1-Hour Instant Pot Bolognese

A bowl of instant pot bolognese served over pasta.

This Instant Pot Bolognese delivers rich, slow-simmered flavor in just 1 hour, no all-day cooking required! The pressure cooker does all the work while you get that deep, meaty, authentic Italian taste traditional recipes take 3-4 hours to achieve. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want something that tastes like a Sunday night dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian-American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 539kcal

Author Emmeline Kemperyd

Equipment

1 Instant Pot* or other pressure cooker
1 Kitchen knife*
1 Chopping board*
Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Measuring spoons*

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion or shallots or red onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1.5 cups chopped carrot ¼ inch (0.5 cm) pieces
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 lb ground beef or 50/50 beef and pork
1 beef stock cube
1 cup water
4 cups chopped tomatoes stems removed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper or according to taste
½ teaspoon salt or according to taste
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese or Grana Padano

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

Set your instant pot to "sauté" and add in butter and olive oil.
1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
When butter is melted, add garlic and onion. Sauté 1 minute, then add carrots. Sauté 2-3 minutes until onion is softened.
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, 1.5 cups chopped carrot
Add tomato paste and sauté 1 minute while mixing it in with the onion, garlic and carrot.
2 tablespoon tomato paste
Add ground beef and cook 4-5 minutes, until browned. Stir often to ensure it browns on all sides and breaks apart.
1 lb ground beef
Crumble the stock cube and add to the instant pot, followed by the water. Mix until the stock cube is completely dissolved.
1 beef stock cube, 1 cup water
Add tomatoes and spices, and mix well.
4 cups chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil
Press "cancel" to stop sauté mode, then close the lid and set to cook at High pressure for 20 minutes. Make sure "Keep warm" mode is turned off. Your Instant Pot will now start building pressure, which can take 10-20 minutes.
When the pressure cooking cycle is done, allow the instant pot to sit and release pressure naturally for at least 10 minutes (longer if you can). Then use the quick pressure release to release the remaining pressure.
Open the lid, mix, and taste test. Season with salt and pepper as needed, then mix in shredded Parmensa cheese.
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Serve over spaghetti, or another type of pasta of your choice!

Stovetop Method

Heat a large pot or skillet over medium heat and add in butter and olive oil.
1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
When butter is melted, add garlic and onion. Sauté 1 minute, then add carrots. Sauté 2-3 minutes until onion is softened.
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, 1.5 cups chopped carrot
Add ground beef and cook 4-5 minutes, until browned. Stir often to ensure it browns on all sides and breaks apart.
1 lb ground beef
Crumble the stock cube and add to the skillet, followed by the water. Mix until the stock cube is completely dissolved.
1 beef stock cube, 1 cup water
Add tomatoes and spices, and mix well.
4 cups chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil
Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 1 hour or longer. Mix once in a while, and keep an eye on it so it doesn't start to look dry. If it does, add a bit more water.
When done, remove from the heat and mix in parmesan cheese. Taste test and season as needed with salt and ground black pepper.
½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Video

Notes

Make this with crushed tomatoes: Swap 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes for 1 14.5 oz (400 g) can of chopped or crushed tomatoes.

Make this with wine: You can swap half the water for wine, white or red. Add it after sautéing the tomato paste and allow to simmer a bit before adding the ground beef.

Release pressure naturally if you have the time. I find this allows for the flavors to deepen. But, if you're in a hurry, you can totally skip it.

This dish is even better the next day. So go ahead and make it ahead of time and just reheat it before serving. For best results, cook the pasta just before serving.

What to Do With Leftovers

You can store and freeze the sauce by itself or with pasta. Either way, let it cool down completely before storing.

Storing leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezing leftovers: Freeze the sauce in plastic bags to save space in the freezer. It will be good for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating, for best results.

Reheating in the microwave: Microwave it in a microwave-safe dish in 1-minute increments, stirring between.

Reheating on the stove: Reheat in a pot over low to medium for a few minutes, until bubbling. Stir frequently and add a bit of water if it starts to look dry.

Nutrition