Instant Pot Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce

Spaghetti tossed in pesto sauce along with sun-dried tomatoes and a drizzle of lemon juice. Make this as a one-pot dish in just 20 minutes in the Instant Pot. This is my favorite way to eat spaghetti! 

Pesto sauce in pasta is the ONLY way my family loves pasta. There was a time, when my daughter would not eat any tomato based sauces on pasta. So I would buy or make pesto and use it all the time. Luckily she got over it, and loved to eat my Penne in Tomato Cream Sauce.

I am surprised it has taken me this long to share this recipe. You will love the simplicity of it. So simple, yet so flavorful.

Recently I also shared my Homemade Basil Walnut Pesto recipe. You can use a homemade pesto or a store brought one. My favorite store brought pesto is the one in the refrigerator section at Costco. When fresh basil is not available, I always keep a bottle of pesto from Costco in the refrigerator.

What makes these Instant Pot Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce special?

✓ One-pot, no need to cook the spaghetti separately.

✓ That means less dirty dishes!

✓ Ready in 20 minutes!

✓ Perfect meal for those busy nights.

Steps to make Instant Pot Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce

This is the simplest recipe you will ever encounter. Add spaghetti, water and olive oil to the Instant Pot. Pressure Cook for 4 minutes, followed by a quick release.

The general rule of thumb for cooking time for pasta in Instant Pot – For al dente pasta, cook for 1 minute less than half the time recommended on the box.  Add one more minute for well done pasta.  For example, if the pasta box says 12 minutes, then I would pressure cook for 5 minutes.  I prefer to cook al dente and then add a minute or so on sauté mode if needed.

Open the pot. Use tongs to stir the spaghetti well. Then add the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. You can also stir in any quick or no-cook veggies at this time, such as spinach, arugula or sliced bell peppers. Toss well to coat all the spaghetti with the pesto sauce.

You can add lemon juice, red chili flakes and parmesan. All of these are optional, however I love them in my spaghetti. Lemon juice the most!

If you like creamy pesto, add half a cup of heavy cream along with the pesto sauce to the spaghetti. This is a variation we love!

Spaghetti in pesto sauce is ready to be enjoyed.

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Instant Pot Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce

Spaghetti tossed in pesto sauce along with sun-dried tomatoes and a drizzle of lemon juice. Make this as a one-pot dish in just 20 minutes in the Instant Pot. This is my favorite way to eat spaghetti! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword easy, instant pot, pesto, pressure cooker

Diet Vegetarian

Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 3

Calories 594kcal

Author Meeta Arora

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 8 oz Spaghetti
• 2 cup Water
• 3/4 cup Pesto
• 1/3 cup Sundried Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice adjust to taste
• Red Chili Flakes optional
• Pecorino Romano Cheese or parmesan, optional
• Basil leaves to garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Break spaghetti into half or smaller, and add it to the Instant Pot steel insert. 
• Add water and olive oil. Press the spaghetti under water. It should just covered with water. Close lid of the instant pot with vent in sealing position. 
  
• Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button and cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. The time to cook is usually 1 minute less than half of the suggest time on the pasta box. This will result in al dente pasta.
• When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually. Toss the spaghetti with tongs, so all the noodles are separated. 
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat the spaghetti well. 
• Mix in the lemon juice if adding. Garnish with red chili flakes, cheese and basil leaves. 

Notes

• This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker. 
• In 4 minutes, the spaghetti with be Al dente. If you want softer spaghetti, add 1-2 minutes to cooking time. 
• If you like more saucy spaghetti, add more pesto sauce. You can also add some heavy cream to make this a creamy pesto spaghetti. 

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 621mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 27.1% | Vitamin C: 8.2% | Calcium: 13.3% | Iron: 13.6%

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