Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

2 Comments

5 from 1 vote
8
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Pressure Release 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is a comforting Italian meal ready in about 20 minutes start to finish, even on the busiest weeknights!

One-pan recipes make easy work of classic dishes, like Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs, and this instant pot version is even simpler to prepare and cooks in just five minutes! We love kid-friendly Pasta Recipes that the whole family will enjoy.

Sabrina’s Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

If a slow cooker’s motto is “set it and forget it,” you could say that this Instant Pot dinner is the opposite and lets you “forget it, then set it!” You could literally forget about dinner all day and then toss these staple pantry and freezer ingredients into your Instant Pot, set it for 5 minutes, and you’re done!

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is a comforting Italian meal ready in about 20 minutes start to finish, even on the busiest weeknights!
Yield 8
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Author Sabrina Snyder
cooked pasta and rounded protein balls in cooker
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 3 cups water
  • 16 ounces frozen cooked beef meatballs
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 pound spaghetti , broken in half
  • 28 ounces pasta sauce
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Add water to Instant Pot.
  • Add meatballs to the pot and top with Italian Seasoning and salt.
  • Top with broken spaghetti spread apart in the pot (do not just add in one large clump).
  • Pour on the spaghetti sauce (do not stir).
  • Seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  • Quick release the pressure for five minutes, open the top and stir well.
  • Let sit for five minutes before serving, topped with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 769mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 466IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg

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About this Recipe

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is the perfect recipe for busy families, especially if your kids love to gobble up spaghetti and meatballs on at least a weekly basis. No more using multiple pots & pans, plus a colander to produce this family favorite. With this recipe, all the ingredients cook together in the Instant Pot in just 5 minutes, and you’re left with only one pot to wash!

Can this be made ahead of time?

Yes! You’ll also have plenty of leftovers for a quick and easy lunch or dinner the following day, or use this recipe to meal prep for even easier weeknights.

What to Pair With

Serve with a Classic Wedge Salad to add a cool crunch or some Roasted Broccoli for a complete and nutritious meal. And of course, don’t forget a side of savory, toasty Garlic Bread!

How to Store

  • Serve: Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs can be warm for up to 4 hours or at room temperature for up to 2 hours before needing refrigeration.
  • Store: Keep in an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze: Transfer leftovers into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Variations

  • Protein: Can substitute for frozen turkey, pork, or even meatless vegetarian meatballs. But you could even use sliced cooked Italian sausage or kielbasa in place of meatballs. 
  • Pasta: Other pastas that would work well in this recipe are linguini, bowtie, rotini, penne, or macaroni.
  • Veggies: To add some color and additional Mediterranean flavors, include a drained can of artichoke hearts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms. Or, your favorite combo of all four.
  • Sauce: You can use any style of marinara or tomato based pasta sauce for this recipe. However, some options include spicy arrabbiata, roasted garlic, and tomato basil. Also, avoid creamy sauces such as Vodka sauce or Alfredo sauce, as they may scorch.
  • Seasonings: If you don’t have prepared Italian seasoning on hand, using a ½ tsp each of dried oregano and dried basil will still add a lot of flavor. Also, other herbs commonly found in Italian seasoning are thyme, marjoram, rosemary and sage. Use any combination of seasonings that you have on hand to suit your taste. You could even add a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic to kick it up a notch.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Spaghetti collage pin image

These photos were in a previous version of this post

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs serving on plate
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs meatballs and water in pressure cooker with pasta and pasta sauce
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs in pressure cooker with parmesan cheese
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs cooked spaghetti and pasta sauce in pressure cooker

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Made this tonight for dinner. Another excellent recipe. I would make an adjustment next time by putting some olive oil on each layer of noodles to prevent sticking. Outstanding flavor. Thank you.

    Reply