Instant Pot Meatballs and Spaghetti

Make tender, flavorful instant pot spaghetti and meatballs on a weeknight in minutes. All the flavor of the classic dish in no time!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

6 quart Instant Pot pressure cooker

Ingredients

For the meatballs

1 pound at least 90% lean ground beef
¼ cup (60 g) coarsely ground breadcrumbs (gluten free if necessary)
½ cup (40 g) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder)
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten

For the sauce and pasta

4 ½ cups (40 fluid ounces) canned tomato puree
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder)
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
10 ounces dried spaghetti (gluten free if necessary)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) lukewarm water

Instructions

In a large bowl, place the ground beef and break it up lightly with your hands.
Place the bread crumbs, cheese, basil, oregano, onion, garlic powder, and salt on top, and mix gently with a spoon until just combined.
Add the beaten egg and mix again, gently, until everything is just moistened by the egg.
Divide the meatball mixture into 12 equal pieces and roll each lightly into a ball, taking care not to pack the meat tightly.
Set the shaped meatballs aside briefly.
In the Instant Pot liner, place the tomato puree, salt, basil, oregano, onion, and garlic powder, and whisk to combine well.
Divide the dried spaghetti into 4 roughly equal portions.
Break the first portion in half and scatter the spaghetti pieces evenly across the top of the sauce in the liner.
Repeat with the second portion, but scatter it the opposite way on top of the first layer (perpendicular to the first portion).
Repeat with the remaining two portions, breaking each in half and alternating directions.
Drizzle the olive oil on top of the spaghetti, and mix very gently with a spoon, keeping most of the spaghetti pieces on top of the sauce.
Place the shaped meatballs on top of the pasta in a single layer and pour the water on top.
Secure the lid of the Instant Pot until it clicks. Set the vent to sealing.
Plug in the pot if it isn’t already plugged in.
Press the “Manual” button, ensure the pot is set to “High” (rather than “Low”), set the timer using the “+” or “-“ buttons to 6 minutes. In a moment, the pot will read “ON.” The 6 minutes will begin to count down once the pot has reached full pressure.
As soon as the 6-minute manual cooking cycle is over, press the manual button to turn the heat off.
Then, using a cloth to avoid burning your hands, release the pressure manually by turning the vent from sealing to vent.
Once all the pressure has released, the pressure “button” on the top of the lid will fall and become recessed into the lid.
Open the pot and, using a large serving spoon, gently stir the cooked meatballs and spaghetti from the bottom of the pot to the top.
Remove the spoon and place the lid of the pot loosely back on top.
Allow the dish to rest for a few minutes before serving hot, sprinkling with extra cheese and fresh herbs, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate per serving based on the dish being divided equally into 4 servings. It is made using an online nutrition calculator and should not be relied upon.

Nutrition

Thanks for stopping by!

Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!