Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti

The rich, creamy taste of Alfredo sauce – instantly. One of the most indulgent Italian dishes ever invented is pasta Alfredo. The noodles are doused in a rich, glorious sauce just dripping with butter, cream, and parmesan cheese. It’s a little bit delicate to make, though, because you have to stand over the stove whisking everything together as it melts and thickens. It’s not something you’d want to do every day – which is probably just as well.

Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti on a plate

So what I’m about to tell you is a little bit dangerous. I’m just going to have to hope you can handle it. Are you ready? Here goes: you can make this fabulous, creamy pasta really easily in the Instant Pot.

This Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti has just two steps. First, cook your noodles in chicken broth – along with plenty of garlic paste and some dried parsley – for six minutes on high. Then, after a slow release, switch to sauté mode and stir in the butter, cream, and cheese. A sprinkle of fresh parsley, and it’s ready to serve.

Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti in an instant pot
Will this recipe work with other kinds of pasta besides spaghetti?

Sure, you can use pretty much any kind of pasta that you have handy. Maybe don’t try it with really tiny pasta like orzo, though, because its high surface area could throw the liquid-to-solid balance out of whack.

Can I make this sauce with milk instead of cream?

Yes, you can replace some or all of the cream with milk for a lighter sauce. It’s not as decadent, but not as guilt-inducing either. Or you can compromise and use half-and-half.

Do I have to do this in two stages? Can’t I just put everything in the pot at once?

It depends on what model of Instant Pot you have. Some newer versions let you add the dairy ingredients right at the start, but with older models, there’s a chance it could burn. Check the instructions for your Instant Pot to see if it’s possible. Or just use this version of the recipe – it’ll work with any Instant Pot.

My spaghetti keeps sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot when I cook it. What can I do?

It helps to give the pasta a stir before you cook it and push the noodles out toward the sides of the pot. This keeps it from clumping together in the middle. Also, make sure it’s fully submerged in the broth.

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Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti

  1. Pour the chicken broth into your instant pot and add the garlic paste, dried parsley, and salt and pepper. Some newer versions of instant pots allow you to add dairy ingredients at this point, but to be on the safe side and to accommodate all versions, we will just stir the spaghetti noodles in at this point. Close your instant pot and press pressure cook button and set the timer on high for 6 minutes. The Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, let it release pressure naturally for 6 minutes, then turn the quick release on. ingredients for Instant Pot Cheesy GarlicButter Spaghetti in to pressure cooker
  2. Turn of the saute mode to add butter to the noodles and stir as it melts. Add in the heavy whipping cream and grated parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate. Top with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy! cream being added to potcheese added to potInstant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti in pressure cooker
4 from 4 votes

Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 16 oz spaghetti noodles broken in half
  • 4 cups of chicken broth
  • 1 1/3 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter cut into small cubes
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • chopped Parsley as a garnish

Instructions

  • Pour the chicken broth into your instant pot and add the garlic paste, dried parsley, and salt and pepper. Some newer versions of instant pots allow you to add dairy ingredients at this point, but to be on the safe side and to accommodate all versions, we will just stir the spaghetti noodles in at this point. Close your instant pot and press pressure cook button and set the timer on high for 6 minutes. The Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, let it release pressure naturally for 6 minutes, then turn the quick release on. 
  • Turn of the saute mode to add butter to the noodles and stir as it melts. Add in the heavy whipping cream and grated parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate. Top with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1444IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 261mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

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4 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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6 Comments

  1. Can you help is the cook time for the spaghetti? It is not clear to me from this recipe. Perhaps I have missed something.

    1. Sorry for the confusion Kenny, I have updated step 1 with more details to help. Let me know if you haven any other questions

  2. Marion Conley says:

    I don’t have an instant pot. What’s the best way to make this with a traditional pot?

  3. all Hungry says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing the magic! Your Instant Pot Cheesy Garlic Butter Spaghetti is a culinary masterpiece, making weeknight dinners a breeze and a joy.

  4. Can you use different kinds of pasta besides spaghetti?

    1. I don’t see why not