This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I started making this Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna several years ago when I first got my Instant Pot, and it was such a hit with the kids that it never left our dinner rotation. I’ve adapted it over the years to fit our larger family—or, ideally, to make sure there are leftovers for the next day.
The main attraction here is that it’s easy, delicious, and a 30-minute dinner I know everyone will eat. It has all the cheesy, saucy comfort of traditional lasagna without layering noodles or waiting for a casserole to bake.
It has also become one of my favorite dinners to make the night before my daughter’s cross-country races. I serve it with a simple salad, Easy Homemade Breadsticks and Garlic Butter, and we call it the perfect carb night.
When I have a little more time, I still love a pan of my Easy Lasagna, but this Instant Pot version is the one I reach for when dinner needs to happen quickly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a true 30-minute dinner. The Instant Pot does most of the work, making this a great option for busy weeknights.
- No layering required. You get the meat, pasta, sauce, and cheese you expect from lasagna without assembling a traditional lasagna.
- It’s family-friendly. This has been a consistent hit with my kids for years.
- It makes plenty. This version has been adapted for our larger family and is great when you want leftovers.
- Simple ingredients. Everything in this recipe is easy to find, and you may already have most of it on hand.
- It’s customizable. You can use cottage cheese or ricotta and adjust the seasonings to your family’s preferences.
- It’s comfort food without a lot of work. Serve it with breadsticks and garlic butter for a simple, filling dinner.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Spaghetti sauce
- Rotini pasta
- Water
- Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt
- Black pepper
You can use your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce here, or use Homemade Spaghetti Sauce when you have some on hand.
Equipment
Instant Pot: This recipe was developed specifically for pressure cooking. A larger-capacity Instant Pot is especially helpful when making this family-sized batch.
Meat chopper: You’ll need something sturdy for breaking the ground beef apart while it browns and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Measuring cups and spoons: You’ll use these for the seasonings, water, cheese, and sauce.
Colander or grease strainer: Depending on the ground beef you use, you may want to drain off excess grease before continuing with the recipe.
How to Make Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna
One of the reasons this recipe works so well is that you can brown the meat and pressure cook the pasta in the same pot.
Start with the Instant Pot on Sauté and cook the ground beef until it is completely browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks.
Season it with salt and pepper to taste, then drain excess grease if necessary.
Before moving on, pay attention to the bottom of the pot. Scrape up any browned pieces left behind from cooking the beef. This is especially important with an Instant Pot because food stuck to the bottom can contribute to a burn warning during pressure cooking.
Season the browned beef with the onion powder and garlic powder, then cancel the Sauté setting. Stir the first portion of spaghetti sauce into the beef. Deglaze the pot with about ½ cup of your measured water. Scrape the bottom very thoroughly until it feels completely smooth.
The layering matters once you add the pasta. Spread the dry rotini over the meat and sauce rather than stirring it in. Pour the water over the noodles, using only enough to barely cover them. Gently press any exposed pasta into the liquid, but resist the urge to stir everything together.
Pressure cooking gives the rotini a chance to cook directly in the sauce and seasoned meat mixture. Once the cooking cycle finishes, quick release the pressure so the pasta doesn’t continue cooking longer than necessary. Pasta can cause some sputtering during a quick release, so if that happens, close the valve for a few seconds and then continue releasing the pressure gradually.
The remaining ingredients go in after pressure cooking. Stir in the cottage cheese or ricotta, Italian seasoning, and reserved spaghetti sauce. Adding that last portion of sauce at the end gives the finished lazy lasagna plenty of rich tomato flavor without making the cooking liquid unnecessarily thick.
Finish with mozzarella over the top and place the lid back on loosely. There’s no need to turn the pressure cooker back on—the trapped heat is enough to melt the cheese.
The result is a saucy, cheesy pasta dinner with the flavors we love about lasagna but a fraction of the work. Try adding in some mini pepperonis or ground sausage and diced onion, mushrooms, & bell peppers for a supreme pizza pasta!
Try serving alongside a simple side salad with some Homemade Croutons and Greek Yogurt Ranch and Homemade Breadstick or Dinner Rolls.
While you’re here be sure to check out my other Ground Beef Recipes or my Pasta Recipes for even more Easy Dinner Meals!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
PrintInstant Pot Lazy Lasagna
This easy Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna has all the cheesy, saucy flavors of lasagna without the work of layering or baking. Rotini, ground beef, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese (or ricotta), and mozzarella come together for an easy family dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Up Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Dinner, Easy Dinner Recipes
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American, Italian-American
Ingredients
- 1½ – 2 pounds ground beef (depending on how meaty you prefer)
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 (24-ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided (You may use homemade spaghetti sauce if you prefer!)
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 2–3 cups water, or just enough to barely cover the pasta
- 1½ cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, breaking up the meat as it browns, until no longer pink.
- Stir the onion powder and garlic powder into the cooked ground beef.
- Drain excess grease if needed and scrape the bottom of the pot well to remove any browned bits.
- Press Cancel. Add 1½ jars (36 ounces) of spaghetti sauce and stir to combine with the meat. (Reserve the last half of the 2nd jar for after pressure cooking.)
- Deglaze the pot with about ½ cup of your measured water. Scrape the bottom very thoroughly until it feels completely smooth.
- Add the rotini on top of the meat and sauce mixture.
- Pour water over the pasta, using only enough to just barely cover the noodles. Do not stir. Gently press down any noodles that aren’t submerged.
- Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, carefully quick release the pressure. If the valve begins to sputter or foam, close it for a few seconds before continuing the release.
- Stir in the cottage cheese or ricotta, Italian seasoning, and the remaining ½ jar (12 ounces) of spaghetti sauce. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top. Place the lid back on the Instant Pot without sealing and let it sit for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Spaghetti sauce: You’ll use 1½ jars before pressure cooking and stir the remaining ½ jar in afterward. This gives the finished pasta plenty of sauce without making the cooking liquid too thick.
- Water: The exact amount will vary. Add only enough to barely cover the rotini; too much water can make the finished lasagna soupy.
- Do not stir the pasta after adding it to the pot. Keeping it layered helps reduce the chance of getting a burn warning.
- Either cottage cheese or ricotta works well.
- If the pasta looks a little loose when you first open the pot, it will thicken as it sits.
- Add in some mini pepperonis or cooked ground sausage and diced onion, mushrooms, & bell peppers for a pizza themed pasta!
- Serve alongside Homemade Breadsticks and Garlic Butter
Recipes That Pair Well With This
This is already a hearty dinner, so I usually keep the sides simple. Bread is an obvious choice for soaking up the extra sauce.
- Easy Homemade Breadsticks – My go-to pairing for this recipe and especially good when we’re going all-in on carb night.
- Garlic Parmesan Green Beans – These buttery garlic Parmesan green beans are an easy vegetable side for lasagna night and come together quickly on the stovetop while the lasagna finishes baking.
- Homemade Garlic Butter – Make this to spread over warm breadsticks or rolls.
- Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks – Another good option when you want an extra-cheesy dinner.
- Cheesy Pull Apart Garlic Bread – An easy, shareable side for a family pasta dinner.
- No Knead Garlic Parmesan Dutch Oven Bread – A crustier bread option that works well with the saucy pasta.
- Dutch Oven Cheddar Bread – Another crustier cheesy bread option that works well with the saucy pasta!
More Recipes to Try
Looking for another easy family dinner? These are good ones to add to your meal plan:
- Easy Lasagna Recipe – Go with the traditional oven-baked version when you have more time.
- Easy Tater Tot Casserole – Another kid-friendly ground beef dinner that works well on busy weeknights.
- Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes – A simple ground beef dinner that’s easy to get on the table.
- Creamy Beef Enchiladas – A cheesy, comforting way to use ground beef when you want something different.
- Easy Crockpot Chili – A hands-off family dinner that can also be made on the stovetop.
- Cajun Chicken Pasta – A creamy pasta dinner with a completely different flavor profile.
- Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli – Another family-friendly pasta option for your weekly dinner rotation.
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken – An easy Instant Pot recipe to try when you want to put your pressure cooker to work again.
Tips for Little Helpers
This is an easy recipe for kids to help with once the hot cooking portion is finished. Younger helpers can measure the seasonings, help measure the dry pasta, or get the cheeses ready while an adult handles the Instant Pot.
Older kids can help measure ingredients and add the cottage cheese, Italian seasoning, and reserved sauce after pressure cooking. Sprinkling the mozzarella over the finished pasta is an especially easy job for little helpers.
Keep kids away from the pressure-release valve during the quick release. The steam is extremely hot, so this part should always be handled by an adult.
Tips for Success
Scrape the bottom after browning the beef. Any stuck-on bits should be loosened before you begin pressure cooking to help prevent a burn warning.
Don’t stir the pasta into the sauce. Add the rotini over the meat and sauce, followed by the water. Keeping these layers intact before pressure cooking is important.
Don’t automatically add all of the water. Pasta shape and other variables can affect how much you need. Add only enough for the rotini to be just barely covered.
Save some of the sauce for the end. The reserved spaghetti sauce is intentionally stirred in after pressure cooking. It gives the finished dish more sauce without adding too much thick tomato sauce during pressure cooking.
Quick release when the cooking time is finished. Leaving the pasta under pressure longer can cause it to become too soft.
Let the mozzarella melt with the lid on. You don’t need additional cooking time. The residual heat in the Instant Pot will do the job.
FAQs
Why is it called lazy lasagna?
It has many of the same flavors and ingredients as lasagna—ground beef, tomato sauce, pasta, and plenty of cheese—but skips the process of layering everything into a casserole and baking it. Everything comes together right in the Instant Pot.
Why do you use rotini instead of lasagna noodles?
Rotini makes this recipe especially easy to eat and works well with the pressure-cooking method. All those little spirals also hold onto plenty of meat sauce and cheese.
Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese?
Yes. Either cottage cheese or ricotta works, so use whichever your family prefers.
Can I use homemade spaghetti sauce?
Yes. My Homemade Spaghetti Sauce would work well in place of jarred sauce.
Why do I add some of the spaghetti sauce after pressure cooking?
Holding back part of the sauce lets us get plenty of tomato flavor into the finished lasagna without making the liquid in the Instant Pot too thick while it comes to pressure.
Why shouldn’t I stir the pasta before pressure cooking?
Leaving the pasta layered over the meat and sauce helps keep the thicker tomato sauce away from the bottom of the pot and reduces the chance of triggering a burn warning.
What should I do if liquid sputters from the valve during quick release?
Close the valve again for a few seconds, then carefully begin releasing the pressure again. Repeat as necessary rather than allowing starchy liquid to continue spraying from the valve.
Can I use less ground beef?
Yes. This recipe has evolved into a larger, meatier version for our family, but you can reduce the ground beef if you prefer a more pasta-heavy meal.
Storage
Allow leftover Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
The pasta will continue absorbing some of the sauce as it sits, so leftovers may be thicker than the freshly made recipe. When reheating, you can stir in a small amount of additional spaghetti sauce if needed.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through, or warm a larger amount gently on the stovetop.
Freezing Instructions
Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna can be frozen, although the texture of the pasta may be a little softer after thawing and reheating.
Let the lasagna cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2–3 months. For easier meals later, divide the leftovers into individual portions before freezing.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until hot throughout. Adding a little extra spaghetti sauce while reheating can help restore some of the sauciness the pasta absorbs during storage.
Variations
Use ricotta: Swap the cottage cheese for ricotta for a flavor and texture that’s closer to traditional lasagna.
Make a pizza pasta: Add in some mini pepperonis or cooked ground sausage and diced onion, mushrooms, & bell peppers for a supreme pizza pasta!
Make it less meaty: Reduce the amount of ground beef for a more pasta-forward dinner.
Add vegetables: Sauté diced bell peppers or mushrooms with the ground beef before adding the remaining ingredients.
Add some heat: Stir red pepper flakes into the seasonings for a little kick.
Change the cheese: Add some Parmesan along with the mozzarella for an extra layer of savory flavor.
Use homemade sauce: Substitute Homemade Spaghetti Sauce for jarred sauce when you have a batch ready to use.
Final Thoughts
This Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna has lasted in our dinner rotation for years for a pretty simple reason: everyone eats it and it doesn’t take much work.
It isn’t meant to replace a carefully layered pan of traditional lasagna. It’s the version I make when I want those same comforting flavors but need dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. After years of adapting it for our family, the bigger batch also means there is usually enough to feed everyone with a decent chance of leftovers.
Add homemade breadsticks and garlic butter, and you’ve got an easy, filling dinner—especially when a serious carb night is exactly what the evening calls for!
Leave a Reply