Spaghetti and meatballs recipe for your instant pot

SPAGHETTI + MEATBALLS

ACTIVE TIME: 25 MINUTES
PRESSURE COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

Spaghetti and meatballs isn’t necessarily any faster when made in your electric pressure cooker, but it does make things a heck of a lot easier. It can all be done in one pot instead if the usual two or three it would take on the stove. In this version, the meatballs, which are not fried but cooked in the sauce, are full of flavor and very tender particularly if you use panko bread crumbs, which have a fluffy texture that makes meatballs very light.

I’ve successfully made this dish using whole wheat spaghetti without changing the recipe at all. But since pasta brands vary a lot, you may have to increase the cooking time if yours turns out too al dente, even after you’ve let it rest for the full 10 minutes.


Olive fans take note: Adding ¼ cup sliced pitted olives to the sauce as it cooks will probably make you very happy come dinnertime.

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef
¼ cup panko or regular unseasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced

FOR THE SAUCE AND PASTA

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh basil, plus more thinly sliced for serving
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces spaghetti (not thin spaghetti), broken in half
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more (optional) for serving
1 cup ricotta cheese, for serving (optional)

1. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together the beef, panko, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and garlic. Roll into 1¼-inch balls.

2. Make the sauce: Using the sauté function, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the pressure cooker pot. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, and black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes (if the sauce splatters too much, lower the sauté function to low, if possible).

3. Use a fork to remove the basil sprigs from sauce. Scatter the spaghetti over the sauce. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the spaghetti, stirring gently, then top with the meatballs and 1 cup water.

4. Lock the lid in place and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure.

5. Stir the mixture to separate the spaghetti strands (some might clump together). Stir in the Parmesan. Cover the pot with the lid (but don’t lock it on) and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken and the pasta to cook to your liking (it continues to cook in the residual heat of the pot as it sits).

6. Spoon into serving bowls. Dollop with ricotta (if using) and sprinkle with basil and more Parmesan if you like.