This High Protein Instant Pot Spaghetti makes spaghetti night faster, easier, and loaded with protein — all in one pot!
Protein-Packed Pasta Night!
Say hello to the ultra-easy Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe we’ve been loving lately that packs in a delicious 45 grams of protein per serving! ♡
We’ve become big fans of this pasta that comes together in one pot with less than 10 minutes of prep time. Just brown some ground beef or Italian sausage right in the Instant Pot, toss in your favorite jarred marinara and high-protein pasta (I’m obsessed with this brand), then let the magic of pressure cooking do the rest. The finishing touch? Blending some creamy cottage cheese and Parmesan right into the sauce for a cheesy extra protein boost.
It’s cozy, hearty, nourishing, and honestly couldn’t be easier. Perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or anytime you want spaghetti night with a high-protein twist. So grab your Instant Pot and let’s get dinner on the table stat!
Cheers,
Recipe Tips
Step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe below, but here are some extra tips to keep in mind:
- Adapt recipe for your favorite high-protein pasta. Different high-protein pastas (and different pasta shapes) behave slightly differently in the Instant Pot. I’ve included notes at the bottom of the recipe to adjust the cooking time slightly as needed for your favorite brand.
- Deglaze well. After browning the beef, pour in a splash of broth or water and scrape up all the browned bits, which will help to prevent the dreaded Instant Pot “burn” warning.
- Stir gently. High-protein noodles can break more easily, so try to gently fold in the cheeses rather than stirring vigorously.
- Adjust creaminess. If the sauce seems too thick after sitting, splash in extra broth or water and stir to loosen.
- Finish with fresh basil. I highly recommend adding a sprinkle of fresh herbs or a dash of red pepper flakes to brighten up the flavor!
Recipe Variations
This recipe is incredibly flexible, so feel free to use your favorite swaps or add-ins to make it your own!
- Swap the meat. Sub in ground turkey, chicken, Italian sausage or your favorite plant-based ground protein in place of the ground beef.
- Add veggies. Sauté diced bell pepper, carrots or mushrooms with the ground beef. Or stir in baby spinach or kale after pressure cooking.
- Spice it up. Mix in crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne for extra heat.
- Add pesto. Stir in a spoonful of basil pesto for extra depth of flavor.
- Use ricotta. For a milder, slightly sweeter creaminess, use ricotta in place of cottage cheese.
FAQ
This can only be doubled in an 8-quart Instant Pot — just don’t fill past the Instant Pot max line. Cooking time stays the same, just allow a few extra minutes for the pot to come to pressure. If you have a 6-quart Instant Pot, you could increase the recipe 1.5x and it should fit.
Blending gives the sauce a silky, creamy texture and keeps the curds from showing. I definitely prefer blending, but if you don’t mind the clumpier texture, you can skip it.
Sure! Short high-protein shapes like penne, rotini, or elbows work well. Keep the liquid amounts the same, but reduce the cook time by about 1 minute since many shorter shapes cook faster.
Chickpea-, lentil-, and lupini-based pastas (Banza, Tolerant, Brami) do great with 1¾ cups liquid and 6–7 minutes cook time. Wheat + protein blends (Barilla Protein+, Ronzoni Smart Taste) work well with 2 cups liquid and 8 minutes. Edamame or black bean pastas (Explore Cuisine) benefit from 2 cups plus 1 tsp olive oil, 6 minutes cook time, and a 1-minute natural release.
If undercooked, add ¼ cup extra broth, stir, and cook on high pressure for 1–2 minutes more. If overcooked, reduce cook time by 1–2 minutes next time.
Definitely! In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with olive oil and seasonings, then transfer to the slow cooker. Pour in the marinara and 3 cups broth or water (you’ll need less!). Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Stir in the spaghetti (broken in half) during the last 30–45 minutes of cooking, making sure it’s submerged. Check and stir occasionally; add extra broth if it looks too dry. Once pasta is tender, stir in the blended cottage cheese and Parmesan, cover for 5 minutes to warm through, then serve.
Sure! Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large deep pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook and crumble until browned and cooked through, 5–6 minutes. Stir in the marinara, 4 cups broth or water (you need more than the Instant Pot version because some will evaporate), salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti (broken in half if you’d like). Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook at a low boil for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until pasta is al dente and most liquid is absorbed. Add a splash more broth if needed. Turn off heat. Stir in the blended cottage cheese until creamy, then mix in the Parmesan. Rest 2–3 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken.
High Protein Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon each: fine sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken broth or water, divided*
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or favorite pasta sauce
- 8 ounces uncooked high-protein spaghetti* (noodles broken in half)
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh basil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté beef.Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add olive oil and ground beef. Cook, crumbling the beef as you go, until browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Stir in salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Deglaze. Turn off Sauté. Add 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pot well with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits.
- Layer pasta and sauce. Break spaghetti in half and scatter it in crisscross layers over the beef. Pour the marinara sauce evenly on top, then pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Do not stir.
- Pressure cook. Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual (or Pressure Cook) on high pressure for 7 minutes. (*See note below for different cooking times for different brands of high-protein pastas.*) Once cooking ends, quick-release the pressure.
- Blend the cottage cheese. While the pasta is pressure cooking, blend the cottage cheese in a blender (or you can use an immersion blender) until completely smooth.
- Add cheeses. Remove the lid and gently stir the pasta. Stir in the blended cottage cheese until creamy, then mix in the Parmesan. Let rest for 2–3 minutes — the sauce will thicken as it sits.
- Serve. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm, topped with fresh basil and extra Parmesan if you’d like, and enjoy!
Notes
*Cooking different brands of high-protein pasta: Chickpea-, lentil-, and lupini-based pastas (Banza, Tolerant, Brami) do great with 1¾ cups liquid and 6–7 minutes cook time. Wheat + protein blends (Barilla Protein+, Ronzoni Smart Taste) work well with 2 cups liquid and 8 minutes.Edamame or black bean pastas (Explore Cuisine) benefit from 2 cups plus 1 tsp olive oil, 6 minutes cook time, and a 1-minute natural release.
Protein calculations: The amount of protein per serving will depend on the brands of pasta, cottage cheese and the amount of parmesan that you use, so please calculate accordingly! I calculated 45g per serving using Brami pasta.
Source: Recipe adapted from The Kitchn.
Hi Ali! Would love to try this! Any suggestions for making without the dairy components? We’re dairy free over here. Thanks!
Sure! You could honestly just make this without the dairy and it will still be delicious (although lower in protein). Or you can use a dairy-free cottage cheese alternative, such as Good Culture DF or Kite Hill’s almond-based “ricotta”. Or you could experiment with adding in some blended silken tofu, unsweetened DF yogurt or coconut cream instead. I would also recommend adding in a little nutritional yeast in place of the Parmesan. Enjoy! :)
Can you make this with a slow cooker instead? I don’t have an instapot!
Yes, good question! I’ll go back and add some slow cooker instructions to the post above. :)
Don’t have an instant pot can this be cooked on the stove?
Definitely! I’ll go back and add instructions for a stovetop option above.