High Protein Instant Pot Spaghetti

Instructions

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add olive oil and ground beef. Cook, crumbling the beef as you go, until browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Stir in salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.
2. Turn off Sauté. Add 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pot well with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits.
3. Break spaghetti in half and scatter it in crisscross layers over the beef. Pour the marinara sauce evenly on top, then pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Do not stir.
4. Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual (or Pressure Cook) on high pressure for 7 minutes. (*See note below for different cooking times for different brands of high-protein pastas.*) Once cooking ends, quick-release the pressure.
5. While the pasta is pressure cooking, blend the cottage cheese in a blender (or you can use an immersion blender) until completely smooth.
6. Remove the lid and gently stir the pasta. Stir in the blended cottage cheese until creamy, then mix in the Parmesan. Let rest for 2–3 minutes — the sauce will thicken as it sits.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm, topped with fresh basil and extra Parmesan if you’d like, and enjoy!