When time is short, but you need to feed hungry mouths, my recipe for Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs is hard to beat. With little more than a package of dried spaghetti noodles, frozen meatballs, and a jar of marinara sauce, you can whip up a delightfully delicious comfort food classic fast.
Best of all, using a beloved time-saving countertop appliance means prepping this one-pot meal is blissfully hands-off. Simply layer your ingredients in the electric pressure cooker, seal the lid, and press “Start.” A perfectly al dente plate of pasta will be yours in just 30 minutes! Need more quick and easy dinner recipes? Check out my Instant Pot meatloaf, Instant Pot chicken alfredo, and Instant Pot chicken tacos next!
Ingredients
Olive oil — no need to use your fancy cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil; just your normal cooking oil will do fine. Other good options include avocado or canola oil.
Frozen meatballs — feel free to use either store-bought or homemade meatballs that you’ve frozen ahead of time.
Dry spaghetti noodles — use dried noodles and break them so they fit in the pot. You can also use Mexican fideos (the pasta used in sopa de fideo), which are already nice and short, so you don’t have to break the noodles.
Jarred pasta sauce — I typically reach for classic marinara sauce, though you’re welcome to use a meat sauce or your favorite jarred or homemade sauce.
Grated parmesan cheese & fresh basil — adding a few sprinkles of freshly grated parmesan and a chiffonade of basil will make this shortcut dinner taste perfectly homemade.
How To Make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
1. Drizzle the oil in the bottom of the pot insert. Scatter the meatballs evenly across the oil.
2. Break the spaghetti noodles in half, or make them small enough to lay down in the pot over the meatballs.
3. Sprinkle the noodles with salt and top with sauce.
4. Add water. (Do not stir.) Secure the lid, making sure the steam valve is sealed. Set the cook time for 8 minutes at high pressure. Quick Release the steam once the time is up. Stir the noodles, sauce, and meatballs to combine. If the mixture looks a little watery, cover it and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb more liquid, then stir again. Serve topped with parmesan and basil.
Don’t Stir The Ingredients Before Cooking
Much like making bread in a bread machine, the order you add ingredients to the Instant Pot is important. Make sure the meatballs are on the bottom; if the pasta touches the bottom, you may end up triggering the “burn notice,” which will prevent it from cooking.
Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?
Absolutely! You’re welcome to use homemade meatballs. If you are using fresh meatballs, make sure you brown them using the sauté function of the Instant Pot before proceeding with the recipe; otherwise, they will fall apart or form a large mass during cooking. Alternatively, freeze the meatballs until solid, then add them to the Instant Pot frozen.
Use Your Favorite Pasta Sauce
Don’t feel limited to using marinara! This pressure cooker spaghetti and meatballs recipe will work equally well with any of your favorite jarred or homemade pasta sauces. Try making it with my zippy vodka sauce, meaty Instant Pot spaghetti sauce or regular spaghetti sauce, or bolognese.
You can make these homemade sauces ahead of time for easy meal prep! Just follow the make-ahead tips in each recipe for storage instructions.
What To Serve With Pressure Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
I always love to add some greens to my meals—my quick French green beans or air fryer asparagus are always favorites. I also love pairing pasta with some kind of crusty bread to sop up every last bit of sauce, especially if it’s buttery garlic bread.
Can I Double This Recipe?
So long as you are using a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot or pressure cooker, yes! Just make sure to layer the ingredients in the same order, starting with the meatballs and then topping with the noodles, pasta sauce, and water.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- The amount of salt needed may vary. Depending on the pasta sauce you use, you may need more or less salt. If your sauce seems on the salty side, a good rule of thumb is to reduce the salt to just ½ teaspoon, and vice versa.
- Feel free to doctor your jarred spaghetti sauce. I like adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, Italian seasoning for freshness, or, if I have extra time, sautéeing onion in the pot first for texture and complexity.
- Watch your hands and your cabinets with the steam. The “quick release” function will release a bunch of steam all at once—if you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to get burned. The heat and moisture can also negatively affect your wood finish or paint, so try to move the Instant Pot to an open spot in the kitchen or near the oven hood vent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Transfer any leftover spaghetti and meatballs to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months. If possible, wait to add any garnishes until you’re ready to serve, as the basil will oxidize, and the parmesan can turn crusty upon reheating. If freezing, make sure to use freezer-safe storage to prevent freezer burn.
I don’t recommend using fresh pasta. Why? Fresh pasta cooks quite a bit more quickly than dried, which means it’ll end up mushy and overdone if cooked in the Instant Pot for this recipe. The meatballs need ample time to cook through, so you can’t really reduce the cooking time, either.
For sure! Just make sure to use a shape that isn’t too small (e.g., orzo or macaroni) so they don’t end up mushy or sticking to the bottom of the pot and causing a Burn error.
I recommend sticking with longer pasta like bucatini, linguine, or fettuccine for the best success, but you can also use shorter shapes if they are a larger size, like bowties (farfalle), rigatoni, or penne.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound frozen meatballs (450g)
- 12 ounces spaghetti noodles
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 (24-ounce) jar pasta sauce
- 3 cups water (720ml)
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Drizzle the oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Scatter the meatballs in the bottom of the pot, and break the spaghetti noodles in half, or small enough to lay down in the pot, over the meatballs. Sprinkle with salt and top with sauce and water. (Do not stir.)
- Secure the lid, making sure the steam valve is sealed. Cook under high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick Release the steam once the time is up.
- Stir the noodles, sauce, and meatballs to combine. If the mixture looks a little watery, cover it and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb more liquid, then stir again. Serve topped with parmesan and basil.
Notes
- The amount of salt needed may vary. Depending on the pasta sauce you use, you may need more or less salt. If your sauce seems on the salty side, a good rule of thumb is to reduce the salt to just ½ teaspoon, and vice versa.
- Feel free to doctor your jarred spaghetti sauce. I like adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, Italian seasoning for freshness, or, if I have extra time, sautéeing onion in the pot first for texture and complexity.
- Watch your hands and your cabinets with the steam. The “quick release” function will release a bunch of steam all at once—if you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to get burned. The heat and moisture can also negatively affect your wood finish or paint, so try to move the Instant Pot to an open spot in the kitchen or near the oven hood vent.
