You’ll be amazed at how quickly this spaghetti with sausage meatballs comes together, thanks to the Instant Pot! Rolling prepared Italian sausage into balls makes for a simple and flavorful meatball — no additional ingredients required. Plus, the tomato puree, garlic and fresh basil provides a smooth, delicious sauce without any extra work. Enjoy with an extra sprinkle of grated Parmesan for a quick and easy meal.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage, casing removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
- One 28-ounce can tomato puree, preferably San Marzano
- 2 sprigs basil
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about .75 ounce), plus more for serving
Instructions
- Roll the sausage into 16 balls (each about 1 ounce and 1 inch in diameter). Set a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot® to high saute (see Cook’s Note). Add the olive oil to the pot; once it’s shimmering, add the meatballs and cook until lightly browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip the meatballs and add the garlic. Cook until meatballs are lightly browned on the other side and the garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes more. Lay the spaghetti on top of the meatballs, then add the tomato puree, 2 cups of water, basil, red pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir gently, making sure all the spaghetti is submerged in the sauce.
- Follow the manufacturer’s guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete (this should take about 2 minutes). Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid, then stir in the Parmesan. Serve with another sprinkle of grated Parmesan on top. The pasta sauce will thicken as it sits and cools.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 502 |
| Total Fat | 32 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 611 mg |
Reviews
The BEST..Spag and sausage I ever made. Didnt cook in 6 mins. added another 3 and it was done perfectly. Delicious..
This was delicious. So easy, felt like I was cheating. Would make it again in a heartbeat.
This recipe was a huge hit with my family! I added some extra garlic and dried oregano, everything else worked as-is. I’ll definitely make this dish again!
Sauce overwhelmed it a bit
I had friends over and thought I would try this out! It was ah-mazing! The red pepper flakes give it just enough spice and it’s so easy!!! This is now my go to spaghetti recipe. Yummm!
Like anonymous I also got the dreaded ‘food burn’ message when I tried this recipe in my Instant Pot Max. Maybe I have a dud machine? Stocks and soups work fine, but I haven’t been able to use it for pasta sauce, chili, etc. – even when I add more liquid than called for.
Love my Instant Pot. I’ve had it for several years. However, I am STILL at a loss as to how to cook pasta and marinara sauce in the Instant Pot without getting the “BURN” function (and then it shuts off). I’ve made sure to add 2 cups of water to the pot along with the sauce, but that darn “BURN” alert comes on every time. Ugh. I wonder if it would help to elevate the pasta on a little metal rack insert next time? -It’ll make for a messy removal of the rack, but at least the pasta won’t stick to the bottom.
Spaghetti did not cook all the way.
Super easy! I got my Instant pot for Christmas and wasn’t to sure about using it.. Let me tell you I think it may be my favorite kitchen appliance.. I doubled the pasta, water and cooking time.. I used mt favorite jar sauce instead of the tomatoes.. My family loved it!
My family now loves spaghetti as much as I do! Great recipe, great flavor and easy weeknight meal