Ninja Foodi spaghetti will become your new favorite dinner using both your pressure cooker and air fryer functions! If youโ€™re new and looking for Ninja Foodi recipes for your new machine try this with jar sauce.

ninja foodi spaghetti
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This is the BEST pasta youโ€™ll ever try in your new fancy kitchen appliance! This is it! A one pot dinner with tender noodles and melted cheese on the top. If youโ€™ve never had baked spaghetti before this is how youโ€™ve gotta make it. Baking in the oven is so old fashioned. ๐Ÿ˜‰ (affiliate links present)

Ninja Foodi Spaghetti

Are you obsessed with your pressure cooker and air fryer too??!! I made Instant Pot spaghetti years ago and it was a hit. Not only with my family but everyone else who tried it. But NOW thereโ€™s a new player in town and they can melt that ooey gooey cheese I love right on the top without having to transfer it into a dish and in the oven. 

First โ€“ Letโ€™s start with some helpful tips: Now once youโ€™ve tried our cheesy Ninja Foodi spaghetti just go to our tab at the top and find more to try. Then let us know which one was your favorite!

ninja foodi cheesy spaghetti

Ingredients

  1. We typically will use a roll of ground beef to make this
  2. Onions diced are a nice add in
  3. Olive oil to saute your meat in the first step
  4. Spaghetti noodles or you can use penne
  5. Jar of spaghetti sauce, marinara or meat sauce makes it easy and quick
  6. Water or broth is better for more flavor
  7. Mozzarella cheese for the top
  8. Parmesan cheese if desired
  9. Green onion is optional, and red pepper flakes too if you want it spicy
  10. Garlic salt and Italian seasonings are good too

Substitutions

If you want this to be spicy you can use all hot ground sausage or half and half to be a bit milder but with a kick. Homemade sauce can be used but remember to use the same measurements. You can skip the cheese for dairy free or use one from Daiya.

If youโ€™d rather make homemade spaghetti sauce youโ€™re free to do so, just use 24 oz in total. I typically use jarred just because I donโ€™t have the time to put it all together but either way is great.

cheesy ninja foodi spaghetti 2

First off you are going to use the pressure cooker function. This means the lid that is NOT attached is the one you want. What you want to remember when cooking Pressure Cooker Pasta is make sure it is submerged into the liquid or sauce for best results.

This is no different than in any other pressure cooker. The difference comes at the end when you melt and lightly brown the cheese on top. That is a game changer yโ€™all!! You just brown the meat, pour in the sauce and liquid, break up the noodles to submerge and cook!

Yes I have other pots and yes I have been using them for years but in order to do this in prior years I had to dirty a baking dish. Transferring everything into a pan, preheating the oven, and waiting for the broil setting to do the work. Not anymore! I love one One Pot Spaghetti.

Once you have made this you will see how easy it is, and get the feel of the ratio between the two like youโ€™ll need for our Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese recipe too.

A person artfully pours spaghetti sauce over ground meat and onions in an open pressure cooker, preparing a savory base for cheesy Ninja Foodi spaghetti.

How to Make Ninja Foodi Spaghetti

  1. Saute the onions, salts, and ground meat together until the pink is almost all gone.
    • If youโ€™re using ground beef you can leave a touch of pink but if Iโ€™m using pork Ninja Foodi sausage I cook it all the way through. It will continue to cook in the pressure cooking process too though so donโ€™t stress about it too much..
  2. Spread your meat on the bottom of the pot.
  3. Pour your sauce evenly across that.
  4. Fill that pasta sauce bottle with your water or broth. Put your lid back on and shake. Youโ€™ll be able to get the rest of the sauce out this way, I hate to waste.
  5. This liquid will be poured into your pot now but do NOT stir anything.
  6. Grab 1/2 of your noodles out of a 16 oz. box (that is how I measure, seriously) and break them into thirds.
  7. SPRINKLE pasta in the pot. If you throw them in as one big chunk they will come out as one big chunk, not separated.
  8. Gently submerge noodles with a spoon. Do NOT stir.
  9. Then close your lid and steam valve and set to pressure high pressure for 9 minutes. Quick release at the end.

Yes, you could serve it up right thenโ€ฆโ€ฆbut it gets WAY better!! In the recipe card below you can go all the way with the browned mozzarella on top or stop once the noodles are tender, with a short cook time.

cheesy ninja foodi spaghetti

The pressure cooker Mexican casserole we make is similar to this one. You make the pasta and then melt cheese on top. Iโ€™d try that next. Then make our Ninja Foodi taco pasta.

A wooden spoon lifting cheesy Ninja Foodi spaghetti over a pot.
5 from 32 votes

Ninja Foodi Spaghetti

By Justine
Ninja Foodi spaghetti recipe will become your new favorite dinner using both your pressure cooker and air fryer functions, cheesy.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 14 minutes
Servings:

Equipment

  • 1 pressure cooker ninja foodi

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb ground sausage, sicy or ground beefp
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce, 24 oz.
  • 2 c water, or beef broth
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1.5 c mozzarella cheese , grated
  • 1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 green onion, diced, optional
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 oz spaghetti noodles, 1/2 a regular size 16 oz. box, broken into thirds
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Instructions 

  • Press saute on Foodi and add in your olive oil, diced onions, salts and ground sausage or beef. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Then turn off pot.
  • Spread cooked meat out on the bottom of your pot evenly so it covers it entirely.
  • Pour in your jar of spaghetti sauce. Then pour in 2 c. of water or broth into your jar. Put lid back on and shake to get out remaining sauce. Pour this liquid into your pot. Do NOT stir.
  • Break your noodles into thirds, equal size pieces. Sprinkle them into your pot on top of the liquid.
  • Use a spoon to gently submerge them into the liquid but do NOT stir.
  • Put pressure cooker lid on and close steam valve.
  • Set to pressure cook, high for 9 minutes.
  • Do a quick release and remove lid. Stir in 1 c. of mozzarella cheese so it melts.
  • Then sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese + parmesan on to the top of your spaghetti. Can add diced green onions now.
  • Close your air fryer lid. Press air crisp 400 degrees for 5 minutes so it melts and gets golden brown on the top!

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 1104mg, Potassium: 515mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 765IU, Vitamin C: 9.7mg, Calcium: 269mg, Iron: 1.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Can you cook spaghetti in an air fryer?

Not entirely. You would need to boil the noodles first, toss with the sauce and then follow the air fryer portion to melt the cheese. Looking for other air fryer recipes? We have lots but pasta is a tricky one for sure.

  • Stir in 1 cup of mozzarella and let that melt.
  • Next youโ€™ll want to sprinkle in 1 more cup of cheese on the top. I use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan but use whatever you love.
  • Use the air crisp lid for 4-5 minutes to melt that cheese and lightly brown it.
  • Voila!! Done to perfection.
ninja foodi spaghetti recipe

About Justine

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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5 from 32 votes (1 rating without comment)

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142 Comments

  1. Iโ€™ve never dared make spaghetti in a PC but this turned out amazing. Entire family enjoyed it. I used a mix of ground beef and hot Italian sausage. For my family of 5, I increased the pasta to 12 oz and just added 1 extra cup of water and a few extra herbs to our liking. Turned out perfectly and I may just make spaghetti this way from now on!

  2. Excellent baked spaghetti!! I made it tonight. So fast, easy and delicious! I used half ground beef and half hot sausage. Gave it a really nice kick.

    1. I will only keep it plugged in kept on warm for 20 minutes or so after serving. If you continue with that the sauce will dry out the noodles and start to stick to the pot. Instead I unplug the pot so it no longer heats period and just leave the top on.

    2. @heather, Yaaaaaaaaas girl!!! Iโ€™ve been making this recipe for over a year and itโ€™s delicious the night of or the next day!

    1. You can, many times mine is so lean that there is little to none so I donโ€™t bother

    2. @The Typical Mom, you can get pre cut noodles. I use that. Prevents noodles flying everywhere. You know i love noodles stuck together so good with cheese

  3. This is the only way I make my spaghetti now! But I do wonder, has anyone made this with meatballs instead of ground meat? I love the recipe as is, but hubby wanted to try meatballs next time.

    1. You can totally throw frozen meatballs into the bottom and then follow the rest of the instructions, it will be just fine.

  4. I went in a 7 day family road trip, couldnโ€™t stand the thought of eating out that much. Brought my ninja, ingredients, including for this recipe. Left out the meat and onions. It came out perfect on the dresser in a roadside motel. ๐Ÿ˜

  5. My ex wife comes over for dinner just for this meal. Hahaha. Itโ€™s that good. Apparently.

  6. I love this recipe. I was wondering how much extra water I would add if I up the pasta to 12 ounces?
    I want to stick with one jar of sauce since I find the recipe saucier than I need. Iโ€™m thinking 1 additional cup, with cooking time remaining the same?
    I figure this is a worthy experiment to at least try one time. I really appreciate your input as Iโ€™m still very much a foodie novice. Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. I would keep cook time the same. Add 1 cup of small pasta like shells? So long as you can submerge it into the liquid you should be okay as is, if not maybe add 1/3 c liquid more?

    2. Yes, just add 1 extra cup of water and keep cook time the same. I used 12 oz of spaghetti to 3 cups water and it turned out perfectly.