Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce

Preheat and Sauté the Meat: Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté mode on high and add two teaspoons of oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add one pound of ground Italian sausage, beef, or turkey. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Sauté until the meat is fully browned and no longer pink, about 5 to 8 minutes. If using lean meat, you may want to drain excess grease before proceeding.

Add the Pasta Sauce: Pour a 24-ounce jar of pasta sauce directly into the Instant Pot over the cooked meat. Stir well to evenly distribute the sauce and coat the meat. This helps infuse the meat with rich tomato flavor before pressure cooking.

Layer the Pasta: Spread uncooked pasta evenly over the meat and sauce mixture. Gently press the pasta down into the sauce without stirring. This ensures even cooking and prevents the pasta from clumping together.

Add Water for Pressure Cooking: Fill the empty sauce jar with one cup of water, seal it, and give it a good shake to loosen any remaining sauce. Pour this water evenly over the pasta. Lightly press the pasta down again so it is just barely submerged in liquid. Do not stir, as this could cause the pasta to stick or burn during cooking. Pour water evenly over your pasta. Push pasta down into water and sauce mixture once again. Pasta should be JUST covered.

Pressure Cook the Pasta: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing. Select Manual (or Pressure Cook) mode and set it to High Pressure for 8 minutes. The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.

Quick Release the Pressure: Once the cook time is complete, carefully perform a quick release by turning the valve to "Venting." Stand back and allow the steam to fully escape before opening the lid.

Stir and Serve: Open the Instant Pot and stir the pasta, ensuring the sauce and meat are evenly mixed. The pasta will continue to absorb some of the liquid as it sits. Serve hot, and enjoy!