Instant Pot Ground Beef and Pasta Is Truly the Easiest Weeknight Meal
I’ve been a fan of the Instant Pot for several years now, and of all the Instant Pot features I’ve gushed about — make wine, yogurt, cakes! — I get the most skepticism when I mention using it to make pasta. If I said the Instant Pot could grow legs and run away, I think people would believe that before they believed that the Instant Pot could make pasta.
The Instant Pot really can make pasta — just like it can make very good rice and burrito bowls. Cooking the pasta in the sauce means the noodles absorb all the flavors really well, and the best part is that it cooks on a timer with the lid on, so you if you have to leave the room, you know everything will still be fine when you get back. Instant Pot pasta is a great option for when your main goal is to have something tasty and filling in your bowl as quickly and easily as possible, with the absolute minimum of a mess to clean up at the end.
To make the easiest ground beef and pasta, set the Instant Pot to sauté and cook ground beef in olive oil until it’s nicely browned. Crumble it as you go, and drain off any excess fat when you’re done. Add diced onion to the beef and cook that on Sauté as well, along with some minced garlic. Deglaze the Instant Pot insert with a bit of red wine, then stir in the uncooked pasta with some beef stock and a whole jar of your favorite marinara sauce.
Seal the Instant Pot and cook the pasta and sauce on high for five minutes. When it’s done, release the pressure and stir in some fresh basil and Parmesan. It’s ready to go immediately, and you’ll have lots of leftovers and only one pot to clean.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Ground Beef and Pasta from Damn Delicious
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