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.
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
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Instant Pot Lasagna, be sure to leave a comment and a review below. I love to hear from you!
Instant Pot Lasagna
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 Needed
- aluminum foil
Carmen
I had to turn it off and add more water in the bottom. But overall very good.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed!! As for the water, it sounds like your Instant Pot may not have been sealed--it should not leak or lose liquid. So I would double-check that next time--it is an easy mistake to make 🙂
Christine
I’m just beginning to learn how to use an instant pot so probably a user error but mine turned out very watery. It tastes good over all and everything was cooked just not sure why so liquidy; definitely couldn’t take it out of the form.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Christine! There are a couple of reasons this may have happened. Did you forget to cover with foil? Did you use cottage cheese instead of ricotta? (that is fine, but can make it more watery) And you may have simply used too much tomato sauce.
Janet Penn
Bit confused. Your video does not show covering with foil. Nor is it mentioned in the written recipe. However, in one of the posted responses you asked if the foil covering was remembered. Should lasagna be covered for cooking?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Janet. It is not necessary to cover in foil. However, it will help keep condensation off the lasagna. If you cover in foil, add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Leah
Looks delicious! Can this be made GF with palmini strips or other GF options?
Bonnie
If you’re wondering what is the best IP lasagna recipe, please know that this is it. Also, it freezes beautifully. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Mindfull Mom!
Kristen Chidsey
Ah, thank you so much for sharing that Bonnie! So glad you enjoy as much as my family does.
Diana
Is it ok to use the no boil lasagna?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes! That is what I used for this recipe.
Judy Schaff
I made this lasagna recipe and it turned out incredibly well. Some spots had noodles that were under cooked. But overall, very good and my family liked it.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed it. It may have been where the noodles overlapped that they were undercooked. I would either add 3-5 minutes cook time or be careful to not overlap as much 🙂
Alice Shockley
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.
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Patricia A Londre
It was good and I will make it again, but using less ricotta cheese. It was way too much for us.
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂
Jerod
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.
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂
Debi
If you use the Red trivet sling do you still need the metal trivet in the pot?
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Jodi
I cant find a cake pan small enough what is my alternative
Kristen Chidsey
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
Chauncey Zalkin
A little condensation? My lasagna was soaking wet. I'm not sure you needed any water for this at all. Maybe a teaspoon.
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Kelly
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!!
Kristen Chidsey
Yay! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed Kelly. And I love hearing that soya cheese and tofu crumbles.
Cindy
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!!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed so much Cindy! I can't wait for you to give some more recipes a try!
Patricia Jacobs
Can I use my 7" x 3" Corning-ware dish in lieu of the springform?
Kristen Chidsey
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.
Lynn
Easy and delicious!!!
Kristen Chidsey
The best combo!
Renee
If I have two spring form pans, will the Lasagna cook up correctly if I stack them?
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂
Lonnie
I have stacked 2 in my 8qt with a sling. Cooks up perfect.
Darlene
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
Kristen Chidsey
Here is the one I use Darlene: https://amzn.to/2p4y7NV