For those hectic weeknights, this simple Ninja Foodi spaghetti recipe is a great quick meal. Ready in under 30 minutes and packed full of flavor. This pasta is simple to make in a pressure cooker, such as an instant pot!
Since it was originally published on November 25, 2019, this post has been updated to include better images, detailed instructions, and information.
As a busy mother of four, I definitely love quick, simple meals for my family, and I love how simple this Ninja Foodi recipe is to make. But I also don’t want to sacrifice on flavor.
This pasta recipe is not only much simpler than store-bought spaghetti sauce, but it is also healthier. This pasta sauce contains no ingredients that we want to avoid, such as added sugars, poor oils, or other unidentified ingredients!
This pasta dish can be pressure cooked in the amount of time necessary to cook the sausage, bring the cooker to pressure, and allow for a 10-minute natural release.
Consequently, you can prepare a delicious spaghetti dinner in less than 30 minutes. And the majority of that time is spent watching passively as the pressure cooker works.
And because it is so adaptable, you can easily make it into an Instant Pot spaghetti dinner!
One feature of my Ninja Foodi that I absolutely adore is how easy one pot cooking is. I cooked the sausage using the Sear/ Sauté function. And then pressure cooked the remaining ingredients.
No additional pots or pans are required, nor even the use of a strainer to drain the pasta water.
For our family of six, I use this 8 qt Ninja Foodi, and it works well. It has grown to be one of our favorite little kitchen gadgets for quick and simple meals!
Start by cooking the garlic and onions with the olive oil in the bowl or cooking pot of the Ninja Foodi using the sear / saute function.
Then, add the ground sausage and cook it until it’s fully cooked, breaking it up into the desired size. Stir in the salt & Italian seasonings.
Layer the ingredients, then add the chicken broth, stir, and remove any remaining bits of meat from the pan’s bottom.
On top of the cooked sausage mixture, sprinkle the fresh tomatoes and the jar of crushed tomatoes.
Split the spaghetti noodles in half, then layer them loosely in a crisscross pattern. To prevent the pasta from clumping together and to ensure proper cooking during pressure cooking, it must be layered loosely.
Set the valve to the seal position before adding the pressure cooking lid. Set the pressure cook time to zero and press start. It will take roughly 10 minutes to reach pressure.
Set a timer for 10 minutes after the pressure has been reached to allow for natural pressure release.
Switch the vent to release any remaining pressure after the natural pressure release has taken place for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove the lid.
Gently stir the pasta. Give yourself a few minutes to rest so that any additional liquid can absorb
In an airtight container, leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. To reheat, heat on medium low until warmed through.
Tips for making this Ninja Foodi Spaghetti Recipe
Although this recipe is for dump-and-cook spaghetti, the order in which the ingredients are poured does matter.
Cooking under pressure: When cooking under pressure, a thin liquid is necessary so that the pressure cooker can develop pressure. Sauces made of tomatoes, cream, and cheese are too thick to be used as the only liquid. I advise replacing water in any recipe with a broth or stock to add flavor. In this recipe for Ninja Foodi spaghetti, we’ll do just that, and it tastes great!
Keeping away from the dreaded burn notice: Not only have I experienced the dreaded burn notice, but I’ve also had friends call me in a panic when theirs appeared. Sometimes all it takes to fix it is to simply add more thin liquid, like broth or water. Other times, the bottom of your food has already burned, making it difficult to salvage. Avoiding the notice is much simpler than fixing it, which is what this Ninja Foodi Spaghetti recipe does.
When I read an Instant Pot spaghetti recipe, my first thought was, “I’m not using all that water!” I believe the recipe called for 6 cups of water, and I was certain my spaghetti would be a watery mess. It wasn’t watery, but it lacked flavor terribly. You need 4 cups of beef broth for this Ninja Foodi spaghetti recipe, I assure you (you could also use chicken or vegetable broth).
Dont overcook the noodles: Ive seen an array of cook times for pasta and they are always overcooked for my liking. Spaghetti noodles should be al dente or have just a bit of a bite to them, not overly bloated and mushy. We dont want them to fall apart in the sauce. This Ninja Foodi Spaghetti Recipe calls for 3 minutes of pressure cooking and you might be tempted to increase the time, but keep in mind that the noodles start to cook while the Ninja Foodi is coming up to pressure
Layer the ingredients as shown: This Ninja Foodi Spaghetti Recipe is an illustration of why layering the ingredients is crucial when pressure cooking (for some recipes). There is a very good chance that you would receive the dreaded burn notice if the layers were reversed or if everything was mixed together like you would on the stove.
Criss cross the noodles: When using spaghetti noodles in the pressure cooker, you want to layer them in a criss cross fashion to avoid clumping and to have them cook evenly. You can watch how I do this below or see the whole video on my YouTube video: Ninja Foodi Spaghetti Video.
Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Ninja Foodi Pasta:
The recipe card’s complete ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the post. Pasta-Any type of dried pasta can be used. See chart for examples. Water- Broth can be used instead of water. The finished pasta will have more flavor thanks to the beef, chicken, and vegetable broth. Salt- Freshly ground or pre-ground will work. Salt can be omitted if preferred.
Tips for making Ninja Foodi Pasta
Any variety of dried pasta can be prepared in the Ninja Foodi Depending on the type of pasta you’re cooking, the cooking time will change.
When adding the pasta to the pot to cook long pasta, such as spaghetti, fettuccine, or vermicelli, you must crisscross it. The pasta will stick together if you stack it all on top of each other; crisscrossing the pasta avoids this. Break long pasta in half before adding it to the pot. After adding the first 10 pieces of pasta, crisscross the remaining 10 pieces of pasta. Continue this process until all pasta has been added. In the end, you’ll have a central mound of pasta that resembles a haystack.
Yes, you can. The broth will add additional flavor. If using broth, you may want to reduce the amount of salt that you are adding as some broths can be rather salty.
In the same manner that you would prepare other varieties of pasta. Follow the same formula for cooking egg noodles. See chart for more details.
Pasta al dente formula: Divide the recommended cooking time listed on the pasta box by two, then take away two. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For instance, if the box specifies 10 minutes for cooking, divide 10 by 2 to get 5 minutes. Subtract 2. 5-2=3. Pressure cook for 3 minutes.
Secret for pasta that is slightly overcooked: Divide the recommended cooking time listed on the pasta box by 2, then take 1 out of the result. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For instance, if the box specifies 10 minutes for cooking, divide 10 by 2 to get 5 minutes. Subtract 1. 5-1=4. Pressure cook for 4 minutes.
Pasta that is fully cooked and tender can be made by dividing the recommended cooking time on the box by two. Pressure cook for that many minutes. For instance, if the box specifies 10 minutes for cooking, divide 10 by 2 to get 5 minutes. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.
FAQ
Can you cook noodles in a pressure cooker?
In an Instant Pot® multi-cooker, mix 1 pound of penne with 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. When locking the lid and getting ready to cook, adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
How do you boil in Ninja Foodi?
Boiling. At this point, you should completely cover your food with liquid inside the pressure cooker. So, for instance, if you put a whole chicken in the Ninja Foodi’s inner pot and cover it with water, once the Ninja Foodi reaches high pressure, your chicken will be boiling at about 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do you cook with Ninja Foodi?
Using the Sear/Sauté function for cooking is similar to using your stovetop. When simmering, sautéing, or searing meats, use the LO, MED, or HI settings.
