Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is a one pot dump and push meal, using pantry items and frozen meatballs and ready in under 30 minutes.
Instant Pot Spaghetti and MeatballsEasy and delicious, Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs started the craze of frozen meatballs and jarred sauce for a quick ‘Soccer Mom’ spaghetti meal. Meatballs can be bagged from the store, or homemade raw, then frozen meatballs.
Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs
Many moms and dads are very busy driving their kids all over town and need a quick and easy recipe for dinner. Toss a few things in their Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, get the kids situated and sit down to a good and hearty meal with little effort; “Soccer Mom” Spaghetti and Meatballs to the rescue.
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Ingredients for Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Frozen Meatballs – any brand. You can even use your own fresh and then frozen raw meatballs.
- Spaghetti
- Spaghetti / Pasta Sauce
- Water or Chicken Broth
Pro Tip: a Tablespoon of Chicken Base added to the water increases the richness of the dish.
Add Olive Oil to Cooking Pot
Olive oil is an ingredient where quality matters a lot and does make a difference in taste. I recommend and use Kasandrinos Organic Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil for my cooking.
Pro Tip: A little bit of olive oil added to the cooking pot will help keep the noodles from sticking together, as well as adding as some homemade taste to the jarred spaghetti sauce.
Add all the Frozen Meatballs
Can I use Homemade Meatballs?
- Sure. Many people who do not like to cook or need to cook in a hurry will by meatballs from the freezer section at the grocery store and keep bags of frozen meatballs in their freezer.
Both my Instant Pot Greek Meatballs {Keftedes} and Pressure Cooker Italian Meatballs would be incredible in this recipe. The meatballs can be made in advance and frozen to use in Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe. My famous Low Carb Margherita Pizza Meatballs, which are stuffed full of cheese, would also be awesome.
Homemade Meatball Idea
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- We like to buy a bunch of ground meat when it is on sale. The meat can be beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, whichever you prefer.
- We then make up ton of meatballs and freeze them raw in freezer save bags. This way, whenever we want Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, we are good to go.
Pro Tip: Vegetarians love to make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs with Gardein Classic Meatless Meatballs.
Spaghetti Being Broken in Half and Added to Cooking Pot
Every time I break spaghetti in half, Ed cringes. And I get it. I like long noodles too, but when using a pressure cooker, unlike the stove, you don’t have the option of pushing the noodles down into hot boiling water.
Pro Tip: Breaking the spaghetti in half allows the spaghetti to be submerged under the water. This will help in even cooking.
Add Broken Spaghetti to Pot Over Meatballs.
Best Pasta for Instant Pot Spaghetti
- De Cecco Brand Pasta is very forging under pressure. It holds up better than other brands for a perfect al dente finish. The taste and texture of De Cecco Brand Pasta is terrific.
I use Amazon Subscribe and Save for all my De Cecco Pasta. I find the S&S significantly cheaper than buying the De Cecco Brand Pasta in the grocery stores. Check the prices, they are always changing on line and I grab a bunch when the price drops.
Pro Tip: When making recipes using a layering technique, it is important to add the ingredients into the cooking pot in the order of what needs the most cooking. In this case, raw frozen meatballs would take longer than pasta, so they go in first. They are closest to the heat source.
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs with Gemelli Pasta
Can Other Types of Pasta be Used?
- Of course. Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs, but a different shaped pasta is just fine.
- I’ve used gemelli to make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, as well as other shapes and types.
Pro Tip: If using a different type of pasta, remember to use my “Rule of Thumb” found in the notes section below, to get the proper cook time.
Sprinkle Salt Over Spaghetti
The time to add salt when cooking spaghetti noodles or pasta is to the cooking water. This is the time when the spaghetti itself will get seasoned.
Cover the Spaghetti with the Large Jar of Spaghetti Sauce
Use a nice quality spaghetti sauce like Rao brand or Muir Glen since you are using a jar. Ragu Traditional is another good brand to use. Personally, we love my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce for Pasta [Homemade] and strongly suggest making a huge batch and freezing into portions so that you always have homemade sauce on hand.
If you like a more saucy Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs feel free to add more sauce.
Fill Jar of Spaghetti Sauce with Water and Pour into Cooking Pot
Chicken broth and water both work well in this Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe and either is fine to use.
Water or Chicken Broth
- My Pressure Cooker Bone Broth/Stock is great to use and add so much flavor.
- You can also add a tablespoon of Better than Bouillon Chicken base to water in the cooking pot, which will add wonderful flavor.
Pro Tip: Chicken Broth will add another layer of flavor.
That’s it. Go change your clothes and set the table. Seriously, that’s it. How much time did that take?
Stir Spaghetti Around to Remove Any Clumps
Clumping Spaghetti
- Often times, you will find some of the spaghetti clumping together. Do not panic.
- Merely take a fork or a spaghetti server and break up the spaghetti and push it back into the sauce.
When you first open the pot, there will be excess liquid. The spaghetti will continue to cook and absorb the liquid while your are mixing out the any clumps of noodles. It’s a good thing as this gives you time to mix the spaghetti without worrying about over cooking the noodles.
There you go. Delicious and filling and most importantly, since this is called Pressure Cooker Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs, QUICK! It looks great!
Watch the video below as I walk you though every step and detail of this recipe. I’ve given you a ton of information above, but sometimes a live visual of the process helps so you can follow along. I have my own cooking show on you YouTube Channel, so be sure to check it out and subscribe!
Watch my video and then scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Grocery store frozen meatballs or your own homemade frozen raw meatballs will work.
- Swirl the oil around the bottom of the cooking pot.
- Don’t fret the clumps and sticking of the pasta. It happens and is easily remedied by stirring before serving.
- Homemade meatballs and sauce can be made in advance, frozen and then used for this recipe instead of store bought meatballs and sauce.
Another delicious pasta recipe the kids will especially love is my Pressure Cooker Beef and Macaroni. You will be happy not to have to use a can of the stuff!
Enjoy the Glee in your Partners Eyes as he Takes His/Her First Bite
Can you see the joy in Ed’s eyes as he takes that first bite? Ed can eat pasta several times a week. Spaghetti and Meatballs is one of his favorite meals..
Pro Tip: Add a dollop of ricotta cheese!
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
I love adding freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese to all my pasta dishes and a big dollop of ricotta cheese. OMG, so much yum! You’ve got to make some delicious Air Fryer Garlic Bread Buns to go with spaghetti and meatballs.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes to Make
- Instant Pot BBQ Ranch Chicken (Pressure Cooker)
- Instant Pot Italian Chicken Olive Garden
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken (Pressure Cooker Zesty Chicken)
- Instant Pot Creamy Baked Ziti
I hope that this Pressure Cooker Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe will save you lots of time in the kitchen and more time with your families.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- Cilio Olivewood Spatula
- Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater
- De Cecco Spaghetti
- Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 24-26 ounces Frozen Meatballs (or frozen homemade)
- 16 ounces Spaghetti broken in half
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt (or 1.5 tsp sea salt)
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning Blend (optional)
- 24-36 ounces Spaghetti / Pasta Sauce
- 3 cups Fresh Water Chicken Broth or (3 cups water + 1 TBL Better than Bouillon Chicken Base)
Optional
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Add olive oil to cooking pot and swirl to coat the bottom.
- Add frozen meatballs to cooking pot, spreading out across the pot.
- Break spaghetti in half and place over meatballs. Make sure spaghetti is spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle salt and Italian seasoning over spaghetti noodles.
- Dump in jar of spaghetti sauce, trying to keep the sauce over the broken spaghetti.
- Fill empty spaghetti sauce jar with water or chicken broth and pour into the cooking pot. Make sure the spaghetti is submerged in the liquid.
- If you are using chicken base instead of chicken broth, add the chicken base to the jar of water and shake to mix. Then pour the liquid into the cooking pot.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
- When beep sounds, wait 5 minutes and then slowly release the rest of the pressure.
- Remove lid and mix together, breaking up any pasta which has clumped together. The noodles will continue to soften and absorb the liquid and sauce.
- If there is excess liquid (there shouldn't be), simmer to reduce.
Video
Notes
This Old Gal's Pasta Rule of Thumb
- Look at package of pasta and find the variable cook time. Choose the lesser time given and then subtract 2 minutes. For example, if your package of pasta says "cook for 8 - 11 minutes," take that 8 minute number and cut it in half, which is 4. Then subtract 2 minutes from the 4 minutes and you will end up with the proper cook time. In this case the cook time will be 2 minutes.
- After the 2 minute pressure cook time is up, wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- If the variable cook time on your package of pasta is 11 - 16 minutes, err on the lesser side. In this instance, the cook time would be 3 minutes. It is better to end up with overly firm pasta rather than mushy because you can continue to cook the pasta, but if it is mushy, there is nothing you can do to correct.
- If the pasta is too firm or al dente for your taste, simply put the lid back on the pot and let the pasta sit in the hot pot. The residual heat will continue to cook the pasta. Check after a few minutes to see if the pasta has reached the perfect firmness for your liking. If not give it a stir and let sit some more.
Nutrition
PIN this Pressure Cooker Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs!
![Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs [Pressure Cooker]](https://staging.thisoldgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Instant-Pot-Spaghetti-and-Meatballs-13.jpg "Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs [Pressure Cooker]")
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs [Pressure Cooker]
Made this with turkey meatballs (frozen, fully cooked) and followed directions exactly. Turned out really nicely though next time I am going to try reducing the cooking time by 1 min so the pasta is less mushy. The whole pot got eaten!
This recipe was excellent and super easy!! My modification was to add a small can of El Pato Mexican salsa with the spaghetti sauce. It adds such a wonderful layer of flavor that no one will be able to put their finger on to identify! Mom’s secret!
Are the frozen meatballs precooked?
I was wondering if it would work with fresh uncoooked meatballs my butcher sells.
Thanks in advance.
Fresh will work. Jill
I like Prego sauces.
just made this in my ip ….quick and easy….
If you’re using your frozen bone broth in place of some or all of the water, does it need to be thawed first?
Yes, Defrost your broth first, or you can not pour it into the instant pot.
How big is the bag of meatballs and box of spaghetti?
Did you get an answer? I was wondering the same?
This great! I have the 3 at. Instant Pot and am wondering if just cutting all the ingredients in half will work.
Of course. Jill
What did I do wrong? We are a small family, so I made 8oz of spaghetti and about 12 small frozen meatballs. I used half a jar of spaghetti sauce and about 1.5 cups water and a tablespoon of oil. My IP 6QT kept giving me the overheating error and noodles were burned onto the bottom of the pan. I kept having to add water until it made so many attempts to come to pressure that the noodles that didn’t burn cooked through anyway. What went wrong!?!?
Do not stir as the recipe says. Layer only. Meatballs on bottom with water or broth, then noodles, then sauce. I got ‘Burn’ on my first try because I stirred before pressure cooking! Make sure you use the required measurements of ingredients also. Try again!
Please help! I want to make this now and only have elbow macaroni on hand, times are 6,7,8 months and I don’t know how long to do in ip! Can I follow your recipe as is with these noodles? I saw the note on the bottom and don’t want to mess up this meal! Thank you
Ok, so I made this exactly as written tonight because, you guessed it, had to run around for soccer practice. When I filled up the jar of marinara with water, I did half water, tossed it in, and then did half beef broth. My boys LOVED it so much. And I only had the shaker stuff of parmesan and they still loved it. My teenager said, “why do they even continue to make more recipes up after this?” Thanks. No, it is not fine dining. But you know what, it is actually easier than boiling water/cooking pasta, heating up sauce, heating up meatballs and then having different pans going. Also it stays warm so people can eat when ready. Could be fancied up pretty easily with some fresh basil, grated fresh cheese. Thanks
So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Elizabeth. Jill
Thank you so much for all these tried and true recipes. I am going to make your yogurt this weekend. I eat a lot of yogurt, so this will be great. I will make your spaghetti tonight. Do you have a recipe for kefir? I have the grains. Thanks again. I love my IP.
This was soooo easy and soooo good! I added seasoning (red pepper flakes, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder), and used pasta instead of spaghetti.
This was our first IP attempt after receiving one as a christmas gift. Measured everything directly into the pot using a kitchen scale and then let it go while we did dishes, set the table, made salad and threw garlic knots in the oven. Exactly 18 minutes later we sat down to this and it was so fantastic. Thank you for the recipe it was wonderful and we are thrilled with this appliance!
Great, Sarah. Glad you enjoyed. Jill
Can I substitute gluten free pasta?
When I make frozen meatballs on the stovetop, I like to brown them in a little oil and minced garlic. Gives them a little crust on the outside. Can I saute them in the IP first then add all the ingredients or will I be throwing the whole recipe into the garbage disposal? When I brown them stovetop, they do thaw out some but don’t heat thru. Help I’m a newbie!
HI Nicki. That is fine. Make sure to deglaze your pot first and make sure to have enough liquid. I too prefer to sauce meatballs when making spaghetti. It does add a nice taste, rather just tossing them in raw. Jill
You are a gift! You have not let me down yet. Love this recipe for my picky eaters who don’t like too much sauce. One question- what is the best way to add broccoli?
Hi Rachel. After releasing pressure, add it in. The residual heat will cook the broccoli. Jill
This was a great, easy to make meal. I need dinners I can make in advance for my husband. I sautéed an onion, pepper and garlic first, then deglazed with some red wine and added some oregano and basil. I used rigatoni.
Sounds like a yummy meal. Jill
Hi there,
Is the first 1/2 cup of water part of the jar of water or additional water?
Thank you for your wonderful and informative website. I’ve made several of your recipes and have never been disappointed!
I think this depends on the amount of pasta – since I had a 12 oz. box of Penne Pasta I included the first 1/2 cup in the total. I took a chance and it came out OK but I would like more detail on the ratio. And I may have misread, but how do you add water to a 24 oz. jar of sauce until you’ve emptied the sauce first?
Since the Penne Pasta cooking instructions called for 10 min. I cut it in half minus two and waited the five minutes before releasing pressure. Even though I was wondering if the pasta would be cooked enough the txture was perfect.
Note: re-submitted my comment correcting typo for “texture.”
Thanks. You answered my question about using 12 ounces of pasta. I would have also guessed the answer was to use less water. I read the directions the same as you did. My solution is to just use a measuring cup instead of the jar. I’ll try it tonight.
I think this depends on the amount of pasta – since I had a 12 oz. box of Penne Pasta I included the first 1/2 cup in the total. I took a chance and it came out OK but I would like more detail on the ratio. And I may have misread, but how do you add water to a 24 oz. jar of sauce until you’ve emptied the sauce first?
Since the Penne Pasta cooking instructions called for 10 min. I cut it in half minus two and waited the five minutes before releasing pressure. Even though I was wondering if the pasta would be cooked enough the texture was perfect.
Trying this right now..adding some black olives ..YUM! thanks for this recipe! 🙂