The easiest Vegan Instant Pot Spaghetti Bolognese! Everything (vegan meat sauce and spaghetti) gets cooked together in the Instant Pot in 8 minutes, and I promise it works and is delicious. Dinner does not get any easier or more convenient than this!
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This is Vegan Instant Pot Spaghetti Bolognese for busy weeknights when you want a minimal effort, quick, hearty, and delicious meal on the table fast.
I know, I know, it's not traditional Bolognese, for which I have complete and utter respect. It's one of my favourite meals to cook and eat, and nothing can beat a really good, slow-cooked Bolognese sauce! Sometimes, though, convenience and speed are necessary, and this is the answer in those situations.
Is it as good as a traditional Bolognese? No, of course not. But, for such a quick, convenient, one-pot vegan meal, it's well worth the trade-off in quality, and it still makes a very delicious, family-friendly dinner that's perfect for throwing together when you get home after a long day at work.
If you want to fancy it up a bit, I highly recommend serving with some vegan garlic bread (or no-knead focaccia), a crisp, green salad with a simple, tangy vegan vinaigrette, and some shaved vegan parmesan. Delish!
Mel x
P.S. No Instant Pot? Make this One Pot Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese that is cooked on the stovetop instead.
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Vegan ground beef - You can use whatever brand you have access to/enjoy. I use either Yves Veggie Ground Round, Beyond Vegan Ground Beef, or Gardein Ground Be'f. Depends on what's on sale! You can use cooked green or brown lentils instead of vegan ground beef but they MUST be cooked and not dry for use in this recipe. The recipe will not work with dried/uncooked lentils.
- Spaghetti - This needs to be regular dried spaghetti. I do not recommend using thinner types like spaghettini because it will overcook. The recipe has not been tested with any other kind of pasta.
- Italian seasoning - Or any mix of dried herbs that you enjoy in your Bolognese.
- Sugar - Used as a seasoning. It balances the acidity of the canned tomatoes and creates a more rounded, complex flavour. Important when we're cooking this meal fast in the Instant Pot because the sauce isn't simmering for a long time to reduce and develop flavour.
- Better Than Bouillon or stock cubes - You can use either of these (I love Better Than Bouillon No Beef for the best flavour), or you can use cartons of stock instead of the water and omit this.
- Crushed tomatoes - Usually, I'd say you could use diced tomatoes instead if you wanted to, but in this recipe, because it is being cooked in an Instant Pot, it is really important to keep the texture exactly the same. That's why you must use canned crushed tomatoes or passata only.
IMPORTANT
It is REALLY important NOT to add any other ingredients to this recipe. It has been tested extensively by me and my recipe testers in many different Instant Pots, and the solids-to-liquid ratio is perfect. If you add anything else (even a few extra veggies or diced canned tomatoes instead of crushed), the extra density could trigger the burn notice. When made exactly as written with ingredients being added in the manner/order specified, this recipe reliably works well and cooks efficiently.
Let's Make Instant Pot Spaghetti Bolognese!
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner:
1 - Saute the onions, carrots, vegan beef and garlic. Then turn off the heat and add the tomato paste. Stir and let it cook in the residual heat for a couple of minutes.
2 - Add a cup of water and use a spoon to scrape ALL residue from the bottom of the pot. When you pull the spoon across, you will be able to see if it's clean.
3 - Add some more water and the seasonings.
4 - Break the spaghetti in half and layer it up in crisscrosses on top of the liquid. Don't push it under.
5 - Pour the rest of the water and the crushed tomatoes gently over the spaghetti, then put the lid on, close the vent, and cook for 8 minutes.
When you open the lid, it will look a bit thin and watery, but give it a good stir and leave it to sit for a minute or two. It will magically thicken up to form a delicious sauce that clings to the spaghetti perfectly.
Recipe FAQs
I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free spaghetti, but if the cooking instructions on the packet say it cooks in the same time as regular spaghetti (around 9 to 10 minutes), then it should be fine. You would also need to make sure that the vegan ground beef you use is gluten-free.
Recipe
Vegan Instant Pot Spaghetti Bolognese
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , use water to saute for oil-free
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 2 medium carrots , diced
- 1 pack vegan ground beef pack sizes vary but between about 340 to 450g (12 to 15 oz) (or use 2 cups of canned/pre-cooked green or brown lentils NOT RED & NOT DRY/UNCOOKED)
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste/puree
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon or 2 stock cubes , or similar
- 6 cups (1440 ml) water , divided (or 5 cups water and 1 cup red wine)
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning , or any mixed dried herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary and thyme combos
- 1 tablespoon cane or white sugar
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1lb (16 oz or 453 grams) dried spaghetti , (uncooked)
- 1 x 28oz (798ml) can crushed tomatoes , (use passata in the UK)
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set Instant Pot to saute (normal). Let it warm up for a couple of minutes, then add the olive oil, onion, and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Now add the vegan ground beef (if using lentils instead leave them out for now). Cook for another couple of minutes until the “meat” is browned, then turn the Instant Pot off.
- Add the tomato paste and the garlic. Stir it in and let it cook for a further minute in the residual heat.
- Pour in about 1 cup (240ml) of the water and scrape the bottom of the pot absolutely clean with a metal spoon. This step is important. Don’t skip it!
- Add about half of the remaining water, the Italian seasoning, sugar, bouillon paste/crumbled stock cubes, salt, pepper, and lentils (if using instead of vegan ground beef). Stir well to combine.
- Break the spaghetti in half and add it in criss-crossed layers onto the top of the liquid, separating the strands as much as possible. Do not stir it or push it down!!!!
- Over the top of the spaghetti, gently pour the crushed tomatoes and the remaining water. Leave it just as it is. Don't stir it or push anything down.
- Place the lid on the pot, close the vent, and set the cook time to 8 minutes on high pressure (manual or pressure cook setting, depending on the model). It takes about 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, so it will be about 18 minutes total.
- When it’s finished cooking and the Instant Pot beeps, do an immediate quick pressure release. Don’t leave it any longer or the spaghetti will overcook. It doesn’t tend to spatter, but I recommend placing a clean dish towel over the vent as you open it, just in case.
- Remove the lid and give it a stir then let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving up. It will look a little runny at first, but will thicken up nicely as it sits.
NOTES
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Rochelle says
Loved this! Super easy to throw in the IP on a nice day so we can go play outside while it cooks. Approved by both toddlers. Worked great with pasta sauce instead of tomato puree.