Instant Pot Filipino-style Spaghetti

Make your favorite pasta in the pressure cooker in 20 minutes! This Instant Pot Filipino-style Spaghetti is meaty, saucy, and with the perfect touch of sweetness. Delicious as a midday snack or main meal!

My daughter gifted me an Instant Pot three Christmases ago, and it quickly became my most favorite kitchen gadget ever. I love using it so much; I launched another recipe site dedicated to all things pressure cooker!

It seems you love this multicooker as much as I do because I often get requests for Instant Pot recipes. Your wish is my command, my lovely people because aside from the new blog, I'm also working on a pressure cooker section right here on Kawaling Pinoy just for you.

I hope to convert a lot of Filipino classics like bulalo, BBQ, lugaw, and leche flan to pressure cooker recipes and also introduce new dishes to make. And to add to the IP chicken adobo and sardines bangus already on the blog is this IP version of our quintessential sweet-style spaghetti.

Why you'll love the recipe

• This recipe is based on my tried and tested pressure cooker spaghetti which I often make for my family. I just switched the Italian sausage to ground beef, used sweet-style sauce, and added hot dogs to suit our Pinoy tastes.
• It turns out meaty, saucy, and incredibly tasty in 20 minutes and in one pot! It’s a quick and easy dish perfect for busy weeknights.
• The spaghetti noodles are cooked right in the pot with the sauce, so they come out extra flavorful, and there’s no need to boil water separately.

Cooking steps

This is a quick overview plus additional tips; check the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and detailed recipe instructions.

1. Brown the hot dogs- for an authentic feel, use Filipino "red" hot dogs. If not available, you can also use diced ham or sliced Vienna sausages to add a smoky flavor.
2. Brown the meat- cook the ground beef using the SAUTE feature on NORMAL. You can substitute with ground chicken or turkey for a leaner option.
3. Saute- add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and cook until softened. You can also include sliced mushrooms for extra bulk and nutrition. Remove excess grease and season the meat with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Return the hot dogs.
4. Add the pasta- cut the uncooked spaghetti in half and place them in the pot on top of the meat in a crisscross pattern so they don’t clump or stick together when cooked. Pasta brands require different cook times; check the box for manufacturing directions and use spaghetti that takes 9 to 11 minutes to cook al dente. The pressure cook time is 7 minutes, and although the pasta is not mushy and has a good bite, please do not expect the same texture as when cooked on the stovetop.
5. Add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, water, and sugar- you can swap the water with beef broth for extra depth of flavor. Omit or adjust the amount of sugar according to taste. Do NOT stir lest the noodles break; push them down gently so they’ll be submerged in the liquid.
6. Pressure cook- close the lid and set the valve in the SEALING position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 7 minutes and do a QUICK release when IP beeps.
7. Let stand for a few minutes- the pasta dish will look soupy initially. Let the noodles stand for a few minutes to absorb the sauce, and then give them a good stir to distribute and evenly coat with the sauce.
8. Add cheese- to make it creamy and cheesy, toss in Parmesan cheese or your favorite shredded cheese such as Cheddar or Monterey Jack in the pot and toss to melt. Or ladle the spaghetti on serving plates and top with shredded cheese.

How to store and serve

• Enjoy this pressure cooker Filipino-style spaghetti with cheesy garlic bread and a green salad as a midday snack or main meal.
• Allow leftovers to cool completely and transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until warmed through, stirring well between intervals