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]
Awesome weeknight meal plus leftovers. I prefer to make meatballs – frozen raw. Works great with store bought too in a pinch.
So glad this helps! Thank you, Ashley. Jill
I use my homemade sauce and meatballs, always tastes great. Thanks for your recipe
Thanks, Paul. We do the same. Jill
Can this recipe be made using thin spaghetti or vermicelli?
Yes, just make sure to reduce the cook time. Jill
Our HEB (TX grocery store) has started carrying their own HEB brand of pasta noodles already broken in half. GENIUS.
Maybe other stores will carry an already broken style too!
What happened to the old recipe?? It worked perfect for me ? I wish I’d copied it down.
This is the same, just better photos. Jill
Thanks for putting this out there!!!
Can this recipe be doubled in the 6 qt IP to serve more people? What would the cooking time be?
If it fits, sure, no problem. Jill
The pasta I use comes in 12 oz. boxes. Should I make any adjustments to the recipe?
Was looking for something easy to make for dinner and found your recipe. Made it with the De Cecco Gemelli pasta and it was beyond delicious. This is going to become a regular in our meal rotation! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you, Judy. I am glad you enjoyed your meal. Jill
Making this for the second time. My son said this is the best spaghetti and meatballs he ever ate and he’s extremely fussy! It has a lot more taste than the traditionally made spaghetti and meatballs. I made it per the recipe except I added a little Italian seasoning.
This is wonderful to hear, thank you, Carol. Jill
Came out good. I like my pasta al dente so I would take a minute off next time for sure but was super quick and easy. Thanks!
Great, I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. Jill
We did this tonight. I used my own meatball recipe, baked them, then froze them. This makes for faster italian nights.
I put enough frozen meatballs in bottom of my instant pot for our family. Then I used thin spaghetti and broke in half and criss crossed it over the meatballs. Then I combined 24 ounces (3 cups) of spaghetti sauce (homemade) with 32 ounces (4 cups) chicken broth, and poured that over the noodles.
Set it to manual for 8 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. Gave a good stir, and served with parmesan, cottage cheese, and rustic bread. Easy comfort food.
Sounds wonderful, Lisa. Jill
This recipe is a game changer for sure. I am in Australia, so I had to convert the measurements to metric, but it worked out perfectly! I added some garlic powder, dried basil, oregano and chilli flakes for an extra kick, and served with shaved Parmesan.
I can’t believe how easy and delicious this meal is. I’d never purchased frozen meatballs before, but our supermarket started stocking them so I thought I’d try this recipe. So glad I did! I love being able to toss everything in and walk away. This made my night so much easier with our two young children needing my attention. I will definitely add this to our regular rotation, thank you!
Hi Imogen. I am so glad you enjoyed this quick, time saving recipe. Jill
Any advice? I used in order
1 cup water
24oz frozen meatballs
2lbs Elbow Macaroni
2 24oz Jars Sauce
2 24oz Jars Water
then put it on high pressure at 3 minutes….
but then after roughly 30 minutes, pressure was never reached and I got the burn notice
I have the 8qt Instant Pot and am a first time user. Thanks!
It sounds like the pot never sealed, causing water to escape. Jill
I am making my own meatballs separate in the oven. Do I still need to put that first half cup of water in the pot or just use the sauce and then filling the jar with water? (and layer order – pasta, sauce, water from jar…. Or water, pasta, sauce, water from jar)
Had a friend recommend this recipe to me and it was absolutely delicious! I used a bag of frozen meatballs and about 22 minutes later it was up and running. I have a 6 QT instant pot so it filled it up quite a bit and so took a little longer to build up pressure but the pay off was well worth it!
Wonderful, Chris. So glad this recipe was enjoyed. Jill
Hi. If I am making my own meatballs, should I cook them first or put them in raw? Thanks!
I would sear them first. Jill
Please state the sizes used for the bag of meatballs and box of spaghetti directly in the recipe. This is a given when writing a recipe as sizes of products differ from state to state or country to country…not everyone wants to read the preamble to find out that information. I have made this recipe twice now, but guessed at the amount of pasta to use because I didn’t read the preamble. It still came out fine even though I only used 10 oz of pasta. Please adjust your online recipe to reflect the amounts required. Thank you!
Hey Karen, all the details with exact measurements are always in the recipe card, after the photos. Jill
Hmmm, the amounts weren’t on the recipe card that I took a photo of 4 days ago!
Karen, they were added after that…so sorry you did not see the update. Hope you make this recipe again! Jill
If i want to make 2lbs of pasta should I double the recipe?
Are the meatballs fully cooked already or raw?
If I use frozen ground beef in this instead of meatballs, will it screw up the cooking time?
Finally a pasta & meatball success in the instant pot!
Barilla Protein Farfalle
Butterball Frozen turkey meatballs
Aldi’s Specialty Pumpkin Chipotle spaghetti sauce
Aldi’s Simply Nature Organic Chicken broth
yum in less time then to boil the pasta, thanks Jill!
Thank you!
We LOVE the Pumpkin Chipotle sauce! Kind of reminds me of Chef Boyardee – only more grown up!