Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is a one pot dump and push meal, using pantry items and frozen meatballs and ready in under 15 minutes. Meatballs can be bagged from the store, or homemade raw, then frozen meatballs.
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
All of us have busy lives and are running around and just living our life.
We don’t always have time to cook a big drawn out meal or take the time to make a homemade spaghetti dinner like my Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce. While it is a quick meal, it does take some time to get the sauce ingredient together.
My Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, which I jokingly call Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs because busy moms and dad can pick up the kids from soccer practice and have a hot and delicious dinner on the table in no time. Busy professionals enjoy this recipe too as it is easy to put together after coming home from a long day at work.
Using just your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, your spaghetti dinner will be ready to eat in under 30 minutes….way under 30 minutes.
Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs
Many moms and dads are very busy driving their kids all over the place and need to be able to run into the house, toss a few things in their Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker, get the kids situated and sit them down to a good and hearty meal. All that in a very short amount of time and with little to no effort.
So, I will show you how to make Instant Pot Soccer Mom Spaghetti and Meatballs, with all store bought, packaged ingredients. By the time you have changed out of your work or running around clothes, your meal will be done and waiting.
Jump to Section
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.
Vegetarians love to make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs with Gardein Classic Meatless Meatballs.
Add Olive Oil to Cooking Pot
Pro Tip: A little bit of olive oil added to the cooking pot will help keep the noodles from sticking together.
It also helps to add more of a homemade taste when using jarred spaghetti sauce. In my opinion, olive oil is one ingredient, where I feel, quality matters a lot and makes a huge difference. I use this extra virgin olive oil when I cook.
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.
My Instant Pot Greek Meatballs {Keftedes} would be awesome in this recipe.
Pressure Cooker Italian Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce can easily be made in batches and frozen for use in this Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe.
If you prefer to make meatballs yourself:
-
- 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.
You can use the meatballs recipe from my famous Low Carb Margherita Pizza Meatballs, which are stuffed full of cheese, if you like.
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.
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.
Best Spaghetti for Cooking Under Pressure
In my opinion, De Cecco Brand Pasta holds up so much better than other brands of pasta when pressure cooking. Plus, I prefer the taste and texture of De Cecco Brand Pasta.
Add Broken Spaghetti to Pot Over Meatballs.
In the above photo, I am using De Cecco Spaghetti.
There is a reason. 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.
Can Another Pasta be Used?
- Of course. Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs, but a different shaped pasta is just fine
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs with Gemelli Pasta
I’ve used gemelli to make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs.
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.
How to Make Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Add a little olive oil to the cooking pot. Olive oil will help keep the noodle from sticking and also add a nice flavor to the spaghetti sauce.
- Grab meatballs out of the freezer, dump them in.
- Open a jar of your choice of spaghetti sauce and dump it in. We like Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce, as it is lower in sugar.
- Breaks some Spaghetti in half and dump it in.
- Pour in the water.
That’s it. Go change your clothes and set the table. Seriously, that’s it. How much time did that take?
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].
If you like a more saucy Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, you can add more sauce. Just don’t add additional water.
Fill Jar of Spaghetti Sauce with Water and Pour into Cooking Pot
When making Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs, decide if you want to use water or chicken broth. My Pressure Cooker Bone Broth/Stock is great to use and add so much flavor.
If you want to use chicken broth, try adding a tablespoon of Better than Bouillon Chicken base to the cooking pot.
Drive those kids around knowing you can prepare a quick and easy meal.
Stir Spaghetti Around to Remove Any Clumps
Pro Tip: 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.
The spaghetti will continue to absorb the liquid, giving 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 to 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.
- A couple of teaspoons of Better than Bouillon Chicken Base will add additional flavor.
- Mix up a batch of my Low Carb Margherita Pizza Meatballs and keep them in your freezer to use for this recipe.
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. One of the most favorite things he loves is a good Italian Meatball Sandwich and with my recipe, you will have just that.
If I were you, I would buy a ton of meat and make up several batches of my meatball recipe and freeze then raw.
Pro Tip: You can even make up a batch of my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce and turn this “Soccer Mom” version into a homemade version. This is truly one of the best spaghetti sauce recipes you will ever have.
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
I love adding freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese to all my pasta dishes.
Alternatively, if you want to make this all homemade, check out my Pressure Cooker Quick One Pot Spaghetti Dinner recipe.
More Easy “Soccer Mom” 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://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]
Love this recipe and the ease. I do usually cook my Rao’s spaghetti for 8 minutes, then do a quick release. It stays pretty much Al dente, not soggy and saves me some steps.
Thanks so much for this recipe. There is not much cooking that I have the endurance for these days, so I always appreciate something delicious which I can still prepare.
Hi Lynne. Thank you for your nice comments. I am very happy you enjoyed the spaghetti and meatballs. Jill
Whenever I make a recipe like this, I spray oil over the spaghetti to coat it and then add to the pot. I have never had my spaghetti stick to itself using this method. If I am cooking spaghetti by itself, I put some oil into the boiling water, add the spaghetti and stir it a little. The spaghetti doesn’t stick to itself in that instance either.
I return to this recipe time and time again because it’s the best. Pasta is cooked perfectly and the meatballs are perfectly moist!
I use this all the time for my kids too. Jill, have you or anyone else tried doubling it? I’ve tried two times adding both more liquid and cook time, but still have noodles coming out clumped together and not fully cooked.
If you want to double the recipe, I would use an 9 quart or larger pressure cooker. Anything smaller won’t turn out well. Jill
I have absolutely fallen in love with the instant pot and don’t know why I delayed using it for as long as I did. And while I have a lot of favorite recipes, by far, this spaghetti and meatballs recipe, is my all-time favorite.
Oh, The magic that happens with the pasta water and those noodles and the sauce… How that silky decadent texture happens, like the noodles are coated in a butter sauce or something…. You just can’t describe it until you eat it!
My children absolutely devour it and cheer when they find out I’m making it.
I do use two jars of sauce. And I absolutely think chicken bouillon is essential (I love the Maggi brand).
And I also use my homemade meatballs
Hi Jennifer. I am so glad you and your family love this recipe so much. Thank you for your wonderful and kind words. Homemade meatballs are the best! Jill
Hi. What a great idea…can’t wait to try. That you know of, would doubling this recipe fit in an 8qt? And the time wouldn’t change, right.
I’m just curious – coked tomatoes give me heartburn. Would I be able to substitute a jar of Alfredo apace?
I don’t see why not. Jill
Will this not work if I use thawed meatballs instead?
It will work fine. Jill
Delicious, quick and best part… EASY! Thank you for this recipe!
I assumed 1 can of tomato sauce would be enough (damn metric system), but luckily I had a red bell pepper and turned it into something sauce-like. Also, to make the meal more balanced, I also mixed in mushrooms and spinach.
Hi Andrea. Thank you so much. Sounds wonderful with your additions. Jill
Can I cut this recipe in half? It makes too much for my small family. Do I change the times for anything?
Would there be any adjustment in time with Gluten free spaghetti that usually comes in 12 ounce packages? I know your Chicken Pesto Penne gives 7 minutes for the gluten free penne – which by the way is absolutely our favorite dish. Would 7 minutes be too long for the Gluten free spaghetti?
Please check the timing on your pasta and cook according to the notes section in the recipe. Each brand of pasta is different. Jill
Can I make this spaghetti and meatballs using DeCecco Thin Spaghetti No, 11? What is the cooking time for thin?
Would this work with Gluten Free Pasta?
Yes, it would. Jill
Seriously good! The pasta absorbs and oozes flavor. I made it exactly as written, but would reduce salt the next time if I use the Better than Bouillion. That was a great tip. Do you think it would be okay to omit salt altogether or just reduce amounts of both the bouillion and salt? Thanks for a perfectly detailed recipe for a newbie Instapot user.
Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed your meal. This is a personal taste, so whatever you like is perfect. You should start with less as you an always add more. Jill
Super great in a pinch.
Thanks, Lorraine. Jill
This is a lifesaver recipe for busy weeknight meals!
Thanks, Allison. Jill
This is so easy and so good. Shoukd be a staple in every busy Mom’s recipe file.
Thank you, Bev. Jill
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!
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! 🙂
I sure would like an actual number of meatballs or ounces, because I have a giant bag from Sam’s and I’m pretty sure you don’t want me to use that whole thing!
24 oz of meatballs and 16 oz of pasta.
Wondering what size bag of frozen meatballs you used and what size box of spaghetti??
Hi,
Frozen meatballs were on sale today so I bought them and they say ‘Bite Size.’ How would I adjust the cooking times? I am using the gemelli for pasta. Also, the sauce sometimes seems a bit thin. How can I thicken up? Thank you!
I see that using Swedish meatballs is better since when you place them in the sauce, they’ll move around easier and start pulling in more of the delicious flavor.
I love the prego farmers market dsuce, it’s all we use!
If I just wanted to do JUST the meatballs and sauce (for meatball subs) would you adapt anything (other than omitting pasta?) I definitely want to try but have a request for subs tonight! Thanks!
Can this be made with ground meat instead of the frozen meatballs?
Making this tonight and I’m so excited to be able to get it going after swim team and Work and still be able to empty the dishwasher and get the laundry changed while dinner works it’s magic in the IP. Thanks for the recipes and keep them coming!
Is the time the same for the long spaghetti style pasta? TYIA!
Love this so much. I had boxes of elbow, shell and mafalda pasta. So, I thought, Why Not. Cooked it all with chicken meatballs, for 6 min and a 5 min NPR. I have never seen my wife go back for seconds before, and we are in 47 years of married bliss! She loves it, it stays in our recipe box.
Hi is it possible to double this (2 pkg pasta, 2 sauce jars, 2 bags o’ meatballs? If so would I need to adjust the time?
Since I make my own meatballs can you please tell us how many ounces in the bag of frozen meatballs that you use?Thanks!
Since frozen meatballs are fully cooked, I suppose this could still translate well to homemade frozen versions… My meatballs are usually a little bigger- almost golf all size. Should I increase the time?
Also, if I wanted to adapt this recipe to other meatball/ pasta meals, would I need to change anything for different kinds of meat? If the meal includes veggies, should I toss them in too, or can I let them steam on “keep warm?@
While easy and relatively tasty, this is not on the table in 15 minutes. I’ve done it three times now and the very least time to allow is 25 minutes. Those minutes are time that can be used to do something else, which is great, but 15 minutes is unrealistic.
The beauty of using the pressure cooker is that while your food is cooking, you can be running around the house doing other things. 🙂
I am indeed doing other things while the IP comes to pressure and cooks, which is what I love about the pressure cooker! The preamble to the recipe, however, said that it is on the table in less than 15 minutes. My experience is that it takes longer than that. Cook time is one thing, on the table from preparation start is another. Not my intention to argue, but to be helpful to some who reads that and thinks that they will be serving dinner less than 15 minutes after they crack open a box of frozen meatballs. Thank you for the work involved in creating this easy and delicious recipe.
The stated recipe time does not include time needed to come to pressure and that will vary
Maybe you could make a salad and set the table. Seems like a whole meal in 25 minutes with one pot to clean when done is a winner.
Agreed!
came out perfect made exactly as described with the better than bouillon instead of 24 oz broth.
That better than bouillon is amazing
Any tips on how to halve this recipe as far as cooking time and liquid amounts go? Thanks!
I need to make two boxes of pasta at a time for six people, three of whom are teens and eat a ton. How much sauce and water should I use? Thanks.
I tried this recipe tonight, and realized that the recipe called for one jar of water and an additional 1/2 cup of water. I only added the 1/2 cup of water and no jar of water. How will this change the recipe in terms of taste??
I made this last night. It was delicious and easy, but I don’t find this or many IP meals to be as quick as advertised because it seems to take 15 minutes or so just to come to pressure. Is that normal?
Yes. I find the times misleading too! But that’s how the cooker works. 🙂
Not a basketball anymore, but this will come in very handy for a harvest meal for my farmer and me. Thanks!