I get it, you’re sitting here wondering “why the hell does this dude keep posting recipes for an InstantPot? What the hell kind of university student has access to one of these beasts?”

What I’m saying is that you need to just succumb to the trend and figure out how to get your hands on one. Especially when it’s the end of semester, you’ve lost track of how many all-nighters you’ve pulled, and the pizza guy sees you so often that the two of you have a secret handshake. Because it’s a hell of a lot easier, and cheaper, to make this pasta dish to fuel you through the final days of the semester and into the embrace of winter break.

Besides, aren’t carbs and protein good brain food?

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs frozen cooked meatballs
  •  1 lb pasta (use whatever, but we all know you have that giant box from costco)
  • 1 24oz jar of pasta sauce (whatever floats your boat/is hiding in your cupboard)
  •  1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
  •  3 3/4 cups broth or water (water is the easy way, broth gives more flavour.

Prepping

  1. Layer your meatballs on the bottom of the pot
  2. Pour the pasta on top, make sure it’s an even layer.
  3. Dump the can of tomatoes in, again in an even layer.
  4. Follow that up with the jar of pasta sauce, keep that even layer going, cover up that pasta.
  5. Pour in the water/broth along the inside of the pot. Don’t wash away the pasta sauce and expose the pasta.

Instructions

  1. Put lid on and set the knob to sealing.
  2. Set pot to Manual for five minutes.
  3. The pot will take time to build up pressure, usually 20 minutes before the five minutes starts.
  4. When the five minutes are up, quick release in bursts to make sure the sauce doesn’t gunk up the knob and block the steam release.
  5. Open lid, stir, throw whatever garnishes you can scrounge up, and serve!