Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

My Instant Pot has earned a permanent spot on my kitchen counter, and for good reason. I mean, how great is it that it helps me make classic spaghetti and meatballs without any effort?! 

Like my Instant Pot pot roast and Instant Pot orange chicken recipes, all of the guesswork is taken out of pressure cooker spaghetti and meatballs. It uses a “dump-and-go” method that’s faster than making it on the stove and keeps the mess to a minimum. Just add frozen meatballs, a jar of sauce, and spaghetti to your pressure cooker, push a couple of buttons, and dinner’s ready in no time.

Spaghetti and Meatballs Ingredients

Frozen meatballs – Always opt for pre-cooked frozen meatballs, whether you made them yourself or bought them from the store. Fresh meatballs tend to fall apart. Personally, I love spaghetti and meatballs with my baked chicken meatballs! My paleo beef meatballs and turkey meatballs would be good, too.

Spaghetti noodles – Duh! You’ll need to break the noodles in half to help them fit in the Instant Pot, or you can swap them for a smaller noodle (use what you like).

Marinara sauce – My go-to sauce for spaghetti and meatballs. An equal amount of homemade pasta sauce, like my cherry tomato pasta sauce, also works! If you’d like to change things up, feel free to use jarred spaghetti sauce, arrabiata sauce, or any tomato-based pasta sauce you love instead.

This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list. 

Variations

• Change the pasta – Pretty much any noodle goes here, like fettuccine, linguine, penne, or rotini. I don’t recommend using delicate noodles, such as angel hair pasta, because they tend to become mushy.
• Gluten-free option – This recipe works just as well with gluten-free pasta noodles and your favorite gluten-free meatballs.
• Vegetarian option – Use frozen plant-based meatballs for an easy meatless meal. Personally, I like to use my lentil meatballs for a good amount of plant protein.
• Add vegetables – When I’m craving some veggies, I’ll sauté onion, sliced mushrooms, and bell peppers in the pot before adding the meatballs.

How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs in the Instant Pot 

Step 1: Layer. Pour the olive oil into your Instant Pot and place the frozen meatballs on top. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and layer them over the meatballs. 

Step 2: Add sauce. Pour the marinara sauce over the noodles, then fill the empty sauce jar with water. Shake it to loosen any leftover sauce, then pour the water into the pot. The noodles should be mostly submerged. 

Step 3: Pressure cook. Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and pressure cook for 9 minutes. When the cook time is up, switch the valve to Venting to release the pressure. Once the pin drops, open the lid.

Step 4: Stir and serve. Give everything a good stir, then divide the spaghetti and meatballs between bowls. Top with grated parmesan and fresh basil, and enjoy!

Erin’s Tips and Tricks

• You can prevent the spaghetti from sticking together by breaking the noodles in half and layering them on top of the meatballs in a loose, criss-cross pattern instead of in a tight bundle. 
• To avoid a burn notice, submerge the noodles in the sauce-water mixture before locking the lid in place.
• Worried about overcooked or mushy noodles? Stick to the recommended cook time and always use a quick release when the timer ends. This way, your pasta won’t sit under pressure for too long.
• Don’t worry if the sauce looks loose after removing the lid. Let the spaghetti and meatballs sit for a few minutes… The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Spaghetti and Meatballs FAQs