Easy Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
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Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is a great way to prepare everyone’s favorite recipe in a quick and easy way. This one por dish is one the whole family will love and it can even be a weeknight meal due to it’s ease of making. The meatballs are homemade but you can also choose to use pre-made frozen meatballs for an even quicker meal. But, I really recommend you try the homemade meatballs. We served this meatball recipe in our family restaurant for years and it was always a favorite.
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Why You Will Love Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Most kids love spaghetti and meatballs
- Quick to make even if you are time-pressed
- Stores well for a leftover meal
- Ease of cleanup since it is cooked in one pot.
- You can choose to make instant pot spaghetti and frozen meatballs if in a real hurry.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Pasta and Meatballs (measurements in recipe card below)
- Italian Bread – You will only need a 3 slices for the meatballs. The rest can be served with your meal.
- Water
- Egg
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Parsley
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Powder
- Italian Seasoning
- Black Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Ground Beef – Use at least an 80/20 percent fat content.
- Ground Pork
- Pasta Sauce – Use either a good jar sauce or a homemade recipe.
- Spaghetti Noodles- I like to use a thin noodle.
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs in the Instant Pot
- Soak Italian bread in water for 3 minutes,squeeze the water out, then break into small pieces.
- Beat the egg the add in the bread crumbs, soaked Italian bread pieces, chopped onion, parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp. water, 2 teaspoons olive oil, parsley, garlic, black pepper, red pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir well.
- Add ground beef and pork. Mix well.
- Shape meat mixture into balls.
- Brown meatballs on each side in vegetable oil in the instant pot. Remove meatballs and wipe out pot.
- Pour 1/2 of the pasta sauce into pot and layer meatballs on top.
- Break pasta in half and layer over meatballs, arranging in different directions.
- Pour remaining sauce over top of noodles.
- Fill sauce jar with water, shake and pour over the sauce in pot.
- Seal pot and cook at high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Fast release, remove lid and stir mixture carefully.
Storing Leftover Spaghetti and Meatballs
You can store your leftover Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Simple reheat in the microwave when you want to serve.
If freezing your leftover instant pot spaghetti and meatballs, I recommend separating the meatballs from the spaghetti and freezing separately. That way, if you decide to have meatball sandwiches, you can just pull the meatballs out, put them into a toasted crusty homemade Italian sub roll and you’re good to go. Be sure to freeze the easy instant pot spaghetti and meatballs in a good sealable container. It is also a good idea to freeze in serving size portions. That way if one family member needs a good quick meal, it is easy to grab just the one serving.
Tips for Making Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
- Be sure to layer the pasta noodles as instructed. This helps to prevent sticking.
- Don’t worry that adding the water will make the sauce too watery. The water will absorb and the starch that forms from the cooking pasta will help with this.
What to Serve With Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Homemade Meatballs
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 3 slices Italian Bread about 1 inch slices
- ¼ cup water
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley snipped fine
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning crushed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound ground beef about 80% fat content
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 32 ounces pasta sauce or homemade if you have some
- 1 cup water
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- parmesan cheese for topping if desired
Instructions
Meatballs
- Soak the Italian bread in the ¼ cup of water for 3 minutes. Squeeze water out and break into small pieces.
- Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add in the bread crumbs, soaked Italian bread pieces, chopped onion, parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp. water, 2 teaspoons olive oil, parsley, garlic, black pepper, red pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir well.
- Mix in the ground beef and ground pork. You can use your electric mixer for this or a hand potato masher also works well.
- Shape meat into balls. I made mine about the size of a golf ball.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to your instant pot. Set to saute and brown the meatballs on each side. Remove from pot and wipe grease out of the bottom of the pot.
- Pour ½ jar of spaghetti sauce into the pot. Lay meatballs on top of sauce.
- Break the spaghetti noodles in half. Lay them on top of the meatballs in different directions. This helps to prevent sticking.
- Pour remaining ½ jar of sauce over top of noodles.
- Fill sauce jar with water. Shake to mix in any sauce that is left in jar. Add this water to the top of noodles.
- Seal Instant Pot according to pot directions.
- Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Do a manual fast release. Remove lid, stir carefully to avoid breaking up meatballs and ready to serve.
Nutrition
Can I use frozen meatballs for this recipe?
Yes, if in a hurry or you just don’t want to make the homemade, you can substitute frozen meatballs.
If you Love Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, be Sure to Try These Recipes
- Easy Juicy Instant Pot Italian Beef With Pepperoncinis
- Instant Pot Pork Carnitas with Pico de Gallo
- Carrabbas Chicken Bryan Copycat Goat Cheese & Sundried Tomato Recipe
