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Copycat Spaghettios in the Instant Pot

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Make homemade Spaghettios in your instant pot. This easy meal will make you relive your childhood in the tastiest kind of way!

bowl filled with homemade spaghettios in front of instant pot.

Remaking old classics is always fun. Especially if it involves pasta! This copycat recipe is mostly hands off because your pressure cooker does the work for you.

In the end you have a fun meal that took very little effort to make. It is perfect for lunch or add a few meatballs to make it a great dinner entrée!

I didn’t grow up on things like spaghettios.  Being one of six kids, it was easier for my mom to make a meal that open that many cans!

In fact the idea of pasta in a can kind of weirds me out.  It just doesn’t seem quite right.

bowl of homemade copycat spaghettios with meatballs and shreds of Parmesan cheese in front of pressure cooker.

My husband on the other hand still loves the stuff.  If he is left to his own devices for dinner, heating up a can of ravioli seems like a great idea to him.

Little Dude has inherited that like from his dad and occasionally wants a can for lunch on the weekends.  I guess we all have our things!

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to try to make something similar, but homemade.  Now strange slop sounds while emptying the can!

 I like doing pasta in the instant pot.  It is super simple and there are no worries about boiling over.

I have to say it turned out really well! I cooked some meatballs to throw on top to make it a more complete meal and we all gobbled them up.

looking across two bowl of homemade coypcat spaghettios in tomato sauce with instant pot in background.

Tips for Making Spaghettios in a Pressure Cooker

Put the water and the pasta in the bottom of the pot and the tomato sauce on top of that.  If the tomato sauce is under the pasta, you are more likely to get a burn warning.

If you do get a burn warning, don’t worry too much.  The cook time is so short, it is likely done anyway.  If the pasta needs a little more time, just put it on slow cook and keep an eye on it.

I didn’t add much seasoning to mimic the stuff in the cans.  If you want to add onion powder, oregano etc. feel free!

If you can’t find the rings shaped pasta, any small pasta shape will do. Small shells would be fun too. The cheddar helps round out the flavor, but shredded mozzarella would be a great mild option as well!

When venting the pressure of starchy liquids in the instant pot, I like to place a damp rag over the vent.  That will catch any potential splatters.

looking down on bowl of homemade spaghettios topped with meatballs and cheese.

Ideas for serving your homemade spaghettios

  • Just as they are is great!
  • We liked ours with meatballs and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
  • Place some hot spaghettios in a thermos and they’d make a perfect lunch for school or work.
  • You could also stir in some shredded veggies to add some nutritional value.
Looking down on bowl of spaghetti-ohs with cheesy tomato sauce in front of pressure cooker.

More great family friendly pasta recipes:

Creamy Spaghetti and Meatballs in the Instant Pot is basically a dump and go kind of meal. It is ready in no time with basically no effort. 

Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole is a fun twist on the classic. Layers of pasta, cheese, sauce and meatballs that don’t roll off when somebody sneezes! 😉

MiMi’s Baked Ziti is a classic in our family. We like ours with meat, but we make it meat free sometimes as well. It is a great take and bake for families with new babies as well. 

If you are looking for quick and easy dinners that remind you of childhood, check out bubble up pizza. It is another blast from the past that comes together quickly and is popular at the dinner table.

Did you make this great recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

bowl filled with homemade spaghettios in front of instant pot.

Homemade Spaghettios in the Instant Pot

Carlee
Make homemade Spaghettios in your instant pot. This easy meal will make you relive your childhood in the tastiest kind of way!
4.91 from 11 ratings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinners
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • cups water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 16 ounces small pasta
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 40 ounces canned tomato sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar

Instructions
 

  • Spray 6 or 8 quart instant pot liner with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Put water in the bottom of the pot, then the pasta.  Pour milk over that.  
    2½ cups water, 16 ounces small pasta, 1 cup milk
  • On top of the pasta, add the tomato sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Try to keep the tomato sauce on top of the pasta if possible. This will help to avoid the burn warning while it cooks.
    2 teaspoons garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, 40 ounces canned tomato sauce, ½ teaspoon salt
  • Cook on high pressure for 1 minute, then do a quick release.*
  • Stir in cheese until melted then serve.
    2 cups shredded cheddar

Notes

*Place a damp rag over the vent when releasing pressure to prevent splatters.
Put the water and the pasta in the bottom of the pot and the tomato sauce on top of that.  If the tomato sauce is under the pasta, you are more likely to get a burn warning.If you do get a burn warning, don't worry too much.  The cook time is so short, it is likely done anyway.  If the pasta needs a little more time, just put it on slow cook and keep an eye on it.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 13gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1062mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g
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Recipe Rating




Linda

Thursday 2nd of December 2021

Oh my gosh!!!! I finally made these last night and let me say 🤤🤤 this was freaking amazing. I did get the burn notice even with the tomato sauce on top but I took your advice and it came out sooo good. I can't wait to keep making it. I wish the noddles were easier to find. Because they are a bit pricey on Amazon.

Carlee

Thursday 2nd of December 2021

YAY! I am so glad you like it. Our local Hy-Vee carries them, so we must be pretty lucky!

Linda

Monday 22nd of November 2021

Alright I am going to make this tomorrow I am so scared of getting a burn notice but really want to try this so badly! I'm going to make double the batch as there are a lot of us. Wish me luck I'll let you know how it goes.

Carlee

Monday 22nd of November 2021

Good luck! Just be sure to get the water and the pasta on the bottom and the tomato sauce on the top and you should be fine. If you do get the burn notice, a few minutes on slow cook should finish it off. I hope you love it!

Unknown

Wednesday 6th of January 2021

I got the burn notice twice. Anyone else have this issue?

Carlee

Saturday 9th of January 2021

That can happen if the tomato sauce gets to the bottom of the pan. Luckily by then the pasta is usually mostly cooked. A few minutes on slow cook should finish it off nicely. I hope that helps!

Unknown

Tuesday 25th of February 2020

So cook time says a minute but what should it actually be like 5 or 10?

Carlee

Wednesday 26th of February 2020

It only takes one minute of pressure. The pasta will cook as it is coming up to pressure.

Carlee

Monday 9th of September 2019

Thank you!