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Instant Pot Lasagna

Instant Pot Lasagna is the delicious comfort food you crave, made in no time with the help of the Instant Pot. This traditional lasagna recipe is scaled down to fit perfectly in a pressure cooker and makes a hearty, wholesome family meal.

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.

Not only does this lasagna serve up a huge serving of comfort, but the ricotta and mozzarella cheese provide dairy’s 9 essential nutrients, including calcium and eight grams of high-quality protein. Pair the lasagna with a large glass of milk (just like my mom did when I was growing up) to help get three servings of dairy every day!

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. Head over to my blog to get more tips and step-by-step instructions for making lasagna in the Instant Pot!

photo collage of how to make instant pot lasagna

Can’t get enough lasagna? Try healthy Cheesy Lasagna Stuffed Peppers, delicious Baked Spaghetti Lasagna (with hidden veggies!) or White Chicken Skillet Lasagna, an easy one-pot meal.

Instant Pot Lasagna

Photo of Instant Pot Lasagna
  • 32 minutes
  • 6 servings

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
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

Brown the Meat

  1. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and let heat until hot. Add in ground beef or ground sausage. Begin to brown and break up meat into smaller bites.
  2. Add in kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and diced onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.  Once meat is browned, remove from pressure cooker using a slotted spoon.
  3. 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.
  4. Turn Instant Pot off. Add in trivet to the Instant Pot right over the water.

Ricotta Filling

  1. Mix together the ricotta cheese with an egg, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and grated Parmesan cheese.

Layer the Lasagna

  1. In a 7x3-inch Spring Form Pan or 7x 3 inch oven-safe cake pan, layer the ingredients for the lasagna.
  2. 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. Top with remaining ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining meat mixture. Top with another layer of marinara sauce. Add final layer of lasagna noodles, breaking to fit again. Top with generous layer or tomato sauce. Sprinkle generously with shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
  3. 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.
  4. Let pressure release for 10 minutes and then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
  5. 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.

Notes: I use my homemade tomato sauce, but any quality jarred marinara or pasta sauce will work for well. Ground beef, pork, or Italian sausage are all great options for this recipe. If you would prefer a meatless lasagna, just omit the meat.

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