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This Instant Pot spaghetti and turkey meatballs is a family-friendly one-pot meal that has all the classic Italian flavors you love, but faster and easier!
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
This spaghetti and meatballs recipe is sure to be a winner with your family! Because it’s made healthier with whole wheat spaghetti and turkey meatballs, you’ll feel good knowing it’s good for them too. And you’ll also love that the Instant Pot makes spaghetti and meatballs super easy! Like my Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce recipe, the high pressure of the Instant Pot combined with the whole wheat pasta’s starches makes for the most wonderful sauce in minutes.
Why This Instant Pot Dinner Is a Weeknight Win
I’ve seen many recipes for Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs that use frozen meatballs, but since I always make mine from scratch with ground turkey, finding a way to do so without destroying the meatballs took a few rounds of testing.
- Easier method that avoids the burn error: I initially tried sautéing the meatballs first, but it was extra time and work, and the meatballs stuck to the pot. Also, I was trying to avoid the dreaded IP “burn” error. So similar to my Slow Cooker Italian Turkey Meatball recipe, rather than sautéing them first, I just plopped them right into the homemade sauce.
- One (Instant) pot: I love a one-pot dinner and this Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs cooks the pasta, sauce, and meatballs together, meaning an easier process and less to clean up afterwards.
- Juicy, flavorful meatballs: Over the years, I have perfected my turkey meatballs. They are juicy, tender, and full of flavor!
- Family-friendly: Spaghetti and meatballs is total comfort food! This is a dinner that will get your kids running to the table.
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
This one-pot Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is a fast and easy dish the whole family will love! Ground turkey and whole wheat pasta make it healthier than the traditional version.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 tablespoons skim milk, or water
- 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 small cloves crushed garlic, or 1 large
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 pounds 93% ground turkey
- cooking spray
Spaghetti and Sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
- 1/4 cup torn basil, plus more for garnish
- 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 12 ounces dry whole wheat spaghetti, DeLallo
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the milk, breadcrumbs, Pecorino, garlic, egg, tomato paste, parsley and salt and mix well to combine.
- Add the turkey and mix using a fork to fully mix everything together, careful not to overwork and form into 18 meatballs.
- Press sauté on the Instant Pot and add the oil and garlic and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Turn off the pressure cooker.
- Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper to taste and gently place the meatballs in the sauce.
- Don’t worry if they are snug in the pot or aren’t completely covered in sauce. If you have to, stack a few on top of each other as needed but don’t smash them.
For the spaghetti:
- Break 12 ounces of dried spaghetti in half and spread them in one or two layers over the meatballs. Do not stir.
- Pour in 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth.
- Lock the lid on and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set to cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes.
- Use the quick release to let the pressure out once it's done, then shut off and uncover.
- Stir pasta into the sauce, it will thicken and soak the sauce up so no worries if it looks too watery.
- Serve immediately with grated cheese and basil for garnish.
Last Step:
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 3/4 cups, Calories: 480 kcal, Carbohydrates: 55 g, Protein: 31 g, Fat: 13.5 g, Saturated Fat: 3.5 g, Cholesterol: 119.5 mg, Sodium: 830 mg, Fiber: 6.5 g, Sugar: 6.5 g
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients in this Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs. See the recipe card for the exact measurements.
For the Meatballs:
- Skim milk helps keep the meatballs tender. You can use water instead if you’d like.
- Seasoned breadcrumbs to bind the meatballs and add some Italian flair.
- Pecorino Romano for salty, umami flavor.
- Garlic: I love the punch of fresh garlic as opposed to garlic powder.
- Egg holds the meatballs together.
- Tomato paste adds tomato flavor and also savory umami.
- Parsley for the meatball mixture and for garnish.
- Kosher salt to enhance the overall flavor.
- Ground turkey: I use 93%.
- Cooking spray to prevent sticking.
For the Spaghetti and Sauce:
- Garlic cloves because you can’t make spaghetti sauce without it!
- Fresh basil brings a bright, fresh flavor to your sauce.
- Crushed tomatoes are the base of the sauce. I like that they have a little more texture than canned tomato sauce.
- Salt & black pepper: I love freshly ground black pepper for a pop of warmth.
- Whole wheat spaghetti: I like the DeLallo brand because it’s not grainy.
- Chicken broth to infuse flavor into the pasta as it cooks. You could use water instead if you’d like.
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs in the Instant Pot
Building a sauce with garlic and canned tomatoes (rather than starting with a jarred sauce) gives you more control of the amount of oil used in the recipe. See the recipe card for printable directions.
- Make the Meatballs: Mix all the ingredients well, adding the turkey last. Don’t overwork the meatballs because it will make them tough. Shape the mixture into 18 meatballs.
- Make the Marinara Sauce: Use the sauté function to soften the garlic in the oil until it’s fragrant. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
- Add the Meatballs: Just nestle the meatballs in. If you have a 6-quart pot, they should fit in one layer. If not, just add more on top, but be sure not to smash them.
- Add the Pasta: Add your spaghetti, which you will need to break in half so the noodles fit in the pot. Do not stir. You do not want the noodles to end up on the bottom of the pot—they could stick to the pot and burn. Then, pour in your broth.
- Pressure Cook: Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes (it takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure). Then, do a quick release by turning the valve and uncover. You don’t want to do a natural release because your noodles could end up being overcooked. Stir everything at this point. If it looks too watery, don’t worry—it will thicken as you stir.
Variations
- Use a different protein: Swap the turkey for lean ground beef or chicken.
- Make it spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic to infuse the sauce with heat.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free spaghetti.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some of my favorite pairings with Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of broth or water if needed to loosen the sauce.
