Instant Pot Lasagna is made with all the delicious classic flavors of traditional lasagna. Made with layers of hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling, gooey cheese, and tender pasta, this Lasagna recipe comes together much faster and without the need of heating up the oven!
Serve Instant Pot Lasagna with a Greek salad and garlic bread for delicious, easy Italian comfort food.
When I was growing up, Lasagna was always reserved for weekends or special occasions. I can remember many family gatherings with huge trays of Italian Lasagna, baskets of garlic bread, and huge bowls of salad.
While the Lasagna I grew up eating as a child took hours to make, I have updated my family’s traditional lasagna recipe and adapted it for the pressure cooker. Making this Instant Pot Lasagna perfect to serve anytime–even on busy weeknights.
From the thick creamy ricotta cheese filling to the sauteed sausage and onions, to the rich marinara sauce to the layers of cheese, this Instant Pot Lasagna recipe is a keeper.
Key Ingredients
- Meat: Ground beef, pork, or Italian sausage are all great options for this Lasagna recipe. Of course, you can omit the meat for vegetarian lasagna.
- Noodles: I have had the best luck with oven-ready noodles, however, I have had many readers tell me traditional noodles work without boiling the noodles first.
- Sauce: I use my homemade tomato sauce, but any quality jarred marinara or pasta sauce will work for this Lasagna recipe.
- Cheese: Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Ricotta cheese are used to give this lasagna it’s rich, creamy flavor. You can use cottage cheese in place of ricotta cheese if desired. It is best to let your cottage cheese strain over a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth for a few hours before using the filling. This will help the cottage cheese have less liquid, making your lasagna’s layers stay intact better.
How To Make Instant Pot Lasagna
Making Lasagna in your Instant Pot still does take some time to assemble, but it bakes so much faster than in the oven. You can also use your Instant Pot to brown your meat for the lasagna, saving yourself a few dishes.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute and let heat until hot.
- Add in ground beef or ground sausage, seasonings, and diced onion.
- Once the meat is browned, remove from the pressure cooker using a slotted spoon.
- Turn Instant Pot off.
- Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water into the Instant Pot Inner Pan and scrape up any browned bits of meat with a spoon or spatula and then add in the trivet to the Instant Pot right over the water.
- Mix together the ricotta cheese with an egg, seasonings, and grated Parmesan cheese.
- In a 7 inch by 3 inch Spring Form Pan or 7 by 3 inch oven safe cake pan, layer the ingredients for the lasagna.
- Start with a thin layer of marinara sauce.
- Break up 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 marinara sauce.
- Add another layer of lasagna noodles, breaking to fit in a single layer over the marinara sauce.
- Repeat the layers, adding a final layer of lasagna noodles, breaking to fit again.
- Top with a generous layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle with shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
- Place the lasagna on the trivet and set to high pressure for 22 minutes.
- Let the pressure release for 10 minutes and then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- If you would prefer a browned top to your lasagna, you can easily broil to achieve that golden crust that is not possible to achieve when baking in the Instant Pot by broiling the cooked lasagna for 3-6 minutes under the broiler, watching carefully, as to not burn.
- Just like traditional lasagna, it is best to let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes on Pressure Cooker Lasagna
- If you are worried about condensation forming on the top of your lasagna, loosely cover with foil. This will prevent any condensation from forming on the cheese layer. If you skip that step, just lightly dab off any moisture that occurs and then broil to perfection!
- Readers have let me know that regular noodles work as well–I have not experimented with them yet.
- If you would prefer a Meatless Instant Pot Lasagna, just omit the meat.
More Instant Pot Recipes to Enjoy
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Creamy Italian Pasta
- Instant Pot Creme Brulee
- Instant Pot Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Instant Pot Lasagna
Made with layers of hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling, gooey cheese, and tender pasta, this Instant Pot Lasagna recipe comes together much faster and without the need of heating up the oven!
Print Pin RateServings: 6
Calories: 442kcal
Ingredients
- 6-8 no boil lasagna noodles
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- 3 cups Marinara Sauce
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese divided
Instructions
Brown the Meat
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute and let heat until hot.
- Add in ground beef or ground sausage. Begin to brown and break up meat into smaller bites.
- Add in kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, minced garlic, and diced onion. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
- Once meat is browned, remove from pressure cooker using a slotted spoon. Turn Instant Pot off.
- Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water into the Instant Pot Inner Pan and Scrape up any browned bits of meat with a spoon or spatula.
- Add in trivet to the Instant Pot right over the water.
Ricotta Filling
- Mix together the ricotta cheese with an egg, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and grated Parmesan cheese.
Layer the Lasagna
- In a 7 inch by 3 inch Spring Form Pan or 7 by 3 inch oven safe cake pan, layer the ingredients for the lasagna.
- Start with a thin layer of marinara sauce.
- Break up 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 marinara sauce and then sprinkle with light layer of mozzarella cheese.
- Add another layer of lasagna noodles, breaking to fit in a single layer over the marinara sauce.
- Top with remaining ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining meat mixture. Top with another layer of marinara sauce and then sprinkle with a light layer of mozzarella cheese. Add the final layer of lasagna noodles, breaking to fit again.
- Top with a generous layer or tomato sauce. Sprinkle generously with shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
Bake the Lasagna in Pressure Cooker
- Place the lasagna pan on a tin foil “sling” to help lower and lift lasagna out of Instant Pot.
- Place lasagna on trivet inside pressure cooker.
- Place lid on lasagna and turn vent knob to “seal.”
- Set to high pressure for 22 minutes.
- Let pressure release for 10 minutes and then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- If you would prefer a browned top to your lasagna, remove lasagna from the Instant Pot and place on a cookie sheet. Place lasagna under broiler for 3-6 minutes, watching carefully, as to not burn.
- Let lasagna sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- I use my homemade tomato sauce, but any quality jarred marinara or pasta sauce will work for this Lasagna recipe.
- Ground beef, pork, or Italian sausage are all great options for this Lasagna recipe.
- If you would prefer a Meatless Instant Pot Lasagna, just omit the meat.
- If you are worried about condensation forming on the top of your lasagna, loosely cover with foil and add 5 minutes to cook time. This will prevent any condensation forming on the cheese layer. If you skip that step, just lightly dab off any moisture that occurs and then broil to perfection!
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Lasagna
Amount Per Serving
Calories 442 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 99mg33%
Sodium 1279mg56%
Potassium 630mg18%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 880IU18%
Vitamin C 9.4mg11%
Calcium 423mg42%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
I would love to know how you enjoy this recipe!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram or Facebook - I would love to see!
I went with 4 stars because I thought it was quite tasty, and really, it may have been user error, but I’m just not sold on instant pot lasagna. I used a great value oven ready noodle and I only used 3 1/2. They were fairly chewy in spots. I didn’t use marinara, I used a chunky sauce…really chunky…like whole cherry tomatoes. Maybe my pan is smaller than 7 inches because I barely fit it all in. In fact I had left over sauce and mozzarella. I didn’t tent foil over it but it wasn’t full of water. Like I said, tasty, but I’m not sure I’ll use the instant pot method again.
Hi Alice! Don’t give up hope. Because you used a really thick sauce there was not enough liquid for the oven ready noodles. They need a bit thinner sauce so that they can absorb some liquid and cook fully. This would have happened in the oven as well as the instant pot. To remedy this, either use regular pre-cooked lasagna noodles or thinner sauce.
It was good and I will make it again, but using less ricotta cheese. It was way too much for us.
I am glad you enjoyed Patricia! And the great thing about making it yourself–is you CAN adjust! I hope that makes it exactly how you love it 🙂
The noodles in mine were a little hard maybe I overlapped them a little too much instead of a single layer without overlap? Also on the box of the oven ready noodles it says to add 1/2 cup of water or milk to for every 5 noodles. I’ve never used oven ready for lasagna so I’m not sure how they work. I’ve always gone old school with boiled noodles and put it in the oven.
Hi Jerod! This recipe does account for the extra moisture needed to cook oven-ready noodles and the moist heat from the instant pot helps with that as well. However, you do not want to overlap your noodles, so that was probably the issue. Feel free to use regular, pre-boiled noodles in the future, or just be more cautious on how you layer the the no boil noodles 🙂
If you use the Red trivet sling do you still need the metal trivet in the pot?
Hi Debi! I do not have the red trivet sling myself, but after reading the manufacturer’s instructions, it sounds like that would work perfectly without the metal trivet.
I cant find a cake pan small enough what is my alternative
Hi Jodi! You can use a 7 inch springform pan or a stainless steel bowl. Here are my favorite ones (affiliate links)
Springform Pan
Cake Pan
Stainless Steel Bowl
A little condensation? My lasagna was soaking wet. I’m not sure you needed any water for this at all. Maybe a teaspoon.
Hi Chauncey, you need the liquid to build up pressure in the instant pot–without the liquid this recipe would not work. You need 1 cup for a 6 quart and 1.5 cups for an 8 quart. You can cover with foil and add 10 minutes cook time, of you can blot off the moisture and broil after cooking. And be sure to put your lasagna on a rack–not sitting in the water.
Hi,
This is my first meal in my Ninja Foodi from Christmas.
I used lactose free cheese and vegetarian (soya tofu) ground.
Turned out great!!
It was a complete hit with all of us. 2 helpings for even my 14 yr old. With lunch meals left over.
Definitely making this a regular meal, perhaps freeze a couple up for future meals.
Thanks so much!!
Yay! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed Kelly. And I love hearing that soya cheese and tofu crumbles.
This was my first time using my instant pot. This recipe was SO good and SO easy!!(and I am NOT a cook!😊) I will definitely make this again and again!! Thank you for an easy and delicious recipe!!
I am so glad you enjoyed so much Cindy! I can’t wait for you to give some more recipes a try!
Can I use my 7″ x 3″ Corning-ware dish in lieu of the springform?
Hi Patricia! I have not tried that pan in the Instant Pot myself, however I have had many visitors tell me they have with great success. I find it typically safe to use oven safe dishes in my Instant Pot, but pyrex and corningware state not use use them. As for the size, it will work perfectly.
Easy and delicious!!!
The best combo!
If I have two spring form pans, will the Lasagna cook up correctly if I stack them?
Hi Renee! This is a great question! I have not tried stacking 2 springform pans before. If they both can fit on your rack (be sure to cover both with foil), I think it will work! Let us all know for future reference 🙂
I have stacked 2 in my 8qt with a sling. Cooks up perfect.
I cannot find a 7″ x 3″ spingform pan. Where did you get yours. I have looked all over Amazon and not having any luck
Thank you
Here is the one I use Darlene: https://amzn.to/2p4y7NV
Have you tried making your own pasta sauce in the Instant Pot? My sauce (gravy) has to simmer for 3 hours on the stove- not sure how to convert the time with the Instant Pot! Looks wonderful!
Hi Lou Ann! This is my recipe for Instant Pot Sauce.
wonderful! cooks up quickly- made one then turned around and made another one (while we were eating!) for my mother! great lasagna! Thank you for the recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed and I love that you are made a lasagna for your mom as well–so sweet!