Instant Pot Pasta and Meatballs is an easy one pot dinner made entirely in the pressure cooker. Add the ingredients, cook and eat — perfect for busy days!
Easy pressure cooker penne pasta and meatballs is one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes you can make. It’s definitely one of the easiest Instant Pot dinner recipes I’ve ever made! Seriously, you just dump everything into the Instant Pot, pressure cook it, and eat!
So, I’ve been testing out the easiest possible dinner recipes lately. I’m thinking about easy dinners that you can make when you are on vacation or away from home — with only a few ingredients. See, as much as I love to eat out and try new restaurants when we’re on vacation, that gets expensive very fast!
I’m also thinking about easy dinner recipes for crazy busy days or those days when you’re tired, the kids are wired, and you can’t deal with making dinner from scratch. You get it, right?
The other day I made super quick and easy spaghetti and meatballs in the Instant Pot so that one of the girls could have a quick dinner before heading out to a competition. We liked it, but we like Instant Pot spaghetti with meat sauce more.
So when I needed a quick lunch before another one of our girls was going out with some friends, I switched things up and made meatballs with penne pasta instead of spaghetti. And you guys, my whole family practically inhaled it!
How to make Instant Pot pasta and meatballs
You can use fresh homemade meatballs in the Instant Pot, but like I said, we’re all about quick and easy dinners today. I used frozen meatballs, jarred sauce, pasta, spices and a little bit of tomato sauce for extra flavor.
I added a little bit of olive oil to the pot first. Then I put the meatballs on the bottom and layered the uncooked penne pasta over the meatballs.
Next, I added an entire jar of marinara sauce, a can of tomato sauce and some spices. Don’t mix the sauces — Just add the water around the sides and over the pasta.
Add some spices for extra flavor, pressure cook the meatballs and pasta, and you’ve got a delicious one pot dinner! in just a few minutes! I tossed in some Parmesan cheese at the end, but it’s optional.
This Instant Pot pasta is really all about the meatballs!
You could add some mozzarella or even a little bit of cream for a completely different pasta dish! And a little bit of fresh basil is the icing on the cake.
But since we’re talking about the easiest dump and go Instant Pot dinners in the universe today, you can leave out the extra spices, cream and all that, although the fresh basil does add a nice touch. Just saying.
Looking for more quick and easy Instant Pot dinner recipes?
- Instant Pot creamy kielbasa tortellini
- Instant Pot creamy shells and beef
- Instant Pot macaroni beef casserole
- Instant Pot creamy taco pasta
- Instant Pot Mom’s best chili recipe
Recipe for Instant Pot Pasta and Meatballs
Instant Pot Pasta and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 16 small meatballs (frozen)
- 1 16-ounce box penne pasta (uncooked)
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (no salt added)
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Spread olive oil evenly over bottom of Instant Pot, and add meatballs
- Add pasta over meatballs, and add marinara sauce and tomato sauce over pasta
- Pour water around sides and over the pasta, and add Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Do Not Stir
- Cover with lid, and turn vent to Sealing position
- Hit PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes cook time, do a quick release
- When pin drops, carefully open lid and stir pasta and sauce together. Top with Parmesan cheese, if using, and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this easy Instant Pot pasta and meatballs as much as we do!
Maja says
What about if I mad emy own meatballs and froze them. Is the cook time same as frozen meatballs from the store. Not sure if store bought meatballs are half way cooked. Let me know
Thank you
Dee says
As long as the meatballs are cooked, you can definitely use those without changing anything in this recipe. I do that when I can.
Tammy Jennings says
Excellent recipe! Thank you!!!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Tammy. I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Harry says
No comments regarding the water diluting the tomato sauce. Assume 3-1/2 cups is okay?
Dee says
Most of the water is absorbed by the pasta, but you could go down to 3 cups for a thicker sauce if you want.
Barb says
Could this be made with medium sized quartered potatoes and tomato soup with frozen meatballs? Old family recipe.
Dee says
If the soup is thin enough, you should be able to cook it all together in the pot. If you’re using a can of soup, you would need to add a thin liquid so it doesn’t burn.
Jessica Ford says
Delicious and easy to make!
Dee says
Awesome! Thanks so much, Jessica!
Andrew M. says
Hi – So, even though the meatballs are frozen the cook time is just 4 minutes? or does it need to go longer than 4?
Dee says
The cook time is 4 minutes for both frozen and fresh meatballs. The pot will just take longer to reach pressure with frozen ones, and they will thaw as the pot pressurizes.
Michelle Nicol says
I am new to the instant pot family and I was wondering if I could double it. I have a 6qt. We have a family of 7 so I find the recipes don’t make enough.
Dee says
I don’t know if a double batch would fit in the 6 quart, but it might work as long as it doesn’t go past the fill line.
Catherine says
This recipe came out perfectly!
Dee says
So glad to hear this, Catherine. 🙂
Catherine says
Just made this in 6 Qt Lux. I used garden rotini and Great Value Jar of sauce, Ia 15 oz can of Great Value diced tomatoes. I used Aldi’s Brand frozen meatballs. I filled the sauce jar with water and added spices on top. It was perfect!!! First time cooking pasta in my IP. I am very impressed! Thank you for sharing this recipe!! I will definitely be making this again.
Dee says
I love making pasta in my IP. So happy to hear you liked it! 🙂
Amanda says
Could I use homemade meatballs instead? They wouldn’t be frozen.
Can’t wait to try this recipe out. Thank you
Dee says
You can definitely use homemade meatballs, but they need to be cooked or browned first so that the time remains the same.
imnjupiter says
Why don’t you mix everything together? What would happen if you did?
What is a good brand of frozen meatballs?
Dee says
If you mix everything together before pressure cooking, the thick tomato sauce can burn. I personally like Cooked Perfect brand if I don’t have any homemade meatballs on hand.
Christy says
I tried cooking it for the 4 minutes, but the noodles were not completely cooked for some reason.
Dee says
So sorry to hear that, Christy. I’ve never had that problem. Are you at a higher altitude?
Rhonda J says
I made this with more meatballs and elbow macaroni. My family loved it and it will be kept in my back pocket when we are on the run.
Dee says
So glad you liked it, Rhonda! Thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂
Vikki says
Can this be done with an Alfredo sauce?
Dee says
If you’re using a jar of Alfredo, you’ll want to add it after pressure cooking since dairy can curdle under pressure.
Vikki says
Thank you!
Dee says
You’re very welcome, Vikki. Sounds delicious!
Tri says
This was great. I did not have ziti so I used rotini. I used vodka sauce because that’s what I had on hand. It was really watery looking when I first opened it up but the sauce thickened up nicely once I started to cool. The entire family gobbled it up which is shocking since I have 3 kids. My son loved how tender the meatballs were (he’s picky with meat) and I enjoyed that the pasta was not overdone. (It certainly wasn’t al dente but it wasn’t soggy either). I served it with peas and a loaf of garlic bread so the whole meal only took 25 min. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Dee says
That sounds like a wonderful dinner! So glad you liked it. 🙂
Mae says
Will one jar of sauce suffice?
Dee says
I think one jar is plenty. But if you like extra sauce, you can add a little more or stir in more at the end and let it heat up before serving 🙂
Ann says
It sure would be nice if you could add email to your list of ways to share your recipes. I’m not very technology savvy
so when I see a good recipe I like to send it to myself to add to my recipe collection on my iPad. If I don’t, I may
never see the recipe again. Thanks for your help.
Dee says
Hi Ann. You can choose to receive recipes emailed to you. You should also be able to hit print and save the recipe card when you’re on the iPpad. Let me know if this makes sense, and I would be glad to help! 🙂
carrie @ frugal foodie mama says
And why haven’t I bought an Instant Pot for myself yet?? I can’t believe how quickly you can have this one the dinner table! 🙂
Dee says
You need to to get one! It makes life so much easier. 🙂
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Mmm! I like that basil over the top! This is a great dish, and how fab to more quickly make my favorite — meatballs!
Cathy @ Lemon Tree Dwelling says
One of our favorite dinner options! Love how easy this is!
Kimberly says
Easy, quick and delicious – that’s always a great combo!
Krista says
I love seeing what can be made in an instant pot! This looks so tasty!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This looks really good!! I would love to add it to our weeknight favorites!
Dee says
I hope you enjoy it, Toni. This pasta is one of our favorites!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This is just wonderful!
Amanda says
This is making my mouth water! Such an amazing recipe!
Dee says
Thanks, Amanda. It’s so easy to make, too! 🙂