This Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce is vegetarian, gluten-free, and dirties just one dish. Made with red wine, tons of seasonings, parmesan, and more!
Ingredients
- Olive Oil – used to sauté the veggies and garlic.
- Yellow Onion, Celery, and Carrot – called a “mirepoix”, this blend of veggies is a classic addition to many foods to add flavor, color, and texture.
- Garlic – provides a subtle nuttiness.
- Red Wine and Chicken Broth – the base for the sauce. Chicken broth gives it tons of flavor while red wine adds a touch of warm sweetness to bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.
- Peeled and Crushed Canned Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, and Tomato Paste – gives the sauce it’s tomato flavors! Canned tomatoes add texture, tomato sauce gives the sauce more structure, and tomato paste helps thicken it slightly.
- Dried Basil Leaves, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, and Ground Nutmeg – provides the spaghetti sauce with its classic sweet, earthy, and spicy Italian flavors.
- Balsamic Vinegar and Cornstarch – makes up a cornstarch slurry which helps thicken the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese – provides a bit of cheesiness
- Brown Sugar – adds a warm sweetness to complement the flavor of the tomatoes.
- Unsalted Butter – gives the sauce depth of flavor.
How to make
This delicious and easy-to-make instant pot spaghetti sauce comes together in just about the amount of time it would take you to run and get pasta sauce from the store…and it tastes SO much better!
- Hit SAUTE on your instant pot then, once it reads hot, add in olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Hit CANCEL on the instant pot, then deglaze with red wine and scrape any brown bits off the bottom. Stir in the broth.
- Without stirring, add in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce then sprinkle on basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Dollop tomato paste on top but don’t stir.
- Cover and lock the lid. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes. Allow the instant pot to naturally release for 10 minutes then flip the valve toward VENTING to release any remaining pressure.
- Hit SAUTE on the instant pot then, in a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and cornstarch. Mix that into the instant pot then simmer until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Hit CANCEL on the instant pot, then stir in parmesan, brown sugar, and butter. Taste and re-season if necessary then serve and enjoy!
Should you add tomato paste to spaghetti sauce?
Yes! Tomato paste is much more concentrated than tomato sauce so it adds flavor depth and body to the sauce that it wouldn’t have otherwise. I highly recommend adding it.
How to thicken
This recipe uses a cornstarch slurry made up of balsamic vinegar and cornstarch which helps to thicken the sauce. However, if it’s still not quite thick enough for you, you have a couple of options:
- Let it simmer. Simmering the sauce allows excess moisture to evaporate. You can put your instant pot on the SAUTE setting and let it simmer as long as necessary until thickened!
- Add more slurry. I recommend simmering first but you can also make another cornstarch slurry and whisk that into the sauce. I would recommend doing very little bits at a time so as not to alter the flavor too much.
Can you make instant pot spaghetti sauce on the stove?
Absolutely! If you don’t have an instant pot, check out my homemade stovetop spaghetti sauce instead.
Can you add meat to instant pot spaghetti sauce?
You can! If you want to add meat, simply stir lean ground beef, ground turkey, etc. in with the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and sauté until cooked through.
What to serve with instant pot spaghetti sauce
I love to serve my instant pot spaghetti sauce tossed with spaghetti noodles but you can use any pasta shape you like! You can also bulk your meal up with a couple of side dishes!
- Pear, Blue Cheese, Candied Pecan Salad
- Roasted Vegetables
- Turkey Meatballs
- Garlic Bread or Breadsticks
How to store
Leftover spaghetti sauce will last in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To enjoy again, thaw in the fridge if frozen then warm in the microwave or on the stove before serving over cooked pasta.
– Jennifer
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup red wine can replace with grape juice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28 oz) can peeled and crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 4 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste (I did about 2 teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
- 2-4 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Hit SAUTE on your 6 quart Instant Pot.
- Once it reads HOT, add in olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
- Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
- Hit CANCEL on the Instant Pot, then deglaze with wine. Be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom to avoid a BURN reading.
- Stir in the broth.
- WITHOUT STIRRING, add in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, then sprinkle on basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg.
- Dollop tomato paste on top - again, do not stir, this helps avoid a BURN reading.
- Cover and lock the lid; be sure the pressure valve is pointing toward SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes, then flip the valve toward VENTING to release any remaining pressure.
- Hit SAUTE on the Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and cornstarch, then slowly whisk that mixture into the Instant Pot.
- Simmer, stirring regularly, until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Hit CANCEL on the Instant Pot, then stir in parmesan, brown sugar, and butter.
- Taste and re-season, if necessary, then serve with cooked pasta and enjoy!
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
People Also Viewed
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Anonymous
Jane
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Jacky
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Marie
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Sheena
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy