Do I have to break the noodles in half?

Yes. Otherwise, the noodles won't fit in the pot. The noodles need to lie flat so they're underneath the sauce and water and not poking out.

Can I Use More (16 ounces) or Less (8 ounces) of Pasta?

It's better that you don't, as 12 ounces is the perfect amount of pasta for this recipe. I don't bother measuring the pasta exactly, just eyeball 3/4 of a box. I don't recommend using a full box of spaghetti (16 ounces) for this recipe. There will be too much pasta and not enough sauce, making the flavor a little bit bland. You can try making this recipe using 8 ounces of pasta - I've haven't tried yet because it's not enough to feed my family. I'm guessing it will work fine, but if you try it let me know!

Do I stir the ingredients before turning on the Instant Pot?

No, do NOT stir the ingredients before cooking. The ingredients are layered, with the marinara sauce at the top, which help prevent a burn notice.

How Do I Prevent the Noodles from sticking together?

Add dry spaghetti in 4 to 6 layers, criss-crossing each layer in a cross-hatch pattern so that the noodles are lying in many different directions. This helps prevent the noodles from clumping together. Even so, the spaghetti will stick together a little bit. What really helps is using a fork to immediately stir and separate the cooked noodles when you open the lid. Then, when I scoop the spaghetti and meatballs into a serving dish, I use a fork to separate the noodles again. I've tried using olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking together, and it doesn't seem to help at all.

How Do I Keep the Noodles from Getting Mushy and Overcooked?

I find that many Instant Pot spaghetti recipes cook the noodles too long. I prefer a shorter cooking time (8 minutes) which insures that the noodles won't be mushy. I like "al dente" noodles, so sometimes I even cook this recipes for just 7 minutes. Remember, even after the cooking time is complete and you release the pressure, the noodles will continue to cook in the hot marinara sauce and continue to absorb any water that remains in the pot. If you cook the noodles until they're completely soft, then they cook some more in the residual heat, you'll end up with mushy noodles. They'll be especially mushy the next day if you're eating leftovers.

My Spaghetti Noodles Aren't Cooked Enough!

When you first open the lid, the noodles will still be fairly firm. Don't worry; the noodles will continue to cook while they rest in the pot and absorb the sauce and liquid. I find that it usually takes 5 to 7 minutes after the pressure is released and you've opened the lid for the pasta to be perfectly "al dente" and ready to eat.

How Much Water Should I Add?

I've made this recipe many times, and I've found that 2 1/4 cups water is the right amount of water to add, along with one 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce. It's enough water for the pasta to cook and for the sauce to spread evenly over the noodles without diluting the sauce. And, it doesn't leave too much water still sitting the pot when the cooking time is done. It's also enough water to prevent the meatballs or sauce from burning to the bottom of the pot. I have never had a burn notice when I cook this pasta.

Can I Use a Can of Crushed Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce Instead of Jarred Pasta Sauce?

You can, but I honestly don't think the recipe comes out quite as good. Using crushed tomatoes or canned tomato sauce gives the spaghetti a stronger tomato flavor - it kind of reminds me of SpaghettiOs! Also, you'll need to doctor up the sauce a bit. At the very least, add sauted garlic and Italian seasoning to the tomatoes.

Can I Use Any Type of Meatballs I Want?

Sure! You can use any type of meatballs for this recipe, made out of any type of ground meat. The meatballs can be raw, frozen, homemade or store-bought. The cooking time stays the same. Just make sure the meatballs aren't too big. I find that golfball sized meatballs cook best in 8 minutes at high pressure.

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 28 min
Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients: 1 egg; ¼ cup milk (optional, but makes meatballs more moist); ¼ cup panko or breadcrumbs; 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley); ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 pound ground beef; 1 24-ounce jar marinara/pasta sauce; 2 1/4 cups water; 12 ounces* spaghetti, broken in half

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

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5 from 6 reviews

This recipe for Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs makes tender meatballs and perfectly cooked spaghetti, all in one pot!

You can use my meatballs recipe, or your own favorite recipe. You can also use store-bought frozen meatballs.

Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 15 minutes to reach pressure + 8 minutes on high pressure + Quick Release

Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 8
Total Time: 28 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Category: Pasta
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Italian American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Meatballs

1 egg
1/4 cup milk (optional, but makes meatballs more moist)
1/4 cup panko or breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef

Spaghetti and Sauce

1 24-ounce jar marinara/pasta sauce
2 1/4 cups water
12 ounces* spaghetti, broken in half

*I don't weigh this amount exactly, I just use 3/4 of a box of spaghetti

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Instructions

Meatballs

Whisk together the egg, milk, breadcrumbs, oregano, onion powder, garlic and salt in a large bowl until well blended.
Add the ground beef, using your hands or a fork to gently combine all the ingredients.
Roll into meatballs. Make the meatballs about golf ball sized; I usually get about 14 meatballs.
Set the meatballs in the Instant Pot in one layer.

Spaghetti and Sauce

Break spaghetti noodles in half and lay them in different directions over the meatballs. Criss-crossing the spaghetti, instead of laying it all in one direction, keeps it from sticking together too much. I usually get about 6 layers.
Pour in the marinara sauce, evenly covering the noodles.
Pour the water over the sauce, making sure that some drizzles down to the meatballs.
Press down gently on the noodles if needed, so they are completely covered by the sauce.
Secure the lid, making sure the steam release valve is in the sealed position.
Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
Quick release the steam valve as soon as the the cooking time is done, so the noodles don't overcook.
Gently stir the noodles with a fork to separate any that are stuck together. Don’t stir too deep or you will hit the meatballs and break them apart.
Don’t worry! The pasta is supposed to look a little watery at this point and the noodles will be slightly undercooked. The pasta isn’t quite done cooking yet.
Let the pasta rest! Let the spaghetti sit in the pot, covered with the lid set loosely on top, for 5 to 10 minutes. This final step of letting the pasta rest is crucial for the sauce to thicken and the noodles to finish cooking while they absorb any remaining liquid in the pot and absorb the flavor of the sauce.
Check on the noodles every 3 minutes or so, giving them a quick stir, to see if they’re cooked to your liking yet. I like my noodles “al dente” so I usually let the pot sit for 5 minutes before moving the spaghetti and meatballs to a serving dish topped with parmesan.

Notes

This recipes was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot

Before adding the water, I pour it into the empty sauce jar, shake the jar to release all the sauce, then pour it in the pot.

For jarred sauce, I often use Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce, 365/Whole Foods Marinara or Rao's when it's on sale. Cup of Jo did a round up of the best jarred pasta sauce.

Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/instant-pot-spaghetti-and-meatballs/