Description
A quick and easy Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna recipe that layers pasta, meat sauce, and cheeses for a comforting Italian-style meal without the fuss of traditional lasagna. Perfect for busy weeknights, this flavorful dish comes together fast with tender pasta cooked in a rich tomato and beef sauce, topped with creamy ricotta and melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Sautéing
- 1 lb lean ground beef or ground Italian sausage
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, a few turns
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- Olive oil (optional, to sauté beef)
Liquids and Sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth (can substitute water and adjust salt to taste)
- 22 oz jar marinara sauce (650 ml / 2 ¾ cups)
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Pasta and Cheese
- 10-12 oz short Mafalda pasta (mini lasagna noodles); use 10 oz for saucier texture, 12 oz for less saucy
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (can substitute cottage cheese)
- 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh parsley
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Sauté the beef: Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. When it reads “hot,” add the ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking it into smaller pieces, until almost cooked through.
- Add onion and garlic: Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the beef. Continue cooking until the beef is fully browned and the onion softens. Drain any excess grease by soaking it up with a paper towel using tongs, avoiding removal of food from the pot.
- Deglaze the pot: Turn off Sauté. Pour in a small amount of chicken broth and use a flat spatula to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.
- Add remaining liquids and seasonings: Add the remaining broth, then layer marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, dried basil, parsley, onion powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes evenly over the meat mixture.
- Layer the pasta: Evenly layer the Mafalda pasta over the sauce mixture. Press the pasta down gently to submerge it into the liquid, but do not stir the layers together.
- Pressure cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook mode at high pressure for 4 minutes. The pot will take approximately 15 minutes to come to pressure.
- Quick release pressure: Once the cooking time ends, perform a controlled quick release of pressure to reduce splatter. Open the lid carefully.
- Mix in ricotta and add mozzarella: Stir the lasagna gently to combine, then fold in the ricotta cheese evenly. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella on top.
- Melt the cheese: Place the lid askew on the pot and let the residual heat melt the mozzarella cheese for a few minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and consume within 4 days.
Notes
- You can substitute any short pasta up to 12 ounces, but do not use only 10 ounces of other short pasta types as Mafalda noodles absorb more liquid and produce the best texture.
- To calculate pressure cook time for other pasta types: take the lowest cook time on the package, round down to the nearest even number if odd, then divide by two (e.g., 7 minutes becomes 6, then 3 minutes pressure cook).
- This recipe was tested on both 6-quart and 8-quart Instant Pot models.
- Adapted from Instant Pot Lasagna Soup for a simplified lasagna experience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
