Made with layers of a hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling, gooey cheese, and tender pasta, this Instant Pot Lasagna recipe delivers the classic flavors you know and love in under an hour.

Instant Pot Lasagna on platter after removing from the springform pan with fresh cheese and tomatoes in background.

Pasta of all shapes sizes and forms is my love language. But, if I had to pick an all-time favorite pasta dish, it would have to be lasagna. From Cottage Cheese Lasagna to Skillet Lasagna to Ravioli Lasagna to Instant Pot Lasagna Soup to even Instant Pot Taco Lasagna, I seriously adore lasagna.

But when I am craving classic, cheesy, rich lasagna, this Instant Pot Lasagna recipe is my go-to!

Reasons to Love Instant Pot Lasagna

Classic Recipe Delivered Fast! Lasagna is typically a dish reserved for weekends or special occasions, as it is classically a dish that takes HOURS to make. However, thanks to the Instant Pot, you can make homemade lasagna in under an hour, without sacrificing ANY flavor.
Insanely Delicious Results. Instant Pot Lasagna is made with all the classic star players. Layers of tender noodles, hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and gooey cheese, marry together to create an amazing dish that satisfies.
Less Work. There is no need to boil noodles and you can saute the meat of choice right in the inner pot, which translates to less overall prep work and fewer dishes to wash.
Family-Favorite Meal. This Instant Pot Lasagna has quickly become a family and fan favorite! Your family will love the rich flavor and you will love the speed with which this recipe comes together.

What You Need for Instant Pot Lasagna

Ingredients for Lasagna labeled on counter.

Meat: Adding meat is optional, but if desired, I recommend using lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground Italian sausage.
Onion + Garlic: I recommend adding a minced yellow onion and minced garlic to the beef/sausage when sauteeing it to build layers of flavor. Omit both if you are not adding meat to your lasagna.
Noodles: I recommend using oven-ready (no-boil) noodles for this lasagna recipe as they get super tender without the need to parboil them before assembling the lasagna.
Spaghetti Sauce: Use your favorite homemade or jarred marinara or spaghetti sauce. Of course, Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce is a great option if you have it on hand.
Ricotta Cheese: Use full-fat ricotta cheese for the richest, creamiest filling. Lasagna is not the time to use fat-free ricotta, as the excess moisture can cause your lasagna to be watery.
Seasonings: Italian Seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic powder flavor the ricotta cheese filling. Feel free to increase or decrease the red pepper flakes to control the level of spice.
Egg: An egg is needed to help bind the ricotta filling together, making the layers thick and easy to slice. If you have an egg allergy, simply omit the egg but keep in mind your lasagna will not slice as nicely. But it will still taste delicious!
Cheese: Use a combination of shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan to give this lasagna its rich, creamy flavor.
Lasagna Pan: Instant Pot Lasagna utilizes pot-in-pot cooking. This means that you will assemble the lasagna in either a 7 by 3-inch spring form pan or a 7 by 3-inch oven-safe cake pan and place the pan on a metal rack over water inside the inner pot.

Substitutions

Try Pepperoni. Omit the ground meat and instead add slices of pepperoni to the layers of the lasagna. It adds a great flavor and speeds up the recipe, as you can skip the step to saute the meat.
Swap Ricotta for Cottage Cheese. If you would prefer to use cottage cheese, I recommend straining the cottage cheese over a fine-mesh strainer for a few hours to remove excess moisture.
Regular Lasagna Noodles. If you don't have no-boil lasagna noodles on hand, feel free to use regular lasagna noodles that have been cooked according to package directions. Many readers have shared they have skipped pre-boiling the noodles but needed to add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Springform or Cake Pan? Use what you have on hand. A springform pan will allow you to remove the sides and make for an elegant presentation, but a lasagna made in a cake pan tastes just as delicious.

How To Make Instant Pot Lasagna

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One: Saute Meat. If you are adding ground beef or ground sausage to your lasagna, you can saute the meat right inside the inner pot, preventing the need to wash an extra dish.

Ground beef sauteed in pressure cooker with minced onion.

Step Two: Deglaze the Inner Pot. Any time you use the saute function, you must deglaze the inner pot to prevent a burn notice. Once the meat is browned, remove it from the pressure cooker using a slotted spoon, and then turn the Instant Pot OFF. Add water to the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits of meat with a spoon or spatula.

Water being poured into the instant pot after sauteeing the beef.

Step Three: Prepare Ricotta Filling. Prepare the ricotta cheese mixture by combining the ricotta with an egg, seasonings, and parmesan and set it aside for layering in the lasagna.

Ricotta cheese in mixing bowl with seasonings, eggs, and cheese.

Step Four: Assemble Lasagna. Instant Pot Lasagna is assembled much like classic lasagna, by layering sauce, noodles, filling, meat, and cheese together in repeating layers. Keep in mind you will need to break the noodles to fit into the smaller round pan.

Four photos showing layering ingredients in springform pan.

Step Five: Pressure Cook Lasagna. I recommend placing your lasagna on a foil sling to make it easy to remove from the Instant Pot. I also recommend covering the lasagna loosely with foil to prevent condensation from forming on the lasagna as it cooks. If you are opposed to using foil, cover it with parchment paper.

Side by side photo showing using a foil sling then foil covering the lasagna.

Step Six: Broil (Optional). It is not possible to achieve a golden, browned layer of cheese when making a lasagna using an instant pot. However, you can use an air fryer lid or broil the lasagna to achieve that golden exterior.

Lasagna in springform pan after being broiled in oven.

Serving Suggestions

Instant Pot Lasagna is best served after it has rested for 10-15 minutes after pressure cooking. This will help the lasagna stay intact when sliced and make for a prettier presentation. Once sliced, round out dinner with a Tossed Greek Salad or Caesar Salad. I also love serving it with garlic toast or Italian bread and olive oil bread dip on the side as well.

Slice of Instant Pot lasagna on white plate topped with basil.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Prepare in Advance: You can assemble, cover, and refrigerate the lasagna for up to 24 hours before pressure cooking. Just keep in mind that you would want to use a cake pan instead of a springform pan to prevent the lasagna from leaking into the refrigerator. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, remove it from the refrigerator, unwrap it, cover it with foil if desired, and pressure cook for 30 minutes instead of 27 minutes on high pressure.
Refrigerate: Leftover cooled lasagna can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Allow the lasagna to cool fully. Once cooled, slice the lasagna into individual slices. Wrap the individual slices of the lasagna in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then unwrap the foil and plastic wrap.
Reheat: Heat slices of Instant Pot Lasagna on a heat-safe plate in the microwave, covered by a damp paper towel in 60-second intervals to warm through.