Making spaghetti sauce at home just got a LOT easier. When you use the Instant Pot to make it, you can throw all of the fresh ingredients in the pot, press a button and walk away until it’s done!
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My Go-To Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
What’s great about this easy spaghetti sauce is that it’s oil-free with no added sugar. Instead, it gets a little natural sweetness from the addition of a carrot. This recipe is from my first cookbook, Everyday Detox, but it’s made even easier in the Instant Pot!
Because tomatoes have so much natural moisture, you don’t add any water to this recipe. If you’re used to cooking with your Instant Pot, you know how unusual this is, because the Instant Pot requires liquid to bring the pot to pressure.
How Do You Keep Tomato Sauce from Burning in the Instant Pot?
If you’re familiar with Instant Pot cooking, you may know that sometimes tomato products can cause a “burn” error while pressure cooking. This is more typical with prepared tomato sauces that are thicker in texture, because the Instant Pot needs plenty of liquid to build up steam pressure.
In the case of this recipe, the tomatoes contain more than enough liquid to bring the pot to pressure because they will release their moisture as the pot heats up, without burning or sticking to the bottom. Be sure to closely follow the directions, though. The spices can NOT touch the bottom of the Instant Pot or they may burn to the bottom, so sprinkle them on top of the tomatoes without stirring.
How to Make Fresh Spaghetti Sauce in the Instant Pot
This Instant Pot spaghetti sauce couldn’t be easier. I like to quarter my fresh tomatoes and onions to help their liquid release faster, but there’s not a ton of chopping involved, because everything can be left in rather large chunks. (I don’t even bother mincing the garlic at all.) Add the veggies to the pot, sprinkle some seasonings over the top, and then let the Instant Pot do its thing.
When the cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes– which means that you essentially don’t touch the pot until 10 minutes after the pot has beeped, letting you know the cooking cycle is over. (The screen will read L0:10 when it’s time to release the pressure.)
Once you remove the lid, use an immersion blender to puree the ingredients into a smooth sauce. I like to stir in a little tomato paste at the end to thicken the spaghetti sauce and boost the tomato flavor, but feel free to season the final sauce to your tastes. It’s hard to go wrong with this easy homemade version!
If you enjoy this recipe, I think you’ll love my new book, The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. It’s loaded with EASY recipes for your electric pressure cooker, using easy-to-find whole food ingredients. There’s nutrition information and a photo for every recipe, so I hope it will become your go-to resource for more healthy Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce (with fresh tomatoes!)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes , cut into quarters
- 2 small yellow onions , cut into quarters
- 2 large carrots , cut into large chunks
- 2 cloves garlic (whole)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 ounces tomato paste (no salt added)
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, onion, carrot, and garlic to the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the oregano, basil, and salt over the top of the vegetables, but don't stir. (You don't want the seasonings to touch the bottom of the Instant Pot or you could get a burn error.)
- Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select Manual or Pressure Cook (the name of the button will vary by machine) and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes. It will take roughly 10 minutes for the pressure to build in the pot before the cooking cycle begins, so the pot will say "On" until then.
- When the cooking cycle completes, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. When the screen reads L0:10, move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, it's safe to remove the lid.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the cooked vegetables into a smooth sauce. Add in the tomato paste and blend again to make sure it's fully incorporated. It should thicken the sauce. Adjust any seasoning to taste, then serve warm over your favorite pasta.
- This sauce should keep well in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition
Per 1/4 cup: Calories: 35, Fat: 0, Carbohydrates: 7g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 1g
Recipe Notes:
- I use this 6-quart Instant Pot Duo for my recipes, but I think this would work in the 8-quart pot, too. (You may want to double the recipe in that case, to have plenty of liquid to bring the pot to pressure.)
- This recipe makes roughly two jars of tomato sauce. (Around 20-22 oz. each; it will vary based on the size of your fresh produce every time.)
- The seasoning in this recipe is totally up to you– feel free to double the basil, add thyme, or even a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. Sometimes I add a splash of syrupy balsamic vinegar and simmer it at the end using the Sauté function on the Instant Pot.
- If you need a spaghetti sauce without tomatoes, try my Tomato-less Marinara Sauce recipe instead!
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Reader Feedback: Do you make your own spaghetti sauce? Let me know what you’d like to see me make in the Instant Pot next!
I made this recipe twice in one day as I have an over abundance of tomatoes. I made the first batch exactly as recipe and the second batch with some chili flakes and 2 tsp salt. Delicious!
Can this tomatoes sauce be canned in the instant pot
Love this recipe! Has anyone converted it for home canning?
Drain the water after cooking for a thicker sauce. We doubled recipe in our 6 quart IP and used a blender not hand mixer. Made 10 times this year from our garden. Thank you. Jeff and Kika
Added celery and leftover zucchini. Delicious!
This recipe was so easy, I wondered how it could be good. It was the best! I did add a bit more of the seasonings, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt to add more flavor when it was done. It had a nice thickness to it compared to other recipes that have been very watery. I will use this as my go to recipe for fresh tomatoes! Thank you.
If I am tripling the recipe how do I adjust the time?
There’s no need to add more cooking time when you double or triple it. The quantity will make the Instant Pot take longer to come to pressure, so the overall time will be longer naturally when you increase the ingredients.
I just made the recipe and didn’t get the same results as others. I think I added too many carrots. The consistency is okay. It tastes a little acidic also. Any ideas on how to save it?
If it’s a little acidic, I’d try adding a small splash of maple syrup to balance that out. And if you go too far with sweetness, you can always add extra salt to compensate for that. Hope that works for you!
This recipe appeals to my lazy side! I used 2 lbs of garden cherry tomatoes – red and yellow and doubled the garlic. Also added a couple teaspoons of fish sauce for extra umami. Great way to use my tomatoes with little effort!
This came out amazing. Will never buy canned sauce again
This is my new favorite pasta sauce! Made it a few months ago and it turned out perfectly. Froze a bit of it and just reheated – just as good!!
This recipe is delicious. I haven’t even added the tomato paste yet, and not sure I want to. It’s so good the way it is.
How does this fare with canning? Looking to make small cans instead of freezing my sauce.
Wendy, you can still bottle process this. Ball has the best directions. I sanitize my jars in the dishwasher (I have a canning/sanitizing cycle) and boil the lids and seals on the stove until the sauce is ready.
Terrible recipe, came out like thin boiled tomato juice… Used Prego instead and my boyfriend was much happier.
Thank you for this recipe. I have made this a couple times during the past year and love it. Very simple and I don’t get sauce all over my kitchen using the instant pot.
I’ve never made sauce with fresh tomatoes, this turned out amazing!! Makes a wonderful snack if you dip broccoli in here,yummy. So impressed with how this turned out,super easy!!
This was SO easy to make and the taste is just fabulous!! I doubled the recipe and got 3 quarts with each batch. I love 💕 that this is oil-free, too! Gotta love summer veggies. Still have about 4# tomatoes left. Any salsa recipes?
I’d love to try this. usually make a large batch of sauce standing over hot stove and then vacuum seal 8n small batches. So this method sounds like something I could use. However I would use a minimum of 4 pounds of fresh tomatoes plus a pound of ground beef for added flavour and protein. Any recommendations you have are much appreciated. I.e.: do I increase the time. Do I sauté meet first then add tomatoes. Any help appreciated
Can this sauce be canned
I think so, but I don’t know anything about canning. I would do an internet search for proper canning directions, in case there are any safety tips to know!
Very yummy. I did not believe the no water so I used a half a cup…. it was watery I had to sauté to fix
Tried second time with no water, followed step by step turn out perfect.still shocked no burn notice.
Will this recipe work with baby tomatoes? I have a ton in the garden.
Every year I plant way too many tomato plants. This is the easiest, tastiest spaghetti sauce! I will not make any other type of spaghetti sauce ever again! I added some garlic powder to step the garlic flavor! Give it a try!
Just made this and it smells and looks heavenly.
I’m already planning another batch. Have you ever added hot peppers? I have some in the garden waiting to be used.
I made the recipe according to the directions. It took almost no time to put together. I was worried that it would be watery after first opening the lid but it came out the perfect consistency after using the immersion blender. This isn’t the fault of the recipe but my sauce was acidic. It’s the variety of tomatoes I used. I added 1/4 tsp. of baking soda and it really helped. I know there are other ways to cut the acid but this worked for me.
I will make this again but with a different variety of tomato and see what happens. I would like to try a couple of variations including sautéing the onions and garlic in a bit of butter or add red peppers, stirring in mushrooms in the end.
Thanks!
Made this today with yellow tomatoes from my neighbors garden. Doubled the recipe in my 8qt pressure cooker, and ended up with 12cups of sauce
Added the tomato paste and a 14oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes to give the sauce more of a red color. Absolutely delicious 😋
I’ve now made 2 double batches of this sauce in my 8qt PowerXL…it’s fantastic!
My neighbor only grew yellow tomatoes this year, but adding the tomato paste made the sauce a nice red color, not deep red, but red enough 🙂 It tastes SO GOOD that neither of us really cares about the color. I also added a green & red pepper because we all love the flavor.
Thanks for a GREAT recipe!
I’ve made this recipe three times already this summer/fall and it is a great way to use up the prolific tomato harvest from my garden. I actually adjust the recipe to accommodate 5 pounds of tomatoes (mostly grape tomatoes) and it works well. I also add more garlic (personal preference). If I have it, I’ll add the rind of a wedge of parmesan while it cooks. The tomato paste is key to thicken the sauce. I’ve served it as-is, but my favorite use so far was to make a ragu with the sauce (in place of the crushed tomatoes). So delicious! Thank you!
Do you not need to blanch the tomatoes first? Will it taste tough with the skins left on?
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can remove the skins if you want to. I don’t notice them at all after blending!
Great recipe! Added some red wine at the end for added flavor. Looks so impressive and thick after using immersion blender! Made 3 qt that I froze.
So great! Healthy, tasty and most of all… super easy!! Love it
Taste great! Happy to have a homemade spaghetti sauce recipe now that is clean and something my future kids one day will looks forward too 🙂
I really love this sauce. It is so simple to make – and LOVE that this recipe includes carrots, which is completely hidden in the flavor, but adds additional vegetables and nutrients to the sauce.(Perfect for kids who have limited foods they will eat!)Also it is nearly impossible to find a store-bought marinara without sugar, so it feels wonderful to make it because the sugar is completely unnecessary! I made a big batch of this sauce and froze smaller portions to have on hand for pizzas, pasta, etc.
Such a great recipe with very helpful info regarding the instant pot. It’s in the IP as I type! Thanks again
I just made this. Very good. Thanks.
Made this today with Roma tomatoes from my little garden and it turned out fantastically!
This was so easy, quick and yummy!
Excellent!! We grow Roma tomatoes and use this recipe. Love this sauce.
I have made sauce from my garden tomatoes in the past but found the process of blanching, peeling and deseeding to be so cumbersome! This couldn’t have been any easier and the sauce tastes delicious. I used Roma tomatoes and didn’t have any issues with a burn notice nor did I have to add any liquid.
Excellent recipe. I blanched and peeled my tomatoes first. Probably didn’t need to, but I was being a purist. My tomatoes were mostly Roma and not that juicy so I added 1/2 cup of the water from blanching and about 1/4 cup of red wine. I think the wine added to the tanginess. I used a big bunch of fresh basil and a bunch of fresh oregano, plus I used about 2 tsp of dried Italian seasoning, and some crushed red pepper. We like our sauce BOLD! I added a little balsamic after blending which also added body. I would probably cut back on the carrots. I used baby carrots ~ 1 cup. They sure made the sauce sweet (just a little too much for my taste.) The addition of the tomato paste and vinegar balanced it nicely. This is a very nice healthy sauce and a great break from store bought canned sauces.
Thanks for the great recipe! So easy and delicious! But I still peeled and seeded the tomatoes because I was scared. I want to try again with even less work – Did you leave the skin on and the seeds in? Did you peel your carrots? Does the immersion blender just make it all disappear?
I felt the same way you did. Trust me you do not need to seed or peel your tomatoes. I did skin my carrots. Sometimes I will buy baby carrots and throw in what I feel is equivalent to 2 large carrots. This recipe is so simple and tasty you cannot go wrong!
Awesome! Just awesome, did quite a few batches for canning too! Some I added peppers and some jalapenos for the spicy kick. Excellent oil-less sauce considering the price of olive oil.
Oh my goodness. Healthy , no oil or sugar, incredible flavor . I used fresh oregano and basil. Thank you for this recipe.
So delicious! perfect recipe. I did have to reduce the sauce a bit but that could have been what tomatoes I used. Will make another batch very soon.
I love this spaghetti sauce recipe! I have used tomatoes & onion from my garden to make this recipe for the last 2 years. Since my husband likes his meat I will brown up sausage or hamburger to put in. I prefer ir without. I store mine in quart size freezer bags in the freezer and use throughout the winter. I know it says it is good for 3 months after freezing. I will continue to use mine up throughout the winter season until gone, and anxiously awaiting the tomatoes from KY next harvest.
easy and very good;
This sounds great but it will make way more than I will use in 1 meal. I don’t can. Can you freeze this or how long will it last in the fridge?
Thanks,
Janet
easy and good
Great recipe. I added the tomato paste on top of tomatoes then the spices. It works great. No burn notice.
We had 4+ lbs of sliced tomatoes from a staff lunch at our credit union. I found this recipe on Pinterest and made a pot of it (love my Instant Pot!) and it is delicious! I was looking for an easy recipe that did not require any prep work like peeling. I had about a cup of cherry tomatoes in my fridge that I needed to get rid of so I added those too. Other than a teaspoon of agave and correcting the seasonings at the end, no changes. Thanks for a great recipe! I’ll be making this more often in the future!
LOVE this recipe! Delicious and easy!
2lbs of tomato’s is how many cups?