Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Hit the easy button for dinner with Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash! A complete meal that all cooks together in the Instant Pot. You’ll love the red wine infused marinara sauce, and tasty Italian meatballs! Grain-Free, Gluten-free, and Paleo!

It’s comfort food to the rescue day! Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash at your service. We’ve had back to back weeks of such hot weather, that I am pretending that fall is just around the corner!! I am sure you can feel me on this sentiment.

When I took to Instagram the other day for suggestions on meals in the month of August, I had several responses for back to school snacks and lunches (coming soon). BUT…… I also had numerous responses for more Instant Pot recipes to get you through the week!

This tasty recipe for Italian turkey meatballs with a red wine marinara sauce is exactly what your busy weeknight needs. Loads of flavor, family approved, healthy, and nutrient packed. Also, let’s talk about the Instant Pot ease. One of the best aspects of this recipe is tossing that spaghetti squash in with the meatballs, allowing these to cook together without having to wash separate dishes. The ultimate winning combination!

Let’s get started!!

How to make Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash:

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• ground turkey
• almond flour
• Italian seasoning
• garlic powder
• egg
• sea salt
• avocado oil or olive oil
• diced onion
• minced garlic
• red wine vinegar
• red wine
• San Marzano Tomatoes
• pureed tomatoes

We start by preparing our meatballs. Set the oven to broil. Mix together the turkey, almond flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt, and whisked egg in a large bowl. Combine well, then roll into balls on a baking sheet. We’ll broil the meatballs for a few minutes, this helps them to maintain shape while they cook in the instant pot.

At the same time, we’ll start the marinara sauce. Saute the onion and garlic in the Instant Pot for 3-4 minutes. You want the onion to be fragrant. A very important step here is to de-glaze the pot. This prevents getting the burn function!

As you’ll see here, those brown bits need to be taken care of. Pour in the water, vinegar, and red wine. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot. Now add in the tomatoes and sea salt. Pierce a medium sized spaghetti squash with a fork all over, and place on top of the spaghetti squash. Surround the squash with meatballs.

At this point, secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Use a quick release. Remove the squash with tongs and let sit for 10 minutes to cool on a cutting board. Slice in half, then use a fork to pull out the spaghetti squash strands.

Serve with additional sea salt, fresh basil, and parmesan cheese!

Serving/Storing:

My family doesn’t all love spaghetti squash, so a few of them eat this with pasta. The spaghetti squash will serve no more than 4 people. Just an FYI! It also tastes even better the second or third day.

Store in the fridge for up to one week. The spaghetti squash does get “mushy” after 2 days. You can freeze the meatballs and serve at a later time.

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Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Author Amy Rains

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Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 1.5 lbs ground turkey
• 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 med yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup red wine*
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
• 1 28 oz can San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
• 1 14 oz can pureed tomatoes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 medium spaghetti squas
• fresh basil (optional for garnish)
• fresh parmesan cheese (optional for garnish)

Instructions

For the Meatballs:

1. Set the oven to broil. In a medium bowl, mix together the meatball ingredients. Mix well with your hands and roll into 1 inch balls. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray/oil. Transfer to the oven and broil for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly browned on the outside. It is okay if they are not cooked all the way.

For the sauce:

1. Select saute on the Instant Pot. Once hot, coat the bottom of the pot with oil, then toss in onion and garlic. Once fragrant and lightly browned, select cancel. Pour in the wine, vinegar, and water. Deglaze the pot with liquid and scrape the bottom with a spatula to remove any browned bits. This is to help prevent the burn signal. Add the whole and pureed tomatoes, and the salt. Give the mixture a stir.

2. Pierce the spaghetti squash numerous times with a fork. Place the whole squash on top of the spaghetti sauce. Place the meatballs around the squash, on top of the sauce.

3. Secure the lid with the steam vent in the sealed position. Select manual or pressure, and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.

4. Use a quick release, ensureing the steam is released before removing the lid. Remove the spaghetti squash with tongs, and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Once cool, slice in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds, and use a fork to pull out spaghetti squash strands.

5. Pour the sauce and meatballs on top of the squash strands. Top with parmesan cheese (if using), fresh basil and additional salt to taste.

Recipe Notes

*Omit for Whole30 and replace with water.