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Instant Pot Lasagna is the easiest lasagna recipe! It tastes delicious, and you can customize it to your taste, adding any of your favorite ingredients!. Did you know it is very easy to make lasagna in the Instant Pot? You don’t have to boil the noodles first, so that’s a win in my book! If you are in the mood for some tasty Italian pasta, make this pressure cooker lasagna recipe.
Originally published Jan 19, 2018
Instant Pot Lasagna
This pressure cooker lasagna recipe is one of my most popular recipes! Often copied by others, but this is the original version of this recipe. The favorite Instant Pot lasagna recipe of thousands who have made it! Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and comments!
My husband, Paul makes a fantastic lasagna! He adds spinach, mushrooms, and other good stuff to it. His recipe makes a huge pan of it, and it lasts us for days! I wanted to make some in my Instant Pot electric Pressure Cooker, and see if it would turn out as good as his. And would it be any faster?
Well, he doesn’t cook his noodles, so I didn’t want to cook mine, either. I found some no-boil noodles that work perfectly (regular lasagna noodles worked as well, but the results were best when I soaked them first in very hot water for 15 minutes.).
He does a lot of chopping, and I wanted an Instant Pot Lasagna recipe where I could get good flavor without so much chopping. I turned to my pantry for some seasonings. Garlic powder, onion powder, and a few others did the trick! Saved some time there.
I decided to use my favorite jarred marinara sauce in this pressure cooker lasagna. When I have it, I use my homemade Instant Pot Marinara Sauce. Perfect! The Instant Pot Lasagna was coming together nicely! Here’s a summary of how I made it:
How To Make Lasagna in an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
- Spray a 7″x3″ springform pan with cooking spray.
- Layer uncooked noodles in the bottom.
- Layer sauce, meat, and cheese mixture.
- Repeat layers two more times.
- Cover with a piece of sprayed foil, set on a trivet with handles (or use a sling) and put it in the pot.
- Pressure cook and let it naturally release for 10-15 minutes.
- Broil the top of your Instant Pot Lasagna to brown the cheese.
• Gather all of the ingredients and kitchen tools you will need.
• Cook the Meat with some seasonings so it isn’t bland.
• Prepare the cheese mixture.
• In a 7″x3″ springform or push pan, start the layering with the no-boil noodles, which you will need to break apart to fit the shape of the pan.
• Next, layer 1/3 of the sauce, 1/2 of the meat, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture, and the spinach (optional).
• Start again with another layer of noodles, 1/3 sauce, 1/2 of the meat, 1/2 cheese mixture.
• Then noodles, sauce, and top cheese layer.
• Cover with a piece of sprayed foil, set on a trivet with handles (or use a sling) and put it in the pot. Set the cook time and let it naturally release for 10-15 minutes after pressure cooking.
• Broil the top of your Instant Pot Lasagna to brown the cheese*.
*Broiling is an optional step, and you can brown the cheese as much as you like.
This is what a foil sling looks like, if you need to use one. Take a 24 inch length of foil and fold it over 3 times the long way. You will have a sling that is 3″x24″.
Instant Pot Easy Lasagna Soup
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Instant Pot Marinara Fresh Tomato Sauce
Instant Pot Cheesy Meaty Shells
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Sausage Potato Soup)
If you make this delicious Lasagna in the Instant Pot, please let me know. Just leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d like to know how it worked for you.
Instant Pot Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- ½ lb Lean Ground Beef (85% to 90% lean) You can use all ground beef
- ½ lb Ground Italian Sausage (you can use all sausage)
- ½ teaspoon Coarse Salt (1/4 tsp table salt)
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Cheese Mixture
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese (or Cottage Cheese)
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1 ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Salt (if your pasta sauce is salty, decrease to 1/4 tsp)
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Remaining Layers
- 1 (24 oz) jar Pasta Sauce (about 3 cups) (I prefer marinara, or use your favorite brand)
- ½ cup Chopped Spinach Leaves, optional (fresh, or frozen, thawed)
- 5-6 No Boil Lasagna Noodles (or regular uncooked lasagna noodles that have been soaked in very hot water for 15 minutes)
- ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Instructions
Cook Meat
- Set pot to Sauté and add the beef, sausage, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring, until the meat is cooked.
- Remove meat, drain, and set aside. Clean out pot and add 1 ½ cups water to it.
Mix the Cheese Mixture
- In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use a fork to mix thoroughly. Set aside.
Make the Lasagna
- In a 7"x3" or 6"x3" springform or push pan, make a layer of the no-boil noodles by breaking them and fitting them like a mosaic to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Spread ⅓ of the pasta sauce over the noodles, covering them all.
- Spread ½ of the meat mixture over the sauce evenly.
- Spread ½ of the cheese mixture evenly over the meat.
- Sprinkle the spinach (if using) over the cheese mixture evenly.
- Add another layer of noodles, press down on them a little.
- Add another layer of ⅓ of the sauce.
- Add the second half of the meat.
- Add the second half of the cheese mixture.
- Add another layer of noodles, the last ⅓ of sauce, ½ cup of mozzarella, and ½ cup of parmesan.
- Spray a piece of foil with nonstick spray and lightly cover the pan with the foil, enough that water can't get in.
- Set the pan on a trivet with handles and lift them into the inner pot that has 1 ½ cups of water in it. You can also use a sling to set the pan on the trivet in the pot.
- Close the lid and lock in place. Turn the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button (or dial) and choose 24 minutes. High Pressure. It will take about 5 minutes or so for the pot to come to pressure.
- When the cook cycle has ended, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10-15 minutes (10-15 minute Natural Release). Then, turn the knob to the Venting position to release any remaining steam.
- When the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid. Use silicone mitts, sling, or good pot holders that can get wet to lift the rack with the hot pan out of the pot to a cooling rack. Be VERY careful as it could slip off the rack.
- Carefully remove the foil. Turn on your broiler to 450° with the oven rack in the middle to top ⅓ position in the oven.
- Set the pan on the oven rack and let the cheese on top brown to your desired amount. Watch it closely as it doesn't take very long. Every oven is different!
- Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes before releasing from the pan. This will help it maintain its shape and cool down just a bit.
- Carefully (pan and lasagna very hot) release the lasagna from the springform pan while it is on a plate.
- If you used a push pan, set a large can of soup or veggies on a plate and set the push pan on top of the can. gently, and carefully push the sides of the pan straight down. Wear oven mitts or some kind of hand protection. The pan and the lasagna will be very hot.Then slide another plate under the lasagna. You might need to use a spatula to help slide it over.
- Serve with salad and some crusty bread!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RESOURCES TO MAKE Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe and More
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I don’t have anything except my instant pot and the trivet, any way to still make this?
Hi Jasmine, you will need some kind of oven safe dish/pan. Do you have a cake pan, or anything oven safe? It will be to thick to bring the pot to pressure if it is directly in the pot, I’m afraid.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It sounds amazing. Could you use a 6×3 Fat Daddio’s pan? If so, do you need to alter the cook time? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, yes you can use a 6×3 pan. You might have a little filling left, or a tall lasagna!
Do you use the short trivet or the tall trivet. ?
I used the short trivet with handles. The one that came with my pot.
I’m concerned about not putting the sauce in the meat and using the meat as a dry layer. I make an amaxing lasagna in the oven (if I do say so myself) so I’ve been reluctant to try it in the IP because it doesn’t seem saucy enough. Have you ever tried mixing the sauce and meat together, combining a step?
Hi Kim, I know what you mean. That would be a good workaround. I think adding sauce to the meat would be good, and maybe a little more sauce as this is not a real saucy lasagna. I also mix the sauce and meat when I make it in the oven. Please let me know how yours turns out.
I mixed the meat, sauce and spinach together. It turned out great! I also use an oven safe crock dish and have had good luck with this and other PIP recipes.
Thank you for posting your outcome!
Could you substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta?
Yes you can!
If you use a push pan do you need to wrap the bottom of the pan in foil to keep from leaking? If yes, does that alter the cooking time at all? I’m still a newbie to IP cooking.
Hi Dawn, I have never wrapped my pan. Maybe a tiny bit comes out, but not enough to make me go through the extra step of wrapping. Having said that, it will depend on the quality of the pan. Try it without first.
Great! Thanks so much for the reply, Sandy. I bought the Fat Daddio pans I’ve been seeing recommended all over the place. I used it recently for an egg dish and wrapped it for fear of leakage. It did leak some in the foil, but I suspect it was also the reason my dish wasn’t done in the time suggested. Still learning!
So how much longer for you think if you put a fail underneath to catch the drippings
Hi Marie, if you mean foil on the outside of the pan, in case it leaks, I wouldn’t add any time unless you wrap it up really good. Then maybe 5 minutes.
I’m making this for the first time. It’s in the ip now.
I’m new to the ip this is only my 3rd time using it. I am using a 7″ spring form pan and it leaked a little before I even put in in the ip so I did loosely wrap the bottom with foil. I added 3 minutes to the cook time after I read some of the comments. My pan was quite full and I couldn’t put all the cheese on top…..maybe because I’m using homemade venison Italian sausage and it doesn’t shrink like pork?
That’s possible. Also, a 3″ tall pan gets you more layers. As for the sauce leaking out, you probably are using a thinner sauce than I do. Wrapping the bottom was a good call. I hope it turns out delicious!
Is this recipe okay to make and freeze before you put it in the Instantpot?
Hi Andrea, I haven’t tried freezing and then cooking this lasagna in the IP. I think it would have to be frozen in the PIP pan so it keeps the shape. It may need to cook a few minutes longer. I also wonder if you could just cook it, then freeze it and reheat on the steam setting. Hmmm.
Ohhhhh…. good idea! I’ll keep you posted on our results!
If you froze it in the springform pan, then released it, you could pop it back into the springform pan for reheating.
So smart!
Did you just use a spring form pan? Can you use an oven safe baking dish on the trivet?
Hi Cyndee, I have used both a springform and a push pan. If you have neither of those, most oven safe cooking dishes will work. Glass ones increase the cooking time by a few minutes, metal, keep it the same. Please check with the maker of the dish to make sure it is pressure cooker safe, just to be sure!
I don’t know much about instapot inserts. It looks like you are using something other than the Instapot itself. Can you tell me more about that and how to use it?
Hi Ruth! If you go to the search bar on this website and search accessories, you will find my post with the ones I use for what we call Pot-in-Pot cooking. You have water in the stainless pot. Then a trivet/rack. Then set the pan with the lasagna in it on the trivet/rack. The water is below the pan, not touching it. The water will heat up and create the steam necessary to build the pressure for the pressure cooking. I hope I explained it okay. You are welcome to join my beginners Facebook group and ask all kinds of questions and get wonderful recipes from many different people as well: https://www.facebook.com/groups/158261157915716/
Thank you! I will definitely look into the Facebook group. I’m learning so much!
Hi Shelise, you do need the inner pan on a rack with water underneath. The lasagna is too thick and the pot needs thin liquid to make the steam that builds up the pressure.