This is a really easy Pressure Cooker lasagna casserole recipe our whole family loves. Cheesy Instant Pot lasagna but in a casserole which makes it much easier to eat! If you love quick dinner ideas that are cheap and family friendly, this lazy lasagna is it!! Ninja Foodi recipe instructions too.
If you love using your Instant Pot and the taste of lasagna, this pressure cooker lasagna casserole is something you will love. It’s super cheesy, easier to eat than traditional lasagna, only takes 10 minutes, and has the same great taste you love! We have a lot of easy Instant Pot recipes here on The Typical Mom and this one is on the top of the list for pasta dishes! Special thanks goes out to Barilla and Galbani for sponsoring this post so we could share our feel good meal with you! (originally published 11/17, affiliate links present)
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We love lasagna but it is a little messy when you have little ones so I thought I’d make a pressure cooker lasagna casserole!
It turned out tasting just like the traditional dish we love but made in a much shorter time. And there were no big and slippery noodles that make it difficult for my kiddos to eat. 😉 We loved it so much I created a LONG list of Instant Pot casseroles for you to enjoy too!
If you’re looking for a fabulous comfort food your entire family will love, you’ve got to try this!
You literally use the same ingredients you would if you were making lasagna in a pan except for the long flat noodles. That is what makes it so much easier to eat. Of course you can season it as you wish but I included the measurements of what we used, including traditional marinara sauce, penne pasta (great fork size for the perfect bite), and lots of cheeses (you just can’t have enough cheese in our eyes).
This is what you will need to make this pressure cooker lasagna casserole:
- Pressure cooker – we use our Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi
- If you have an IP I highly suggest getting this non stick pot
- Spaghetti sauce – we chose this one
- Ground beef or Italian sausage – spicy ground sausage is best
- Galbani Ricotta cheese – in the refrigerated section at Walmart with the cheeses
- Cottage cheese could be substituted
- Mozzarella cheese – we used variety with whole milk but they carry
- Barilla Pasta – we used Penne pasta but they have a variety of shapes to choose from at Walmart
- Onion
- 2 cups water
- Italian seasoning and garlic powder are optional
5 minutes on high works well for us. It just depends on how soft you want the noodles to be. We have also made this pressure cooker lasagna casserole a few different ways.
Once where once we added a can of diced tomatoes to make it chunker, and another time without. Either way was great.
- Another time we added about 1/2 of a cup of ricotta cheese into the mix when it was done as well as a dollop on top, that was fabulous too.
- The ricotta has a smooth, creamy, rich texture so it’s a perfect addition inside this casserole, but putting a dollop on top is great too because you can really taste it at it’s finest all alone with some of your lasagna on your spoon as well as the cheese!
It is totally up to you, either way is so yummy.
Here’s a video showing you how to make Instant Pot lasagna casserole:
Want to make this lasagna casserole another way?
- Easy lasagna casserole made in the oven
- Crockpot lasagna casserole made in your slow cooker
- We have a lot of other Instant Pot pasta recipes too you can enjoy
Want to make Ninja Foodi lasagna casserole?
- Directions and cook times below will apply for any style pressure cooker
- You be using the saute function to brown ground beef
- Pressure button will then be pushed once everything is added, on high pressure
- Follow directions below and enjoy!
Let us know what you think and if you added any other spices to this easy pressure cooker lasagna casserole to make it even better, and you should try our Instant Pot lasagna soup after this that uses many of the same ingredients!
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Pressure Cooker Lasagna Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 c water
- 2 c pasta uncooked, we use Barilla penne pasta
- 1 c ricotta cheese
- 2 c mozzarella cheese we use Galbani with whole milk
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce 24 oz., we use Barilla Traditional
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 lb ground sausage spicy is tastiest, can use ground beef alternatively
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes optional, makes the casserole chunkier
Instructions
- Set your pressure cooker to saute.
- Add your olive oil, ground sausage or ground beef, and diced onions. Cook until outsides are no longer pink. Drain grease and return the pot to your pressure cooker.
- Turn machine off (important step so burn notification isn't triggered because it is too hot). Add spices and stir with meat/onions.
- Spread ground beef/sausage mixture out evenly across the bottom of your pot. (it creates a barrier for the noodles so they don't stick to the bottom)
- Add spaghetti sauce on top of meat, pour your 2 c. water into your spaghetti sauce jar and shake to get remaining sauce out, pour that into your pot on top of your sauce.
- Then pour your uncooked noodles in as the next layer. Do NOT stir! Just gently push down noodles so they are submerged into the liquid.
- Put lid on and set to pressure, high, for 5 minutes.
- Do a quick release.
- Stir in 1.5 c. mozzarella cheese and allow to melt. Can either stir in ricotta now or just put a dollop on top of each serving.
We are huge cheese lovers at our house so of course you need a large helping of shredded Galbani mozzarella inside this lasagna casserole but more on top too! It is easy to shred and great at melting soon after sprinkling a bit on the top.
barbara says
Can you add the ricotta and or cheese in before you cook it??
Heather says
So I had the same issue as someone else did with 5 mins and the noodles were still hard. I did make sure they were totally submerged. Wondering if it’s the type of noodle used. I put the lid back on and am trying to PC it for 5 more mins to see if that helps. It does smell great though. Will update after dinner 🙂
Heather says
Update, so what ended up being perfect was 10 mins PC with a 5 min natural release. Then add in the mozzarella and let sit for 5 more mins. Pasta came out perfect and tastes amazing!!
Lisa says
Wow! This was very tasty! I like my pasta super soft, so I did go 6 minutes instead of 5 and it was perfect!
The Typical Mom says
Oh good!
Claudia says
We enjoyed this, but our pasta wasn’t cooked enough. Next time I’ll let it go the 7mins my Pot sets to automatically and it should work better. Added some Italian seasoning and I think will try some zucchini and/or spinach in there as well.
The Typical Mom says
Sounds like noodles weren’t submerged in the liquid. I have never had the issue with noodles not cooking if you submerge them.
Connie says
Very good
Jessica says
Would this work that same for gluten free noodles?
The Typical Mom says
Those usually have a different cook time but am unsure since I haven’t tried.
Tom H says
Made this for the kids and me tonight – delicious! Used Italian sausage and added fresh basil from the garden. Will make this again!!!
The Typical Mom says
Yay so glad it was a hit!!
Lara says
What is a natural release? I’ve only used my pot once!
The Typical Mom says
Natural release is when you don’t touch the steam release valve, quick release is when you open it quickly.
Laura says
I was disappointed when I made this recipe. The spaghetti sauce was really watered down. I didn’t stir it, I followed the instructions and just pushed the noodles down into the water. What did I do wrong.
The Typical Mom says
Too watered down? Well you do need to add water in order for it not to burn and for noodles to cook all together. It thickens up in just about 5 minutes of allowing it to sit there. Did you do this?
Tammy says
Does the cooking time change if I use whole wheat penne?
The Typical Mom says
Yes it would probably take longer but I haven’t used that kind.
Carla Habeck says
I make this with small curd cottage cheese. Still wonderful!
The Typical Mom says
That would be a good add in too!
Barb says
I just made this with Mexican cheese. I didn’t have ricotta, so I used cream cheese. Next time I will add some veggies.
The Typical Mom says
Glad it still came out well.
Katie says
Hi! It looks really yummy!
Would it be possible to omit the cheese, during cooking? Add to the ‘casserole’ once it’s plated, maybe? (I have a daughter with a dairy allergy.)
The Typical Mom says
Absolutely, just leave it out and add at the end.
Stacey says
I have an instant pot mini—any idea how to make this recipe smaller so I can cook it in there? Just not sure if halving is the best bet or what.
Judy Leonard says
Awesome and sooo quick! Loved it!!!
Used bulk Italian sausage and added extra garlic and the can of diced tomatoes too.
Looking for the print icon. Will make again!
The Typical Mom says
OH good!!
Sally says
Thanks, I really want to try this. Do you use shredded mozzarella or a block that has been cut up?
The Typical Mom says
I used the cheese shown but you want it to be finely shredded either way.
Trisha Milan says
Made this tonight and YUMMM! I did a 5 minute NR then quick released the rest. Perfect.
Jessica says
So when I put it on 5 minutes is that on manual then set timer to 5 minutes? Second time using my instant pot so not quite sure how to work it yet. And I turn my knob on top to sealing?
The Typical Mom says
If your pot has the manual button then you press that first, then pressure, then high for 5 minutes. Yes you always close steam valve for all recipes.
Pat says
The recipe says do not stir…but shows it bring mixed with a wooden spoon. ????
Trisha Milan says
When it’s done cooking you stir
Katie says
When you say 2 cups pasta, do you mean measuring cups or 16 oz pasta?
The Typical Mom says
Oh sorry, yes I mean a good ol’ measuring cup.
Carla Habeck says
It wids up being 8 oz dry.
Sheila says
I have 8 quart instant pot – would it work to double recipe?
The Typical Mom says
Possibly, just make sure to not pass the 3/4 mark in your pot for any recipe.
Lisa says
Could I substitute gluten free pasta and follow your directions?
Jennifer says
I just made this with Barilla gluten free elbows and it worked beautifully and tastes great! My celiac teenager loves it! I cooked for five minutes but I might consider just 4 next time to get al dente noodles.
The Typical Mom says
So glad it worked!
Lalo says
By slow release, do you mean “natural release”? Or is it something in between natural and quick release? And if it is something between natural and quick release, is there a reason for doing that versus just letting it do a natural release for a few minutes, followed by a quick release?
The Typical Mom says
Yes I explain how in the recipe card. If you do a natural release the noodles will be a bit too done in my opinion. I like the in between for most things.
Jane says
Had this for dinner tonight. It’s a keeper. Thank you for the recipe. Going to add spicy italian sausage for a little kick.
The Typical Mom says
OH good!!
Katherine Cant says
I used bowtie pasta and it was still solid in the middle after 5 minutes. So 7 minutes will be better. Otherwise great.