Cajun Inspired Dirty Spaghetti

Cajun Inspired Dirty Spaghetti–an Instant Pot dinner with Italian sausage, ground beef, cajun seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, bell peppers, celery and spaghetti.

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Cajun Inspired Dirty Spaghetti

This “dirty spaghetti” is a fun spin on dirty rice, the classic Cajun dish. It turned out to be such a deliciously different way to make spaghetti! Greg went crazy for this one and ate two huge servings which is a great compliment! It is quite meat-heavy using 1 ½ pounds of meat per 8 ounces of spaghetti. You could easily get away with just using 1 pound. Tons of flavor in this one with the italian sausage, cajun seasoning and rotel tomatoes. Bye bye bland! Enjoy!

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Italian sausage–I used mild, but hot Italian sausage is great if you want more heat.
• Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
• Onion
• Celery
• Garlic—fresh* or jarred minced garlic
• Tomato paste–a freeze leftover tomato paste in a flattened ziplock and then just break off the amount I need for recipes.
• Worcestershire sauce
• Cajun seasoning–Creole seasoning can also be used. Keep in mind that different brands vary quite a bit in salt and heat.
• Beef broth–chicken broth can also be used or Better than Bouillon and water.
• Bay leaf
• Spaghetti
• Rotel tomatoes–use mild, original or hot depending on how spicy you want the pasta.
• Red bell pepper–green, yellow or orange bell pepper work too.

Steps

Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. When display says HOT add in the sausage and beef and break it up. Add in the onion and celery. Brown for 5 minutes. If there is excess grease, drain it off.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire and cajun seasoning.

Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.

Add in the bay leaf. Break the spaghetti in half and scatter it into the pot. Dump the Rotel tomatoes and peppers on top. 

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Gently stir. Serve and enjoy!

Notes/Tips

• Scatter the spaghetti: Break the noodles in half and scatter them in different directions instead of laying them all in one clump. This helps prevent the noodles from sticking together.
• Don’t stir after adding the pasta: Once the spaghetti is added, leave it layered with the tomatoes and peppers on top. This helps prevent a burn notice.
• Adjust the heat: Mild Italian sausage + mild Rotel makes this pretty family-friendly. For more kick, use hot sausage, original/hot Rotel or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• More veg: try adding in 8 oz of sliced mushrooms when you add in the onion and celery. You could also add in a can of mushrooms.
• What to serve with it: Garlic bread would be perfect with this! For a less carb-heavy meal serve with a green salad, spinach salad or collard greens.
• Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
• Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container for 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Tools:
  • I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 4 or 8 quart pot.
  • Cutting board* and knife*
  • Hamburger Chopping Tool*
  • Wooden spoon*
  • Measuring spoons*
  • Spaghetti serving spoon*

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for. 

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.