Description
This Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe offers a quick and delicious one-pot meal, combining tender homemade meatballs with perfectly cooked spaghetti noodles in a rich tomato sauce. With minimal prep and only 7 minutes of pressure cooking, it’s an ideal dinner solution for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 slices Italian Bread (thick slices, about 3-4 inches)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 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 lb ground beef (about 80% fat content)
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Spaghetti and Sauce
- 1 (32 oz) jar pasta sauce (or homemade)
- 2 cups water
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles
- Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Soak Bread: Soak the Italian bread slices in ¼ cup water for 3 minutes to soften.
- Break Bread: After soaking, break the bread into small pieces.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add the Panko bread crumbs, soaked bread pieces, Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons water, olive oil, flat-leaf parsley, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add Meat: Mix in the ground beef and ground pork thoroughly, either by using an electric mixer or a hand potato masher, until ingredients are well combined.
- Shape Meatballs: Form the meat mixture into balls roughly the size of a golf ball.
- Sauté Meatballs: Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Instant Pot and set to sauté mode. Brown the meatballs on each side until nicely seared. Remove meatballs from the pot and wipe out excess grease.
- Add Sauce and Meatballs: Pour half of the pasta sauce into the Instant Pot. Arrange the browned meatballs on top of the sauce.
- Add Spaghetti: Break the spaghetti noodles in half and lay them over the meatballs in different directions.
- Top with Remaining Sauce: Pour the remaining half of the pasta sauce over the noodles.
- Add Water: Fill the empty pasta sauce jar halfway with water, shake to loosen any remaining sauce, and add this water to the pot over the noodles.
- Pressure Cook: Seal the Instant Pot according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set to cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
- Release Pressure and Serve: Perform a manual fast pressure release. Carefully remove the lid, stir gently to combine the ingredients without breaking up the meatballs, and serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Use thick Italian bread slices for best texture in meatballs.
- You can substitute ground pork with ground veal or turkey if preferred.
- Breaking spaghetti noodles in half helps fit them easily into the Instant Pot and ensures even cooking.
- Be gentle when stirring after cooking to keep meatballs intact.
- Adjust red pepper flakes for desired spice level.
