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Home » Blog Recipe Posts » Dinner

Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner

December 19, 2018 by Sandy 111 Comments

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This easy and tasty Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner can be on the table in under an hour! Using frozen, pre-cooked meatballs, and a jarred pasta sauce, you can let the Instant Pot do all of the work for a pressure cooker meatball pasta dinner!

Meatball Pasta Dinner in a white bowl on wooden board next to golden fork and slices of bread

 
Originally published 9/13/2017

Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner

I love to cook. I mean, I do have a food blog! But there are those days. You know what I mean. Days that get busy with so many commitments that you finally get home and just have a stare down with your stove. Yep. Been there.

Sometimes you get take out, but if you have more than one or two mouths to feed, it can get expensive. Not to mention the time it takes to order and go get it, or have it delivered.

If you have a box of pasta, a jar of sauce, and some frozen meatballs, you can make a tasty and filling dinner for the family that won't take too long, and won't break the bank! This recipe makes a lot!

Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner is all about layers. You just layer the ingredients in the order I'm going to show you. Don't stir it. Set the pot and go do something else for about 30 minutes (**It can take about 20 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, but that's no biggie as it only cooks for about 5 minutes!).

When it is done, you Quick Release the pressure, stir it. Eat dinner!

Step 1) Put frozen pre-cooked meatballs in the pot.
Pressure cooker with frozen meatballs in pot

Step 2) Pour in a 1 lb box of pasta.
Dried pasta in pressure cooker pot

Step 3) Open a can of diced tomatoes and pour it over the pasta.
Diced tomatoes on top of dried pasta in pressure cooker pot

Step 4) Pour a jar of pasta sauce (Marinara is my favorite) on and completely cover the pasta.
Jar of pasta sauce poured into pressure cooker pot

Step 5) Fill that pasta jar with water or broth 1 and ¼ times and pour the liquid down the inside of the side of the pot so as not to wash the sauce off of the pasta.
Liquid poured out of glass jar into pressure cooker pot with other ingredients

Step 6) Sprinkle on the spices you want. I use Marinara sauce, so I use more.
Seasonings being poured over pasta sauce in pressure cooker pot

DO NOT STIR!
Just close the lid and set the time for 5 minutes, or half of what the package says to do. 5 minutes works perfect on Penne, which is my favorite! **Due to the frozen meatballs, the pot can take 20 minutes to come to pressure. But it only cooks for a few minutes, so it's still a fast meal!** When it's done, do a Quick Release of the pressure. Stir it. Add cheese if you want. Eat it! EASY and TASTY!

 Meatball Pasta Dinner in white bowl with pressure cooker in background

Watch this video to see how easy it is to make Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner


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4.98 from 42 votes
Meatball Pasta Dinner in a white bowl on wooden board next to golden fork and slices of bread
Print
Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

Get dinner on the table in under an hour! This Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner uses pre-cooked frozen meatballs, jarred sauce, and spices to make it easy and delicious! A semi-homemade meal for a busy day!

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pressure cooker pasta meatballs recipe
Servings: 6 - 8
Calories: 582 kcal
Author: Sandy Clifton
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs Frozen Cooked Meatballs (small size)
  • 1 lb Uncooked Pasta (I like penne or rotini best)
  • 1 (24 oz) Jar of Pasta Sauce (I use Marinara)
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
  • 3 ¾ cups Broth or Water (fill the sauce jar 1 and ¼ times with broth or water)
If you use Marinara, Season it with These Spices - Your Chosen Sauce May Not Need Seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 3 teaspoons Dehydrated Onion
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper
Optional Toppings
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded (optional)
Instructions
Layer the Ingredients in the Pot - Do Not Stir!
  1. Add the meatballs to the pot.

  2. Pour pasta on top and spread out in an even layer.

  3. Pour the can of tomatoes over the pasta, evenly.
  4. Pour the jar of pasta sauce over, evenly, covering the pasta entirely.

  5. Pour the jar with the broth or water along the inside of the pot, making sure you don't pour it over the sauce and expose the pasta. Exposing the pasta may cause it to be undercooked in those areas (Remember to use 1 ¼ jars of liquid, which is 3 ¾ cups).

  6. Sprinkle the spices over the sauce.

Cooking
  1. Put the lid on the Pot and set the knob to Sealing.

  2. Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button or dial, and then the + or - button to choose 5 minutes (or half of the cooking time on the pasta package directions).

  3. **The pot may take up to 20 minutes to get to pressure, due to the frozen meatballs!**
  4. When the cooking cycle has ended, do a Controlled Quick Release* of the pressure until the pin drops.

    *A controlled quick release means you release the steam in short bursts, then longer bursts, until you can be sure none of the sauce spews out of the vent with the steam from the intense pressure. Then fully open the vent and let it go.

  5. Carefully open the lid, facing it away from you.
  6. Stir contents and mix in the Parmesan cheese.
  7. Taste and add more salt & pepper if needed.
  8. Top with the Mozzarella cheese, if using, and cover the pot with a lid (or just use a plate) to help the cheese melt.
  9. Serve!
Recipe Notes

**The pot may take up to 20 minutes to get to pressure, Due to the frozen meatballs! But once it does, it's a quick cook time with a quick release of the pressure.**

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RESOURCES TO MAKE Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner recipe and more

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This easy and tasty Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner can be on the table in under an hour! Using frozen, pre-cooked meatballs, and a jarred pasta sauce, you can let the Instant Pot do all of the work for a pressure cooker meatball pasta dinner! Instant Pot recipes by simplyhappyfoodie.com #instantpotmeatballspasta #pressurecookermeatballpasta
Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner is a hearty pasta meal made with frozen pre-cooked meatballs. This pressure cooker meatball pasta is an easy weeknight meal in under an hour! simplyhappyfoodie.com #instantpotmeatballspasta #pressurecookermeatballpasta

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  1. Narnz

    May 10, 2025 at 5:23 pm

    So easy and quick. Dump all ingredients into instant pot and 5 mins later you’ve got a delicious meal!

    Reply
  2. Jennifer

    June 03, 2022 at 7:43 am

    I made this last night, following the directions to a T, and it came out *beautifully*! It was a little dry the next day, for leftovers, but that's an easy remedy by just adding more sauce. This is really a fantastic way to make pasta and meatballs.

    Reply
  3. Jenn

    May 21, 2022 at 5:40 am

    This looks great - can't wait to try this week. 🙂 Could I not add the broth after the tomatoes but before the marinara sauce? Less chance of disturbing the marinara that way?

    Reply
    • Sandy

      May 30, 2022 at 2:26 pm

      Yes, you can even add it after the meatballs.

      Reply
  4. Ellen Clancy

    April 03, 2022 at 4:47 pm

    We love this recipe at our house and have made it many times. Excellent exactly as written!

    Reply
  5. Erik

    January 09, 2022 at 11:44 am

    Thanks so much for this recipe. This was the very first thing I ever made in my Instant Pot, and it turned out splendidly and is one of my “go-tos” when I can’t decide what to make. Also, for the broth, I find dumping one of those 32-ounce broth cartons in works perfectly. (Fixed numeric typo in comment; please delete the other version.)

    Reply
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Hi there! I’m Sandy - foodie with a passion for cooking and sharing my tasty recipes. My hubby Paul, our Pug Gizmo, and I live in Washington.

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