Instant Pot Lasagna (Springform Method)

This Instant Pot Lasagna, made in a springform pan, turns out super moist with layers of pasta, sauce, meat, and cheesy goodness.

You can save a lot of time making lasagna in the Instant Pot and it turns out even better than when it’s cooked in the oven, thanks to the steam that keeps the layers moist as it cooks. You think lasagna is quick in the Instant Pot? You will love this simple lasagna soup, same ingredients only 6 minutes of cook time.

Why You’ll Love It

• It’s easy to do. You don’t even need to boil the pasta before you start, if you use no-boil or fresh pasta sheets. You just layer the ingredients into the spring form pan, like you usually would, and then set it in the pot to cook for 20 minutes, with a 10 minute pressure release. Try these other PIP recipes.
• This Instant Pot lasagna takes no time at all! You can make lasagna using a store-bought sauce, which make the preparation really easy. Got the time, great, try this homemade sauce. The flavor is so much better and you don’t get all the preservatives from the jarred sauce.
• You can make this recipe up in advance and freeze it, cooked or uncooked. Then just pop it in the Instant Pot when you need a quick and nutritious meal.

Tara says: Such amazing flavors packed into the layers of this lasagna! It looks so good and I love all the tips you shared for making it perfectly in the instant pot.

» Also try this Simple Instant Pot Lasagna Soup.

Ingredients You’ll Need

As you’ll see in the list below, you can make your own homemade ingredients for many of these, like the tomato meat sauce, the lasagna sheets, and even the ricotta, but you can also purchase them all at the store, so it really comes down to how much time and effort you want to put in.

• Lasagna sheets: There are three ways you can go here. Using no-boil lasagna noodles is super easy because they don’t require pre-cooking. I don’t love the texture of the no-boil pasta, though. You can also pre-boil regular lasagna noodles, which only takes about 6 minutes extra time. My ultimate preference is to buy fresh lasagna noodles – best of both worlds! Alternatively, if you have the time and patience, you can make your own pasta sheets.
• Cheese: A good quality ricotta and mozzarella cheese are very important in this recipe.
• Ground meat: I use a mixture of ground beef and pork in my sauce. I think that gives it a really nice mix of flavor and Ground turkey or chicken will also work. You can also make it vegetarian by leaving out the meat altogether or using a mince substitute.
• Tomatoes: A can of chopped or pureed tomatoes is all you need. Some people swear by San Marzano tomatoes. Use whatever you like.
• Onion and garlic: Required for any Italian dish.
• Seasoning: Italian seasoning, salt, ground black pepper, and a little bit of sugar for the sauce.

How to Avoid the Burn Notice

If you’ve ever tried to make Instant Pot lasagna just by layering the ingredients into the inner pot, you’ve probably gotten the dreaded burn notice and had to either add a lot of liquid to it, or scrap it out and start over.

It’s not incredibly easy to cook lasagna directly in the inner pot because there’s just not enough liquid to help the pressure build. That’s why we use a spring form pan to make our lasagna. While it is *possible* for it to work directly in the pot, I don’t think it’s worth it to take the chance that it won’t work out. It creates a huge mess.

I recommend using the official Instant Pot springform pan, but any springform pan you have will work.

Additional Notes & Tips

• You can use fresh, no-boil, or pre-cooked lasagna noodles in this recipe. All of them work well, so it depends on your preference. Just don’t use regular lasagna noodles uncooked, because there isn’t enough moisture to cook them.
• If you don’t have a sling for your Instant Pot, you’ll want to make a tin foil sling, so you can easily remove the pan from the Instant Pot. Without it, it can be difficult to get the pan out until it’s cooled enough to touch it.
• You need to wrap the bottom of the springform pan in tin foil so that it doesn’t leak.
• You can use a cake pan for this recipe, if you don’t have a springform pan. It’s just a bit harder to get the lasagna out of the pan. With the springform pan, you can just pop the latch and out comes the perfect lasagna.

How to Make Instant Pot Lasagna

You can make your own sauce for this Instant Pot lasagna recipe, which I always do. It just tastes better to me. You’ll need around 30 minutes to make the sauce, though you can simmer it for hours, if you have the time, to develop more flavor. It’s not necessary though.

Step One: Make the Sauce

To make the sauce, sauté the ground beef, pork, and onion in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining tomato sauce ingredients to the pot and stir it all together. Simmer it on low for at least 20 minutes to develop some flavor. You can leave it on for 3-4 hours if you wish, but add a cover to it, so it doesn’t evaporate.

Step Two: Make the Ricotta Mixture

Before you start layering the lasagna, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, salt and Italian seasoning in a bowl. You can use a spatula to spread it onto the layers.

Step Three: Build the Lasagna

In a springform pan that fits in your Instant Pot, spread out a spoonful of meat sauce on the bottom. Fit a layer of lasagna sheets into the pan (you have to break off the corners of no-boil pasta for it to fit). 

Layer on 1/3 of the meat sauce, ricotta mixture, then shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers three times.

Step Four: Pressure Cook the Lasagna

Place the trivet in the bottom of the inner pot. Pour in 1 cup of water. Wrap the springform pan in tin foil and place it on the trivet. Close and lock the lid.

Press the Pressure Cook button and set the time to 25 minutes. After the cooking time is up, allow a 10-minute natural pressure release, then you can release the remaining pressure.

Step Five: Brown the cheese (Optional)

If you wish to brown the cheese on top of the Instant Pot lasagna, put the pan under the broiler in the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.

What To Serve With Instant Pot Lasagna

Although lasagna can be a meal in itself you can serve it with a variety of sides as well. For instance, serve it with roasted vegetables like carrots, fresh garden salad, or corn bread.

Try serving it with these sides that you can also make in the Instant Pot:

• Easy Instant Pot Asparagus
• Instant Pot Cauliflower
• Instant Pot Baby Potatoes

Storing & Reheating

To Store:

Allow the leftover Instant Pot lasagna to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Use airtight containers or cover the lasagna tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days or freeze for 2-3 months.

To Reheat:

1. Microwave Option:
   • For a quicker option, you can use the microwave. However, this may result in a softer texture.
   • Loosely cover the lasagna with a damp paper towel and microwave in 1-2 minute intervals until heated through.
2. Instant Pot Reheat:
   • If you prefer using the Instant Pot, place the trivet inside, add a cup of water, and set the lasagna container on top.
   • Use the “Steam” function for 10-15 minutes or until the lasagna is hot.

Questions About the Recipe

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