Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
This Instant Pot spaghetti sauce brings together the rich flavors of tomatoes, herbs, and spices in a fraction of the time. Perfect for busy weeknights, it offers a quick and flavorful solution for a hearty homemade meal.
Christopher’s favorite cuisine is Italian and although I love it and seek it out when I want some comfort food, my favorite is Mexican. But this instant pot spaghetti sauce is among my favorite ways to prepare and eat gravy (what I call pasta sauce).
Do I have to use an instant pot to make this?
No. Of course, the recipe is created for the instant pot (or any pressure cooker), but you can make this spaghetti sauce (I call it gravy) on the stovetop.
Why should I make spaghetti sauce in a pressure cooker?
Since I’ve gotten my IP, I make my gravy in it exclusively. Why? Because it is fast! Stove-top gravy takes hours, especially if you cook the sausages in the sauce, which believe me, is the best way as the sausages turn out so soft and juicy!!
You say ‘spaghetti sauce’ but that’s not spaghetti, so what gives?
I’m pretty vocal about not ‘liking’ spaghetti noodles. It’s not the pasta I don’t like, per se. It is the ‘bite’ of spaghetti I object to. I want a mouthful of hearty pasta to chew on. You can ladle the delicious instant pot spaghetti sauce on any pasta you want!
We are a participant in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and other affiliated sites. #CommisionsEarned. You can read my disclosure here.
Helpful tips
- Dice your onion. Sometimes it’s fun to have chunky gravy but for this dish, I want it smooth.
- I use crushed tomatoes in this recipe, but you can use diced instead. I’ve made it both ways and both are delicious.
- If you haven’t tried garlic paste, do look for it in your grocery as it saves time, is convenient, and has a wonderful taste.
- Don’t skimp on the garlic, unless you don’t like it.
- Buy the best sausages you can afford.
- You can make this vegetarian or vegan easily, just omit the meat.
- Speaking of meat, you can also sauté some ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey or ground pork instead of using sausages.
- Do you want to spice this tomato sauce up? Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. It also freezes well for 3 months.
How to make this instant pot spaghetti sauce
Step one
Gather the ingredients – Onion, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic paste, Italian sausage, oregano and basil. (A)
Step two
Chop onion in small chunks. Get your instant pot out and press the saute function button.
Step three
Add olive oil and after it heats up, add onion and sauté for 3 minutes.
Would you like to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Don't worry, I promise not to spam you.
Step four
Add sausages, garlic, oregano, basil, and salt and continue sautéing for 3 minutes. (B)
Step five
Add the rest of your ingredients to the Instant Pot. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the instant pot container with a wooden spoon so you won’t get a burn notice.
Seal the lid and make sure the venting knob is turned to the sealed position. Press the ‘Pressure Cook’ button and set the timer to 15 minutes. The mode should be normal and set it to high pressure.
The IP will take between 10 – 15 minutes to come to pressure before the timer starts counting down.
Step six
After the cooker beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes or do a quick release. (Don an oven mitt before turning the venting knob to vent). The valve should drop which means it’s safe to open the lid to the pressure cooker.
For this easy meal, I transfer most of the finished sauce to a serving bowl and add pasta to our plates.
I ladle the spaghetti sauce on the pasta and we’re ready to eat. But now I’m wishing I had some garlic bread. 🙂
Looking delicious!
I hope you enjoyed this instant pot spaghetti sauce recipe!
Other popular sauces
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 6 sausages or more
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 12 ounces water I use the tomato paste can
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- See notes below for an amendment.
- Press the sauté button on the IP, add oil, then onions and sauté for 3 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion
- Add sausages and sauté for 3 minutes.6 sausages
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and bay leaf. After adding these ingredients, make sure to scrape the bottom of the instant pot to avoid any burn notice.28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste, 12 ounces water, 2 teaspoons garlic paste, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 bay leaf
- Seal instant pot, make sure the venting knob is set to sealed and press the pressure cook button and set the timer for 15 minutes. The mode should be normal and the pressure set to high.
- IP will take between 10 – 15 minutes to come to pressure, and then the timer will start counting down.
- Once it beeps, either let the IP release the pressure naturally, or do a fast release but use an oven mitt before tapping the venting knob.
- Plate some pasta and either transfer the sauce to a serving bowl or serve directly out of IP container.
- Eat
- Smile
- Enjoy
Equipment
Would you like to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Don't worry, I promise not to spam you.
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
Helpful tips
- Dice your onion. Sometimes it’s fun to have chunky gravy but for this dish, I want it smooth.
- I use crushed tomatoes in this recipe, but you can use diced instead. I’ve made it both ways and both are delicious.
- If you haven’t tried garlic paste, do look for it in your grocery as it saves time, is convenient, and has a wonderful taste.
- Don’t skimp on the garlic, unless you don’t like it.
- Buy the best sausages you can afford.
- You can make this vegetarian or vegan easily, just omit the meat.
- Speaking of meat, you can also sauté some ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey or ground pork instead of using sausages.
- Do you want to spice this tomato sauce up? Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. It also freezes well for 3 months.
Nutrition
From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.
This spaghetti sauce in the Instant Pot is one of my fav things to make! So easy, budget friendly. Thanks.
Thank you Traci! I appreciate it!
I love that you used sausages! It gave it such a great flavor. Such a tasty sauce.
Thanks, Leslie! I appreciate it.
I love this quick and tasty spaghetti sauce! Perfect for this cold weather!
Thanks Shadi! 🙂
I love a good homemade sauce and this one was a real winner! It was super tasty and that colour is so vibrant.
Thanks Dawn! I appreciate it!
What a fantastic recipe! Delicious and made in no time…the perfect meal.
Thanks Jackie!
Love, love, LOVE this dish. The best way to cook and eat sausages, according to moi. They stay moist and juicy. And gravy! Nothing more to say.
Thanks, Chris.
I love that this spaghetti sauce can be made in a jiff on a weeknight since it’s made in the instant pot. No need to wait for the weekend and hours of cooking. Great recipe.
Thanks so much, Sharon.
I love instant pot recipes like these that take recipes from my childhood like this and make it in a quarter of amount of time! Can’t wait to make this!
Thank you Jackie! I actually can’t believe how much I like my IP. Never thought it would happen.
That’s the perfect sauce when you need something comforting after a busy day!
Thanks Andrea! I agree – quick, easy and delicious!
Yum! it really is amazing how quickly and easily you can cook dishes like this with an instant pot.
Thanks Nicolas! I totally agree.
If I double the recipe, should I change the cooking time?
Thanks for the comment Erin. No, I believe it would be the same time. But watch out that you don’t overfill the Instant pot. In the metal insert, there is a line you shouldn’t go over.
I removed the sausage from the casings and as soon as the IP reached pressure, the “food burn” warning came on! I had also added a Tbsp of sugar. Had to release pressure and added some chicken broth, more water and resumed cooking. Hubby is Italian and insists any good gravy must be cooked all day! He loved his dinner! He was really surprised at the results obtained in 30 minutes.
Wondering where in grocery they stock garlic paste?
Hi Jean, I get the garlic paste by the packaged fresh herbs. They are in plastic tubes. It’s fun to see you call it gravy too! I’m glad your hubby liked it especially since I understand having gravy cook all day as my family did as well. Interesting about the food burn light coming on as when I make it, there is plenty of liquid. Though I don’t remove the casings from the sausages, that’s a great idea. Thank you for your comment, I appreciate it and hope you find the garlic paste as I really enjoy using it.
This was a poor recipe for the IP! I had to shut it off because “food burn” came on. Cleaned the pot and stirred in all ingredients with a whisk! Burned again!!! Moved into a large pot and cooked on the stove top!! Took much more time tonight!! Deleting this from my favorites. It sounded great! I did add 2 T sugar to cut acid and a bit more garlic!
I’m sorry to hear that Jean. I’ve never gotten that message. Thanks for the feedback.