Instant Pot Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Marinara
Only 4 ingredients make up this nutritious dinner recipe that your family will love. You’ll have Instant Pot Whole Wheat Spaghetti done in about 15 minutes and will only dirty up one pot! Now, that’s my kind of meal.
I’ve been knee-deep in learning the ways of the Instant Pot–also known as an electric pressure cooker–for our second cookbook called From Freezer to Cooker for over a year now. There really is a bit of a learning curve that comes along with this convenience kitchen appliance. At first I was so frustrated that there are so few good resources out there for it. Every recipe, blogger, and cookbook uses a different method. Some work and some don’t, from my experience. There really is no standard out there. The manual itself it completely inept.
That’s why we wrote this post…
And, that’s why Polly and I have been testing, testing, and testing recipe after recipe for the Instant Pot (and slow cooker) for this second cookbook. Our Recipe Testing Team has been a great help to us, as well! (Want to join? It’s not too late.) It’s an arduous task, but we are learning and creating our own standards for cooking times, pressure release tips, and more. I can’t wait to share all we’ve learned with you in our second book.
Along the way, I’ve been dabbling in fresh meals in the Instant Pot, too. This Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Marinara recipe doesn’t work as a freezer meal, but it is a winner as a fast, family-pleasing recipe for dinner.
I mean look at how easy this is….4 ingredients + 1 pot = a delicious, healthy meal!
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Only 4 ingredients make up this nutritious dinner recipe that your family will love. You’ll have this done in about 15 minutes and will only dirty up one pot!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (half package) of whole wheat spaghetti
- 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I used our Homemade Marinara)
- 2 cups water
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Break the spaghetti in half and add to the pot. Top with the marinara sauce and water. Stir around very gently until the pasta is covered.
- Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for half the pasta cooking time on the package, minus 1 minute. (So, if the directions say 9-11 minutes, you’ll cook it for about 4 minutes. I would recommend doing the least amount of time, so your pasta doesn’t get overcooked and mushy.)
- Use a quick release of the pressure when cooking time is through. Be sure to cover the spout with a dish towel to minimize splatters. (I didn’t have any when I tested this, but you never know.)
- Serve warm and topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.
If I add frozen meatballs to this, should i increase my cook time?
I haven’t tested meatballs in this recipe, but if they are pre-cooked frozen meatballs, they would take 3-5 minutes in sauce by themselves. So, I think they should work in this recipe. Let us know if you test it and what your thoughts are!
This looks wonderful but I wish you had instant pot directions on how to make the marinara as well vs it having slow cooker directions and this having instant pot directions.
It’s a good idea. We’ll try to get a recipe for that eventually.
I use a stovetop pressure cooker. Would you have any idea how the amount of time would compare with an electric pressure cooker? I’m not sure about when an electric cooker cooks for 4 minutes; is that the entire time it is on, or is that the amount of time at pressure? (with a stove top cooker you count the time when it is at pressure, so the warming up time is not counted, if that makes sense.)
Hi Brenda. I’m so sorry, but I’ve never used a stovetop pressure cooker. To answer one of your questions, when we say “cook at high pressure for 4 minutes” that is NOT including the amount of time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes for this recipe to come to pressure. The 4 minutes begins when the valve seals. Not sure if that helps or not.
I am ahving difficulty finding a whole wheat pasta my family will eat. They don’t seem to like the texture.
I know, it’s hard to switch once they’re used to white pasta. Sorry! There are some brands that add in some whole grains and/or added protein but it still looks like white pasta.
First time I had trouble with pasta burning. Taste was good, which is why I gave 3 stars. Next time I will try putting in water and sauce first, then pasta on top without stirring it down to bottom.
★★★