Instant Pot® Spaghetti and Meatballs Florentine

Prep 30 min
Total 60 min
Servings 6

There’s a lot your Instant Pot® can do to make family dinner easier, but one of its best tricks is making this homemade spin on spaghetti and meatballs into a truly delicious one-pot meal. Part of the magic comes from combining the sauté and pressure-cooking functions. Herbed turkey meatballs get seared and the insert gets deglazed, so the browned bits left behind by the meatballs infuse the entire dish with savory flavor. Then, meatballs, pasta and sauce ingredients are put under pressure, which turns three steps into one: making the cheesy sauce, finishing the meatballs and cooking the pasta. After a short time under pressure, all that’s left to do is stir in fresh spinach until it’s silky. A final dusting of Parmesan and pepper, plus a squeeze of lemon will make this dish truly perfect. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated September 13, 2019

Make with

Progresso Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

lb ground turkey (at least 93% lean)

3/4

cup Progresso™ Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

1/2

cup finely chopped yellow onion

egg, slightly beaten

cloves garlic, finely chopped

teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

tablespoon vegetable oil

carton (32 oz) Progresso™ chicken broth

1/2

cup heavy whipping cream

oz uncooked spaghetti, broken in half

oz (from 8-oz package) cream cheese, softened and cubed

1/2

cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving, if desired

package (5 oz) fresh baby spinach

tablespoons lemon juice

Steps

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1

In large bowl, mix turkey, bread crumbs, onion, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Shape mixture into 12 (2-inch) meatballs.
2

On 6-quart Instant Pot®, select SAUTE; adjust to normal. Heat oil in insert until very hot. Add meatballs; cook 4 to 5 minutes without moving, until meatballs release easily from bottom of insert. Turn; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until browned on second side. Turn one more time; cook 2 to 3 minutes on third side, until browned. Select CANCEL. Using slotted spoon or tongs, transfer meatballs to plate.
3

Stir broth and whipping cream into meatball drippings in insert. Stir mixture to loosen browned bits from bottom of insert. Stir in spaghetti; coat in sauce mixture.
4

Place meatballs evenly over spaghetti mixture. Secure lid; set pressure valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL; cook on high pressure 8 minutes. Select CANCEL. Set pressure valve to VENTING to quick-release pressure.
5

Gently stir cream cheese and Parmesan cheese into mixture 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and spaghetti is completely separated. Spaghetti will appear to be stuck together but will separate while stirring. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the spinach and lemon juice until spinach wilts. Top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Expert Tips

Meatballs can be formed and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 hours ahead of cooking. Chilled meatballs hold their shape well when seared and don’t require any additional cook time.
Searing the meatballs adds flavor, so don’t skip this step. Leave an empty space in the insert so you can turn over the first meatball easily. The trick to keeping meatballs intact while turning is to wait until they’ve browned. You’ll know this has happened when a firm tug is all that’s needed to get them to release. If they still want to stick, leave them to cook a bit longer. Using a metal slotted spoon and tongs will give you more control. Lift the meatball with the slotted spoon, and use the tongs to gently turn the meatball onto its side.
It’s very important to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the insert after searing the meatballs. These browned bits will add flavor to your sauce. And if they aren’t removed before the pot is put under pressure, the food can stick and burn. If the burn is severe enough, the Instant Pot® will shut down and display the “burn” warning.
To serve something “Florentine” means to serve it with spinach and a Mornay sauce, which is basically a white cheese sauce. You might have run across eggs Florentine or fish Florentine. Literally translated, Florentine just simply means “in the style of Florence,” so this is yet another delicious idea originating from Italian cooking traditions.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 1/2 Cups

Calories: 610
Calories from Fat: 210

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 23g; 35%
Saturated Fat 11g 56% Trans Fat 1/2g
Cholesterol: 120mg; 39%
Sodium: 1200mg; 50%
Potassium: 510mg; 15%
Total Carbohydrate: 65g; 22%
Dietary Fiber 3g 15% Sugars 3g
Protein: 35g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 60%; 60%
Vitamin C: 8%; 8%
Calcium: 20%; 20%
Iron: 20%; 20%

Exchanges:

4 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 3 1/2 Fat;