (see notes above). Quick release, then open when the pressure subsides. Stir. Serve right away, topped with Parmesan and pepper, if desired.