Linguine and Pressure Cooker Meatballs

I will have to admit I was not too excited when I got the request for spaghetti and meatballs as a dinner at the beginning of July.  But it ended up raining (and I quote, “a real frog strangler”), which actually made it the perfect meal for the evening! I also love an excuse to use my pressure cooker.  It is fast (although not as fast as they advertise since it has to reach pressure before it will cook at those speeds), it doesn’t produce extra heat in the kitchen, it adds flavor to things as if they had been simmering all day (the original recipe called for these meatballs to simmer for three hours) and who doesn’t love one pot meals!  Meatballs always remind me of my grandma and dad who are very good at making this meal.  They more fly by the seat of their pants when it comes to adding this and that…I, however, need a set of rules and found this set on food.com (AWESOME website where foodies share their recipes).  While shopping, I decided that I would “spice up” the regular ol’ spaghetti and meatballs with Linguini instead.  Mmm mmm good!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Sirloin
•  1 Egg
•  ¼ C Milk
• ½ tsp Salt
•  1 tsp Oregano
•   1 tbsp Italian Parsley
•  ½ tsp Garlic Powder
• ¼ C  Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Ground Pepper to taste (I did about 4-5 grinds)
• 1 jar of Prego Heart Smart Original
•   1 small can of Tomato Sauce 
•   1 box of Linguini

Recipe:

Mix all the above ingredients (sans linguini and sauces) by hand in a bowl.

Turn on pressure cooker and let the jar of Prego start to simmer.  (Don’t do this too soon or you will end up like me with a burned sauce and have to start over with another jar L)

Pack the meat into small balls, a little larger than a golf ball.

Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce.  Then poor the small can of tomato sauce on top.  Add a small amount of Italian Seasoning and Garlic Powder to the sauce at this time. (Not too much since flavors are intensified in the pressure cooker).

Start the pressure cooker.  The meatballs with need to cook for five (that’s right FIVE) minutes once the cooker reaches pressure.

Once the pressure cooker reaches pressure, start to boil the water then add the linguini.  Cook to el dente approximately 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta and serve with the meatballs, sauce and extra Parmesan.

We ate with a small side salad.  For dessert: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups…My boyfriend’s addition when he had to run by the store to get me the extra jar of sauce since I burned the first!

What is your favorite pressure cooker meal?