You won’t believe how easy and delicious this instant pot spaghetti and meatballs recipe is. I mean, is there any supper more comforting than spaghetti and meatballs? I don’t think so! I love using my Instant Pot because everything—meatballs, pasta, and sauce—cook in one pot. That means no huge pot of boiling water to fool with, and fewer dishes to wash, which is ALWAYS a win. This recipe makes a big batch, so it’s perfect for feeding the whole family. Don’t forget the garlic bread!
Ingredients for Making Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Meatballs – made with a mix of spicy Italian sausage, ground beef, Italian seasoning, egg, breadcrumbs, and garlic! Super easy to put together and tastes incredible!
- Sauce – I use a good jarred marinara sauce to keep things simple and beef stock for extra flavor!
- Noodles – I love to use bucatini for this recipe which is thick, hollow spaghetti. Regular spaghetti would also work well!
Making Meatballs from Scratch
Making meatballs from scratch is super easy and they taste so much better than frozen meatballs.
If you’re short on time you could use frozen meatballs but I recommend using my recipe to make them from scratch, they are so worth the extra effort!
When making meatballs from scratch you want to make sure you include egg and breadcrumbs to bind the meat together, stop it breaking and keep them tender and juicy!
Another important tip is when shaping the meatballs to roll it until you start to see a shine on the meatball. That will ensure that the meatball doesn’t break when cooking.
Making Spaghetti in an Instant Pot – Important Tips
Depending on the size of your instant pot you’ll probably have to break the spaghetti in half.
Also, make sure to add the spaghetti and marinara sauce in layers finishing with a layer of marinara.
This stops the noodles from sticking to each other so it’s important to layer it up.
Pro Tip: don’t be tempted to stir the ingredients before cooking or there is more chance of sticking!
How to Make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
First, put all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and combine everything together. It’s quicker and easier to do this with your hands but you can use a wooden spoon.
Once combined, shape the mixture into meatballs and brown them in the instant pot.
Once browned add the stock followed by the marinara and noodles (see my instructions in the recipe card for layering the ingredients).
Cook in the instant pot then stir to break up the pasta. Serve with fresh basil and parmesan if desired!
What to Serve with Spaghetti and Meatballs
If you’re looking for great sides to serve with spaghetti and meatballs then I recommend serving with a nice fresh salad and some garlic bread to mop up all the sauce!
How to Store Leftovers
The meatballs and sauce will store really well for a few days and can be reheated in the oven until piping hot all the way through.
You can also freeze leftover meatballs and sauce in suitable containers then thaw completely before reheating!
Unfortunately, leftover cooked spaghetti or any pasta for that matter doesn’t last that long as it swells and turns mushy very easily. You can store it in the fridge for 1-2 days but it’s best eaten the same day that it’s made.
Top Tips for Making Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- To make this recipe even easier, you can prepare the meatballs ahead of time, and store in the freezer. Let thaw 30 minutes before browning in the Instant Pot.
- A small spring-loaded scoop is perfect for making perfectly-portioned meatballs quickly. If you don’t have one, simply use a tablespoon.
- When browning meatballs, let cook without moving until browned on one side. This will help prevent sticking. Use long-handled tongs to cook and turn meatballs.
- Bucatini pasta is a thicker, hollow spaghetti noodle. If using regular spaghetti, test for doneness after the initial cook time is complete; let rest with lid ajar to cook further, if needed.
More Instant Pot Recipes You Might Like;
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb. lean ground beef
- ½ lb. spicy Italian sausage
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cups beef stock
- 12 oz. bucatini pasta
- 6 cups jarred marinara sauce
- Torn basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together ground beef, sausage, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic,
- Parmesan, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper until just combined.
- Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion out meatballs, rolling gently with your
- hands to shape them. Place meatballs on a plate or a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to saute; add olive oil.
- When oil is hot, add meatballs in batches; cook turning gently, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Return browned meatballs to plate or baking sheet.
- Add beef stock to Instant Pot; stir to loosen browned bits. Press Cancel to reset Instant Pot.
- Return meatballs to Instant Pot. Break pasta in half; add pasta and marinara in layers, ending with marinara.
- Place top on Instant Pot; twist to seal and lock. Turn Steam Release Valve to “sealing.”
- Set Instant Pot to cook at High Pressure for 8 minutes.
- After cooking is complete, manually release the pressure by turning the Steam Release Valve to “venting.”
- Remove lid from Instant Pot; stir gently to separate pasta.
- Set lid on top of Instant Pot (do not lock); let stand 5 minutes to continue cooking.
- Sprinkle servings with Parmesan and basil, if desired.
Notes
- To make this recipe even easier, you can prepare the meatballs ahead of time, and store in the freezer. Let thaw 30 minutes before browning in the Instant Pot.
- A small spring-loaded scoop is perfect for making perfectly-portioned meatballs quickly. If you don’t have one, simply use a tablespoon.
- When browning meatballs, let cook without moving until browned on one side. This will help prevent sticking. Use long-handled tongs to cook and turn meatballs.
- Bucatini pasta is a thicker, hollow spaghetti noodle. If using regular spaghetti, test for doneness after initial cook time is complete; let rest with lid ajar to cook further, if needed.
I don’t own an instant pot so I modified and made it on the stovetop. So delicious! My family had seconds! Thank you for sharing this.
I made this for dinner tonight and it is great! It’s my first time trying bucatini pasta, and I like it. It tasted like I spent all day making it. Very quick. Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed!!
I can’t believe how delicious and practical this meatball with bucatini recipe is to prepare in the Instant Pot! Great recipe for busy families! Thank you!