Basketti: Fast, Familiar, and a Little Bit Homegrown

Tonight, we had one of my favorite meals. And I’ll be honest—it's not so much a favorite because it’s fancy, but because of how quickly and easily it comes together.

That said... it is delicious.
It’s cozy. It’s comforting.
And it’s very kid-friendly—though I don’t have any of those little creatures running around here. I do try to stay a bit of a kid at heart.

We're talking basketti.

Oh—sorry, for the adults in the room, that would be spaghetti.

Now listen, I know this method may have Italian Nonnas the world over clutching their pearls. But this recipe is all about balancing flavor with the reality of time constraints. It's not traditional, but it works. And it works fast.

What You’ll Need:

Four simple ingredients, tossed into your Instant Pot:

  • 16 oz pasta of your choice

  • 24 oz jarred pasta sauce (chunky varieties work best)

  • 1 lb ground protein of your choice

  • 24 oz water

That’s it.

Serve it up with a vegetable and maybe a loaf of crusty Italian bread, and you’ve got yourself a well-balanced dinner. Sometimes I add a bowl of fruit too—canned mandarins or applesauce are favorites here.

How This Fits in at Sustenance

What makes this recipe worthy of the Sustenance page is what I use for the protein:
Rabbit sausage. (Recipe coming soon!)

You can use sweet or hot Italian-style rabbit sausage, or a classic savory sage blend. Homemade sausage like this really elevates a store-bought jar of marinara. And if you happen to have your own canned tomato sauce from last summer, even better—just add a bit of tomato paste for richness and body.

Fresh herbs from the windowsill or garden? Toss them in. A sprinkle of basil or oregano makes everything taste just a little more alive.

The Garden Connection

Tonight’s meal had an extra bonus: our first broccoli of the season.

This broccoli was started hydroponically in February and transplanted outside in March—though I
can’t recall the exact dates. It’s been living happily under one of my cloche greenhouses, which have extended (these hydroponics by Uruq have saved me hundreds over the 2 years I've been using them) my growing season by months.

Living here in Zone 7b, at 2,800 feet elevation, I’ve found there are maybe 8 weeks out of the year when I can’t grow something.

Instant Pot Spaghetti: Step-by-Step

  1. Brown the meat.
    Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and cook the ground meat until it's no longer pink.
    If using lean meat like rabbit, chicken, or turkey, add a drizzle of olive oil.

  2. Turn off the pot.
    Break your spaghetti noodles in half. Layer them in a criss-cross pattern so they don’t clump together.

  3. Add the sauce.
    Pour the entire jar of pasta sauce over the noodles, spreading to cover as much as you can.

  4. Add water.
    Fill the empty sauce jar with water (24 oz), shake it to get the last bits out, and pour that over the pasta. Do not rinse the sauce off the noodles.

  5. Seal and cook.
    Lock the lid, close the steam vent, and cook on Manual for 8 minutes.

  6. Quick release and mix.
    When the timer goes off, vent the steam. Once safe, open the lid and give everything a good stir.

  7. Let it sit.
    Allow the pasta to sit for 5 minutes so any extra liquid is absorbed.

  8. Serve and enjoy.
    Pair with veggies, fruit, bread—whatever rounds out the plate for you.



Homemade meals like this remind me that “from-scratch” doesn’t have to mean “from pain.”
It can be simple, nourishing, and joyful.

This post contains affiliate links. I will never link to something I haven't purchased, used and wouldn't recommend to my family and friends.


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