Description
Instant Pot Lasagna. It sounds weird, but it works. If you're looking for a smaller lasagna for 2 to 3 people, try this Instant Pot Lasagna. You won't be able to tell the difference from oven baked!
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage Sauce (or use 24 ounces of my Easy Instant Pot Sausage Ragu)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 8 ounces Italian Sausage
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 24 ounces Marinara sauce (or use my Pressure Cooker Tomato Sauce)
Lasagna assembly (adapted from my
- 1 (8-ounce) package No-Boil Noodles (Uses 8 of the no-boil noodles)
- 7- to 8 ounces of ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese
- Minced fresh basil (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the sausage sauce (optional, or use a 24-ounce store-bought jar of sauce): In an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode-high, heat the tablespoon of olive oil until it shimmers. (Use medium-high heat in a stovetop PC). Add the onion, garlic, sausage, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until the onion just starts to soften. Add the sausage and continue to cook, stirring ofen and breaking up the sausage until it loses its pink color, about 5 more minutes. Pour in the Marinara sauce, bring to a simmer, then remove the inner pot liner from the heat. (If you use the same inner pot liner for the lasagna, pour the sauce into a bowl and rinse the inner pot liner.)
- Assemble the lasagna: Spray the inside of a 7-inch springform pan or cheesecake pan with spray oil. (If you have 7-inch parchment rounds, put one in the bottom of the pan and spray it with oil.) Spread ½ cup of the sausage sauce over the bottom of the pan. Break 2 of the lasagna noodles into pieces and lay on top of the sauce in an even layer.
We will build the lasagna with layers of ricotta, sausage sauce, mozzarella, and noodles. Spread ⅓ of the ricotta over the noodles, spread ½ cup of the sausage sauce over the ricotta and sprinkle ¼ of the mozzarella (2 ounces) over the sauce. Top with 2 more lasagna noodles, broken up to fit, to finish the first layer.
Repeat 2 more times:
* ⅓ of the ricotta, ½ cup of the sausage sauce, 2 ounces of mozzarella, a layer of noodles
* ⅓ of the ricotta, ½ cup of the sausage sauce, 2 ounces of mozzarella, a layer of noodles
The last layer skips the ricotta - spread the rest of the sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle with the rest of the grated parmesan and the remaining mozzarella. Wrap the entire springform pan with aluminum foil, sealing it shut. - Pressure cook on a rack for 30 minutes with a 15-minute natural release: Pour 1 cup of water into your Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker). Set the lasagna pan on your rack or baking sling and lower the lasagna into the Instant Pot. (If your rack or baking sling does not have handles, make an aluminum foil sling to lift the lasagna pan: fold a 2-foot-long piece of aluminum foil over a few times until it is a long strip about 4 inches wide.) Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 30 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC (use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot) or 24 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Release the lasagna from the pan, serve, and enjoy: Unlock the lid and lift the lasagna pan out of the pot. Open the foil on top and run a paring knife or small frosting spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the lasagna from the sides. (If you have time, rest the lasagna for 10 to 30 minutes before continuing. It will be very loose if you cut into it immediately.)
Carefully remove the lasagna from the springform pan. (My springform pan has solid sides and a push-up bottom, so I put an upside-down coffee mug on a large plate, then lower the springform pan onto the mug, pushing the base of the pan up from the bottom and lifting the lasagna out of the pan.)
Transfer to a large serving plate and cut the lasagna into wedges (I like the portion size when I cut it into 4 pieces). Optional: Sprinkle each piece with some minced basil. Serve, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian