Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna

Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna is your go-to for a cozy, comforting meal without the fuss-just toss in your meat, pasta, sauce, and cheese, and let the magic happen in one pot.

It's like getting a warm hug from your favorite Italian dish, but way quicker and with minimal cleanup!

If you're looking for more easy meals to make for busy weeknights, check out this Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup, it's another easy recipe just like this lazy lasagna recipe. 

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients in Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna
• How to Make Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna
• Substitutions and Variations for Lazy Lasagna
• Helpful Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• RELATED
• 📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Prep Time: No long prepping time is required for this recipe!  You don't need to boil noodles or layer ingredients like traditional lasagna.
• Cook Time: Utilizing the Instant Pot turns an hour of baking lasagna in the oven into just six minutes of pressure cooking time.
• One Pot: Say goodbye to a sink full of dishes. From start to finish, this lazy lasagna is made in just one pot.
• Family-Friendly: Easier to make than classic lasagna, this picky eater approved meal is great for the whole family. 

Ingredients in Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna

• lean ground beef
• mild Italian sausage
• olive oil
• white onion, diced
• green bell pepper, diced
• garlic cloves, minced
• basil
• oregano
• salt
• pepper
• canned crushed tomatoes
• tomato sauce
• lasagna noodles, broken to fit in liner
• mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Ricotta cheese
• spinach

Full the ingredients amount and full recipe directions, continue reading, and look in the recipe card.

How to Make Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna

It's easy to make this lazy lasagna in a pressure cooker. Just follow these instructions.

Saute the meat- Set the Instant Pot to sauté function, add the olive oil, and add the lean ground beef and the Italian sausage.

Add the veggies- Add the bell pepper, diced onion, and minced garlic. Saute until browned and press cancel. Drain any grease and scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure there are no stuck pieces on the bottom of the pot.

Add the pasta- Place the lasagna noodles staggered onto the meat mixture. Break them to fit as necessary.

Season- Sprinkle the remaining seasonings.

Layer the remaining ingredients- Layer the crushed tomatoes followed by the tomato sauce.

Pressure cook- Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL/HIGH PRESSURE for 6 minutes.

Quick-release the pressure- Once the time is up, carefully do a quick release to release all the pressure and set the pot back to saute.

Add the cheese- Add the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, and ricotta cheese. Stir until melted.

Add the cream- Add the half & half and stir well.

Serve- Stir in the spinach and serve with garlic bread and salad.

Substitutions and Variations for Lazy Lasagna

• Italian seasoning - you can use just an Italian seasoning blend for this recipe.
• Meat - This recipe uses a combination of lean ground beef and Italian sausage but ground turkey can be used as a substitute for either of them.
• Cottage cheese - If you have it on hand or prefer it, cottage cheese can be easily swapped out for the ricotta cheese in this recipe. 
• Sauce - Instead of using canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, you can use your favorite spaghetti sauce or pasta sauce. Marinara sauce is a good substitution.
• Pasta - To make this deconstructed lasagna in the Instant Pot, lasagna noodles are broken and added to the pot. In place of lasagna noodles, bow tie pasta or mini lasagna noodles can be used its place. Make sure to divide the time in the half that's in the cooking directions on the back of the box and then subtract 1 minute from your total. As always with pasta, do a quick release to prevent the pasta from becoming mush. 

Helpful Tips

• Make this lasagna recipe a true one-pot meal by using the saute function to brown the meat and saute the veggies before pressure cooking. 
• Layer the ingredients and avoid stirring - when pressure cooking pasta, you must submerge the pasta completely in liquid so the noodles will cook evenly and come out done.
• Always do a quick release. When it comes to pasta, it's essential to do a quick release after the pressure cooking time is yup.  This prevents the noodles from becoming mush. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you substitute cottage cheese for ricotta in Instant Pot lazy lasagna, and how does it change the recipe?

Yes, you can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta in Instant Pot lazy lasagna. Cottage cheese will make the dish slightly less creamy than ricotta, but it's a good alternative if you prefer its taste or texture, or if it's what you have on hand. Cottage cheese is more lumpy than ricotta but it's a good substitution.

How do you make a soup version of the lazy lasagna using an Instant Pot?

To make Instant Pot lasagna soup, add 1 cup of either beef broth or chicken broth to the pot before pressure cooking.  This will thin the lasagna and make it the consistency of creamy soup.

What are the cooking time and pressure level settings for an Instant Pot lazy lasagna?

 When pressure cooking pasta, the Manual or High Pressure setting is the pressure level you will want to use. Cook time will vary depending on the pasta you choose to use.  

A good rule of thumb is to take the cook time from the back of the box, divide that number in half, and then subtract one minute from that total.  Take the final total and pressure cook for the total amount of minutes and do a quick release to prevent the pasta from overcooking in the pot. 

RELATED

Check out these other Instant Pot recipes, they're easy to make and great for busy nights and they're sure to become a family favorite recipe:

For a version of lazy lasagna that uses ravioli, check out this Instant Pot Ravioli Lasagna.

Instant Pot cheesy beef tortellini is a super quick Instant Pot recipe that takes little work and picky eater approved.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup in the Instant Pot is always a hit with the family and this Olive Garden inspired version is absolutely delicious.

📖 Recipe