For more terrific Instant Pot recipes, check out my popular posts for Instant Pot Chicken Marsala, Instant Pot Pot Roast and Potatoes, and Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos.
Just throw in a package of ground meat with the noodles and sauce mixture, and you’re good to go. It’s a fantastic idea really. But if you want to make a healthier version (without all those shelf-stable preservatives) or you haven’t been able to go to the grocery in a while but you want to use up that box of pasta and that package of ground beef, then this beef and pasta dish is the perfect thing! Plus, I’ve made getting this dish on the table even easier by using my Instant Pot. You can go from shelf/fridge to table in less than 30 minutes. And, this is a dish your whole family will enjoy. Now that’s what I call a dinner winner!
Here’s What you’ll Need
Ground beef Oil Minced garlic Italian blend seasoning or Herbs de Provence Marinara sauce Water Beef broth Short, uncooked pasta noodles like shells, macaroni, penne, bowties Onion powder Crushed red pepper flakes (optional) Freshly grated mozzarella cheese Salt and pepper
Here’s How you Make it
Once you get all your ingredients together, it’s time to make the cheesy beef and shells dish of your dinner dreams!
Customizations
The other great thing about this dish is that it can be customized to your liking. Here are some ideas for ways to change up this pasta and beef Instant Pot dish.
If you don’t have or don’t like ground beef, you can use any other ground meat such as turkey or chicken if you like. To make the dish spicier, consider using ground Italian sausage instead of ground beef. Follow the directions as stated. For a little bit extra nutrients, you add frozen peas or corn or both during step 3. If you want to make this vegetarian, swap out beef broth for vegetable broth and consider adding beans instead of meat. Saute the garlic and spices with the beans, remove the beans to keep warm (as you would the meat) and transfer back during step 7. Add onions and saute them with the garlic. Instead of marinara sauce, use a homemade (or store bought) alfredo sauce. Switch up the spices from Italian to Mexican by subbing cumin and chili powder for the Italian seasonings and swapping cheddar for the mozzarella.
Expert Tips and Tricks
So you want to make the very best Instant Pot Ground Beef Pasta? I’ve got you covered. Just follow my tips for a fail-proof dinner the family will love!
Using smaller pasta works best. If you want to use spaghetti, be sure to break it up into smaller pieces first. You want to cook the meat first and remove it before cooking the pasta in the Instant Pot, otherwise, the ground beef will soak up too much of the liquid and leave you with a hard pasta, or it’ll be all lumped together and not too appetizing. If you don’t have garlic to mince, you can use the jarred garlic or I’ve even seen frozen cubes. If you’re short on broth, you can make your own with water and bullion cubes. Simply follow the directions on the box/jar of cubes/bouillon you have at home. Chicken, beef, or even vegetable bullion will work! Make sure to vent the Instant Pot right away and don’t let it self-vent or your pasta will get too mushy.
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Did you make this Instant Pot Ground Beef Pasta recipe? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!
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