Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Olive Oil – use olive oil that has a light and mild taste and high burn point. You can also use avocado oil, it’s a great substitution for olive oil.

Veggies – use Vidalia onion (or yellow onion), carrots, tomatoes (heirloom or tomatoes of a vine will be good).

Garlic – it’s always best to use fresh garlic rather that pre-minced or jarred.

Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes – The fire roasted element will add to the flavor of the sauce. However, in a pinch, a can of plain crushed tomatoes also works. Try not to use tomatoes with any other flavors added since you will be adding all the needed flavors.

Tomato Paste – This is a great enhancer of the tomato flavor. Make sure to use tomato paste, not tomato sauce.

Chicken Stock – Chicken Stock is preferred, but Vegetable Stock will also work to make the sauce completely vegetation.

Sugar – white granulated sugar helps balance out the acidity of the tomatoes to make sauce smooth tasting.

Herbs – A medley of bay leaves, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried parsley create a wonderful herb notes that enhance the flavor of sauce.

Seasonings – For a slight spicy note, add just a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. (Of course, add as much as you’d like to make it as spicy as you prefer.) Don’t forget the coarse salt!

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce

(Print-friendly recipe is in the recipe card)

Before cooking, peel and dice all of your veggies, and measure all other ingredients.

Preheat your Instant Pot to the “sear/sauté” setting. Add some oil, then cook the onions and carrots until softened (1). Then toss in the diced tomatoes (2) and also cook until softened.

Sauté the garlic until fragrant (3). Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for about a minute (4).

Stir in the chicken stock (5), crushed tomatoes (6), herbs, and seasonings (7). Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir.

Close the lid and make sure it’s fully latched. Then, turn the valve to “seal” and set the pressure cooker to cook on “high” for about 20 minutes.

Once the time is up, let the pressure cooker do a natural release for about 10 minutes, followed immediately by a quick release.

Stir the sauce and then turn on the “sear/sauté” setting again. Let the sauce simmer and thicken for 5-7 minutes. Give it a stir now and again.

Turn off the Instant Pot and discard of the bay leaves.

You can blend the sauce with an immersion blender at this point if you’d prefer a smoother sauce, or you can leave it chunky.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Storing:

Make sure to cool the pasta sauce completely before refrigerating or freezing. Store spaghetti sauce in a glass jar (or two jars) with a lid for up to a week. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that food spoils quicker when new bacteria is introduced, so make sure to pour out what you need instead of scooping from the jar.

Freezing:

If you plan to freeze the sauce, let the sauce cool completely to room temperature, then place it in a freezer-safe food storage container (like a freezer zip-top bag) and get as much air out as you can. Label and date the bag(s) accordingly, then place them in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.

PRO TIP: that you can always separate the sauce into smaller portions and freeze it is several bags.

How To Use Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti noodles aren’t the only thing this sauce is made for!

Spread it on the pizza instead of pizza sauce

Add it to sandwiches like the meatball sub

Use it as a dipping sauce for bread sticks.

Here are just a few of my favorite recipes that call for spaghetti sauce.

• The Best Lasagna
• Italian Meatballs
• Classic Stuffed Shells

What Are The Best Tomatoes To Use?

Use canned tomatoes and when possible, and use fire-roasted tomatoes for added flavor. For the best spaghetti sauce, the best tomatoes to use are San Marzano.

Try to find those at your grocery store, it would be labeled right on the can.

For the fresh tomatoes, my favorite ones are heirloom tomatoes and if those are not available, I use tomatoes on a vine.

Can I Use Fresh Tomatoes To Make Spaghetti Sauce?

Spaghetti sauce is meant to be made with canned tomatoes and the addition of flavorful ingredients, like garlic, basil, onions and carrots.

Using fresh tomatoes is actually a different sauce – Pomodoro Sauce! “Pomodoro” literally translates to “tomato,” which is where that Italian tomato sauce gets its name.

Want To Add Meat?

Absolutely! You can use ground beef, ground Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken. It’s best to start by cooking the meat first:

• In the Instant Pot, on the “saute” setting, add some oil and saute the ground meat until just cooked through. Make sure to break up all the lumps while it’s cooking.
• Take the meat out and set it aside.
• Add a little more oil to the Instant pot pot and then cook the veggies as stated in the recipe.
• Once the veggies are softened and the cooked meat back to the pot with veggies and finish cooking the sauce as stated in the recipe.