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Laura Arnold
Laura Arnold
Laura Arnold is a freelance culinary producer, cookbook author and food stylist based in NYC. She most recently was the Culinary Producer for ABC’s “The Chew.” She has written four cookbooks, Instant One-Pot Meals, Dinner Under Pressure, Best Simple Suppers for Two and Best Sweets & Treats for Two, as well as helped several chefs and celebrities write books of their own. Laura can never deny the perfect cheeseburger, fish taco or classic New York black and white cookie.
updated Apr 2, 2020
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Instant Pot lasagna, also known as lazy lasagna, is ready in under an hour and tastes just a good as the original oven-baked version.
Serves6 to 8Prep10 minutesCook45 minutesreviews
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When I think “comfort food,” my mind immediately goes to lasagna. There’s just so much to love about layers of creamy ricotta, meaty marinara, and perfectly al dente noodles. And while making a classic lasagna from scratch is best reserved for weekend cooking, it’s possible to get all that cheesy goodness on a weeknight, thanks to your Instant Pot.
Instant Pot lasagna turns the hours-long project into a much shorter affair. (It’s no wonder the Pinterest community has dubbed the method “lazy lasagna.”)A jar of store-bought marinara eliminates the need for a long-simmered sauce, and most of the cook time is hands off. This recipe makes enough lasagna to serve six to eight people, but if you’re serving less, leftovers keep well in the fridge for days. And leftover lasagna for lunch sounds pretty great right about now.
For Perfect Instant Pot Lasagna, Add the Water in Stages
For the absolute best results, add water at two different stages. You’ll add the first part when you add the marinara, which will prevent the meat sauce from burning on the bottom of the pot. You’ll add the remaining water just before lidding the pot, which ensures the noodles are covered with enough liquid to cook through.
Just like with an oven-baked lasagna, you’ll need to give your lasagna time to rest after its cooked. The rest allows the liquid from the cooking process to settle and absorb into the noodles, and the residual heat from the resting process is perfect for warming and melting the ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
More easy lasagna recipes we love:
- How to Make the Easiest Lasagna Ever
- Gnocchi Lasagna with Spinach, White Beans, and Sausage
- Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna
- 5-Ingredient Lazy Lasagna
- Weeknight Skillet Lasagna
Instant Pot Lasagna
Instant Pot lasagna, also known as lazy lasagna, is ready in under an hour and tastes just a good as the original oven-baked version.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
small yellow onion
- 3 cloves
garlic
- 10 ounces
dried lasagna noodles (about 11)
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds
lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons
tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon
dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 (24 to 25-ounce) jar
marinara sauce
- 3 cups
water, divided
- 1 cup
whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup
grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces
part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons
fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
Select the Sauté function on a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Meanwhile, dice 1 small yellow onion, mince 3 garlic cloves, and break 10 ounces lasagna noodles (about 11) into thirds and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Instant Pot and heat until shimmering. Add 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef and cook undisturbed until the bottom is browned, about 4 minutes. Break up the beef into pieces with a wooden spoon and continue to cook until browned all over and cooked through, about 6 minutes more.
Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Cook until the tomato paste darkens in color, about 1 minute.
Add 1 jar marinara sauce, 2 cups of the water, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Layer the broken noodles in different directions on top of the sauce. Press down on the noodles until they are just barely submerged in the meat mixture. Pour in the remaining 1 cup water and stir gently again to incorporate, making sure the noodles are covered with a little bit of liquid.
Lock on the lid and make sure the valve is set to seal. Cook under HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. It will take about 12 minutes to come up to pressure. Meanwhile, stir 1 cup ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese together in a medium bowl. Shred 4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese and coarsely chop 2 tablespoons parsley leaves.
When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.
Dollop the ricotta mixture over the lasagna and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Place the lid back on and let sit for 10 minutes for the cheese to melt. Garnish with the parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Filed in:
Beef
Cheese
children
dairy
dinner
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