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Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is a one-pot meal that is so easy to make! If you have some frozen meatballs and sauce on hand, this pressure cooker spaghetti and meatballs recipe will be ready in under an hour! It is delicious, easy, and no need to boil the pasta separately.
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Making pasta dishes in the Instant Pot is not something most people would think of doing, but it’s really great! No pot of boiling water or draining to deal with. The noodles get a chance to soak up the flavors of the sauce. Dinner ready in under an hour!
When making Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, just remember to layer the ingredients in the pot and don’t stir it until after pressure cooking. This helps keep things from sticking, and ensures that the noodles get cooked.
Here is how to make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs:
If you prefer your spaghetti with meat sauce, check out my recipe here. You cook the meat in the pot and add the rest of the ingredients in layers like this recipe, before pressure cooking.
You don’t have to use spaghetti noodles in this recipe. If you prefer penne, macaroni, or even shells, that’s fine. You may need to adjust the pressure cook time for the type of noodles you choose.
The rule of thumb for pressure cooking pasta is half of the recommended time on the package. So if the package directions calls for 9 minutes, you will cook for 4 or 5 minutes in the pressure cooker.
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Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb Meatballs, raw, cooked, or frozen
- 12 oz Spaghetti Noodles
- 1 (14 oz) can Diced Tomatoes (optional), drained
- 1 (24 oz) jar Spaghetti Sauce (or marinara sauce plus Italian seasoning)
- 3 cups Water (fill the 24 oz jar once) or use broth
Garnishes
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Parsley or Basil
Instructions
- Put meatballs in the bottom of the inner liner pot.
- Break the spaghetti in half and sprinkle over meatballs in a random pattern, so not too many are side by side. This helps prevent them sticking together.
- Pour the water/broth over the noodles.
- Pour the diced tomatoes, if using over the noodles, and then the spaghetti sauce over the noodles, and cover as much of them as you can with the sauce. This helps them all get cooked.
- Put on the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook (Manual) button or dial and then the +/- button or dial to select 9 minutes (7 minutes for al dente). High pressure.
- The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure. Cook time begins when pot is at pressure.
- After cook time has finished, turn off the pot and turn the steam release knob to the Venting position, and do a Quick Release of the steam so the pasta doesn't overcook.Watch it closely, and if sauce starts to spew out with the steam, close the vent and release the steam in bursts until it looks like no more sauce will be spewing out.
- After the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid and give the spaghetti a stir. If any noodles stuck together, just use a fork to separate them.
- Serve with some bread, and garnish with parmesan cheese, mozzarella, or whatever you like!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Resources to make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe and more
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Just getting a instant pot enjoy reading your recipes, I also as the comment above using a presser cooker. Apparently safer than the ones from when grew up. Lol ages ago.. thanks
This is the first time I used my Instant Pot and this was absolutely delicious!!
That’s awesome! Thank you for the review!
This was so easy and so good! Thank you! It will be the Instapot for spaghetti for now on!
Yay! That’s great! Thank you for your review.
Just got got my instant pot & this is going my first time using it & this is the recipe my family choose us to try in it wish me the best of luck. But I do have one question can you use the crock pot liner bags in our instant pot, I just love them with the easy clean up & all.
Hi Dawn, unfortunately the slow cooker liners are not suitable for pressure cooking. I hope you enjoy the Meatball Pasta Dinner!
Noodles were cooked perfect at 9 min. I did add diced tomatoes and it was a little thin for me I prefer a thicker sauce Next time I won’t add the tomatoes but it tasted great!
Good to know, Kathy. Thanks for the feedback. You could drain the tomatoes if you ever want the chunks in there.
Every recipe I have seen for the instant pot uses jarred spaghetti sauce. I was wondering can I use homemade sauce? I don’t like jarred sauce and have always made my own.
Hi Tracy, yes, that’s a shortcut, however I also like to make my own sauce and use 3 cups of sauce and the rest of the recipe as is.
Finally got over the fear of my one pot and made this tonight. Turned out great. Was a little alarmed at how soupy it was, but let it sit for a few minutes and stirred, it thickened nicely!
I’m glad you faced the fear and won! Yes, the spaghetti looks so soupy at first. So glad you liked it!
I actually like it better the next day after the sauce has soaked into the noodles.
Can you use home made meatballs I don’t like the texture of bought ones
Yes! I do it often.
Do the meatballs have to frozen?
No, I think it’s best with frozen, but it will work with thawed, too.
No offense, but this tasted like spaghetti-o’s. The noodles didn’t cook very well either. Will try again but cook the noodles traditionally.
I think the outcome is as good as the ingredients used. The pasta sauce, the meatballs, and the noodles all play a part. I encourage you to try a different combo. As for the noodles not cooking completely, make sure they are completely covered with the sauce before pressure cooking. Also, it could be that this just isn’t the method for you, and that’s okay!
Yummy and super easy! My noodles we’re a little too soft because I got sidetracked with laundry, but that’s my fault. It was still great and we all ate too much!
Hi Sue, Thank you for your review. I’m happy you liked this spaghetti recipe!