30-Minute Ninja Foodi Spaghetti

Craving a hearty Italian dinner without a lot of fuss?  This Ninja Foodi Spaghetti is the answer.  This one-pot meal is ridiculously easy to make and so satisfying.  The magic of the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker takes classic spaghetti to a whole new level.  Give this recipe a try, and you will be hooked.

When it comes to weeknight meals, this Ninja Foodi Spaghetti recipe is my idea of perfection.

It is easy to make, kid-friendly, and so ridiculously delicious.

In this recipe, the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker does all the heavy lifting, saving time and reducing clean-up.  And by cooking pasta in the Ninja Foodi in the sauce we quickly infuse it with flavor.

In this post, I'll walk you through the steps of making this delicious pasta dish at home. 

From browning the meat to pressure cooking the noodles, this recipe is easy to follow and results in a delicious and flavorful meal.  Spaghetti in the Ninja Foodi is one pot cooking at its best!

Let’s get cooking! 

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Oil: Use olive oil, avocado oil, or your favorite cooking oil.
• Butter: I like the flavor the butter lends to the spaghetti sauce, but you could use all oil if you prefer.
• Onion: Use a yellow or white onion.
• Celery: You can dice it by hand or give it a whirl in the food processor.
• Carrots: If you don't have regular carrots, you can dice three or four baby carrots.
• Garlic: Fresh or jarred minced garlic will work.
• Ground beef: I use 80/20 ground beef or 85/15, but you can use whatever kind you like.  Ground turkey or crumbled Italian sausage would also work.
• Italian seasoning: This adds great flavor to the sauce!  Feel free to add other spices if you don’t have Italian seasoning.
• Salt and pepper: I used sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. You could also use regular table salt if that's what you have.
• Red pepper flakes: Just a pinch adds a nice kick to the sauce!
• Sugar: This helps balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. Honey could be used if you prefer a natural sweetener.
• Tomatoes: I used whole crushed tomatoes, but diced or stewed would work as well.  You could substitute tomato sauce for ½ of the tomatoes in the recipe.
• Beef broth: Any kind of beef broth will work.
• Spaghetti noodles: I like to break the noodles into thirds before adding them to the sauce.
• Tomato paste: This gives the sauce a nice depth of flavor and thickens it up as it cooks.
• Mozzarella cheese: Shredded mozzarella cheese adds a nice melty texture.  I recommend sticking with mozzarella cheese for the portion that you toss with the spaghetti, but parmesan cheese could be used for topping.

Step by Step

For the full recipe with measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post.

Tips & Tricks

• I like to use the pressure cooker function to cook your spaghetti noodles. It's faster than boiling them on the stovetop and infuses the noodles with extra flavor.  However, if you are making this for meal prep, you can omit them and then cook the noodles just before serving.
• Browning the meat first adds an extra depth of flavor to the dish. Use the Sear/Sauté function on the Ninja Foodi to brown the meat before adding the sauce and noodles.
• Break the spaghetti noodles in half before adding them to the pot. This helps prevent them from sticking together during the cooking process.  After cooking, you can use a fork to separate any noodles that are sticking together.
• Let the spaghetti sit for a few minutes after cooking to allow the flavors to meld together. This also helps the pasta sauce to thicken up and the noodles to absorb some of the liquid.
• Finish with fresh herbs for added flavor.  Fresh basil and parsley are both great additions.
• If you are looking for a low-carb alternative, try my Instant Pot spaghetti squash.  Omit the noodles, and serve the meat sauce on top of the cooked spaghetti squash.

FAQs

Can you use a jar of spaghetti sauce?

You could use a jar of spaghetti sauce in place of the whole crushed tomatoes. I recommend omitting the sugar, but still adding in the seasonings.

Can this be made in the Instant Pot?

Yes, a Ninja Foodi pressure cooker works very similarly to an Instant Pot. The cook time and instructions will stay the same.

Tools

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• Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker
• Silicone Spoon

More Ninja Foodi Recipes to Try

• Ninja Foodi pasta alfredo is one of my favorite special occasion meals, and I think you will love it too.
• When you need comfort food, this Ninja Foodi chicken noodle soup is perfect.
• Your friends and family will beg you to make this Ninja Foodi meatloaf again and again.
• For a simple weeknight meal, you will love these Ninja Foodi chicken thighs.

Print Recipe

5 from 15 votes

30-Minute Ninja Foodi Spaghetti

Craving a hearty Italian dinner without a lot of fuss? This Ninja Foodi Spaghetti is the answer. This one-pot meal is ridiculously easy to make and so satisfying. The magic of the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker takes classic spaghetti to a whole new level. Give this recipe a try, and you will be hooked.

Prep Time8 minutes mins

Cook Time22 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 8

Calories: 443kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

Equipment

• Ninja Foodi

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 16 ounces ground beef
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 28 ounces whole crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups beef broth
• 8 ounces dried spaghetti noodles broken
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided

Instructions

• Set your Ninja Foodi to HI saute. Add the oil and butter. Once the butter melts, add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes, and then stir in the garlic.
• Add the ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot.
• Cook, using a silicone spoon to break the meat up, for 5 minutes, or until the meat is brown. Hit cancel.
• Add the sugar, crushed tomatoes and beef broth to the pot. Add the noodles and use a spoon to push them down to submerge them into the water. Put the tomato paste on top. Do not stir.
• Close the lid of your Foodi and set it to high pressure for 6 minutes.
• When the time is up, do a quick release. Stir well with a silicone spoon
• Stir 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese into the pot. Add the remaining cheese to the top.
• Close the lid, and set your Foodi to Broil for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 1134mg | Potassium: 873mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2116IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 4mg