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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.
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Instant Pot Lasagna is the Best!
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 for SEVERAL reasons!
- 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.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
What You Need to Make Instant Pot Lasagna
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- 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.
How To Make Instant Pot Lasagna
If you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot or the functions of your Instant Pot, be sure to start with my guide for using an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes. You will find the full recipe in detail in the recipe card below.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Recipe Modifications
- 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.
- Use a Meat Sauce: Feel free to swap out the jarred sauce (and added meat) for prepared Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce.
- 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.
- Add Spinach. Add up to 1 cup of sautéed fresh spinach or defrosted frozen spinach to the ricotta mixture. Just be sure to give the spinach a good squeeze to remove the excess moisture from the spinach.
- Use 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.
Make-Ahead/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: Let the lasagna cool slightly, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat on a heat-safe plate in the microwave, covered by a damp paper towel in 60-second intervals to warm through.
- 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 and reheat in the microwave.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Lasagna
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.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ pound ground beef or ground Italian sausage
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 6-8 no-boil or oven ready lasagna noodles
- 3 cups spaghetti sauce
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
Instructions
- If using meat: Hit saute on the pressure cooker, add in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and let heat briefly. Once heated, add in the ground meat of your choice, along with the minced onion, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Saute the meat and onion until the beef is fully browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Once the meat has cooked through, hit cancel to turn off the saute function and remove the meat mixture from the Instant Pot, setting it aside to use later.
- Pour 1-½ cups of water into the inner pot. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot. Add the metal rack/trivet over the water to place the lasagna pan on.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and ⅓ cup of parmesan until combined.
- Assemble Lasagna. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 7 by 3-inch springform pan or a 7 by 3-inch oven-safe cake pan. Break the oven-ready lasagna noodles to fit to cover the bottom of the baking pan. Top with half the ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with half the meat and onion mixture. Cover the meat mixture with a layer of spaghetti sauce, followed by a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of lasagna noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture, followed by the remaining meat mixture. Top with another layer of marinara sauce and then sprinkle with a light layer of mozzarella cheese. Add one final layer of lasagna noodles. Top with a generous layer of spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Place the lasagna pan on a tin foil "sling" to help lower and lift the lasagna out of the pressure cooker. Place the lasagna on the trivet. Loosely cover the lasagna with foil.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the lid is sealed. Hit manual/pressure cook and set to cook for 27 minutes on high pressure.
- After the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release of pressure.
- If desired, remove the lasagna from the pressure cooker and place the pan on a sheet pan. Remove the foil and broil for 3-6 minutes, watching carefully, to not burn. Alternatively, use an air fryer lid on the Instant Pot, set it to 360 degrees F, and air fry for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Let the lasagna rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan if needed and slice and serve.
Equipment
- aluminum foil
Notes
Meat: Ground beef, pork, or Italian sausage are all great options for this Lasagna recipe. Even slices of pepperoni work well. If you would prefer a Meatless Instant Pot Lasagna, omit the meat.
Condensation: If you don't want to use foil, place a piece of parchment paper over the lasagna to prevent condensation. Reduce the cooking time to 22 minutes on high pressure.
To Prepare in Advance: Assemble and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before pressure cooking (I recommend using a 7-inch cake pan versus a springform pan to prevent leaks.)
Storage: Store leftover lasagna in a sealed container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 29gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 1279mgPotassium: 630mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 880IUVitamin C: 9.4mgCalcium: 423mgIron: 2.9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!
The taste was great, however I felt as if the ricotta layer turned out a bit too dry, but I do not know why.
But it's a keeper for sure!
I had to juggle a bit with the amounts as I live in Europe and we do not have the same measurements.
Greetings from Switzerland
Alexandra
Hi Alexandra! First of all, you should be able to hit an option under the ingredients to convert to metric measurements. I am working through updating all my recipes to include this, but this one has it already. Secondly, so happy to hear you enjoyed the lasagna. You may have been a bit shy on the amount of cheese or sauce which adds a bit more moisture to the overall dish.
With "juggle" i meant more the same jar sizes in the grocery store. I usually do not use ricotta very often and mostly buy the amount I need. However the springpan was full, so there was enough marinara sauce but maybe I used too much parmesan in the ricotta layer and I also omitted the mozzarella in between the layers - it might have been contributed.
Gotcha! Well, the mozzarella will had some moisture. You can also serve with additional sauce on the side (after pressure cooking) if you would like.
This recipe was a game changer! I can't believe how, quick easy and delicious this was and another great way to use my instant pot.
Thanks for sharing, Haley! It really is a great recipe for the IP--glad you agreed!
This was so easy and my family has already asked me to make it again!!
Now that is a sign of a loved meal! Thanks for taking the time to share that and leave a review 🙂
I've never made a lasagna recipe that my family loved. They went crazy for this instant pot version and I am making this again soon.
I am thrilled to hear your family enjoyed this lasagna! Thanks for sharing!
I substituted impossible burger for th meat. I also used regular lasagna noodles. I needed 33 minutes pressure. My husband and I think this was the absolute best lasagna we have ever eaten!
That is fabulous! I actually made this with lentils a few weeks ago as the "meat" My family devoured that version as well.
This is the first recipe I was able to make successfully in my Instant Pot (although I’m still working on making it come out a little less watery). It’s delish! And it solves that hankering I get for lasagna that’s so hard to fill. I’m very picky about how my lasagna tastes and this hit it on the first try. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I love hearing that you enjoyed it so much Jenn!
Thanks for this recipe, it came out perfectly, very delicious. Thanks for all of your Instant Pot recipes. I’m rocking my Instant Pot like you wouldn’t believe.
I absolutely LOVE hearing this Regina!