Instant Pot Veggie Lasagna
With Mushroom "Meat" Sauce
Lasagna has been one of my favorite foods my entire life. Even as a kid of 10 years old, I would make it frequently for the family. So to say I have some experience making it is kind of an understatement. When I decided to create a version specifically for the Instant Pot, I quickly realized that the Internet is saturated with lots of lasagna recipes. I never like to post a recipe just for the sake of posting it, so this Instant Pot veggie lasagna is my spin on it. And I couldn't be more pleased with it!
This Instant Pot veggie lasagna is loaded with fresh veggies, while still remaining true to the idea of real comfort food. So much so, that I'm sure meat-lovers will enjoy it just as much as any of their vegetarian friends.
The Process
Add ricotta, egg, basil, and ½ teaspoon of salt to small bowl.
Whisk together and set aside.
Using sauté setting... add oil, mushrooms, onions, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to pot. Cook for about 7 minutes, until all juices have released and evaporated.
Add oregano and fennel seeds and cook for one minute.
Then add garlic and vinegar and continue cooking for another 30 seconds or so.
Add crushed tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of salt, and sugar. Mix well and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
In a 7-inch pan... pour in about ½ cup of sauce, just enough to barely cover the bottom of pan.
Add 3 or 4 noodles to pan to make an even layer. I prefer to have them overlap because it helps the final product to hold its shape.
Then spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
Next, make an even layer using ⅓ of all your mozzarella.
Make a slightly overlapping layer of squash, starting around the edges and working around the pan.
Add about 1 ½ cups of sauce, making sure to cover squash layer completely.
Make another layer of noodles...
followed by all the remaining ricotta mix.
Repeat the same steps as before with the zucchini (instead of squash)...
...and mozzarella.
Make one last layer of sauce...
Then cover pan with aluminum foil.
Add 1 ½ cups of water to pot, along with a 3-inch trivet. No need to rinse out the pot beforehand.
Place pan on top of trivet, lock lid and cook for 40 minutes at high pressure.
Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure. Carefully remove pan from pot and uncover.
Top pan with Parmesan cheese.
Put pan on a baking sheet to prevent any splatters or leaks. Then place under a high broiler for about 5 minutes, or until cheese has reached the color/crispiness you prefer. Remove from oven and let rest for AT LEAST 30 minutes. If you slice or push it before it has cooled slightly, it will lose its shape and fall apart.
And this is the AMAZING Result…
★ Did you make this Instant Pot Veggie Lasagna?
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Instant Pot Veggie Lasagna with Mushroom "Meat" Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms finely chopped
- ½ cup onions diced
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 8 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 1 lb. mozzarella sliced or shredded
- 1 squash sliced into thin circles
- 1 zucchini sliced into thin circles
- ½ cup Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Add ricotta, egg, basil, and ½ teaspoon of salt to small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Using sauté setting… add oil, mushrooms, onions, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to pot. Cook for about 7 minutes, until all juices have released and evaporated. Add oregano and fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute. Then add garlic and vinegar and continue cooking for another 30 seconds or so. Add crushed tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of salt, and sugar. Mix well and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- In a 7-inch pan… pour in about ½ cup of sauce, just enough to barely cover the bottom of pan. Add 3 or 4 noodles to pan to make an even layer (break them up if need be). I prefer to have them overlap because it helps the final product to hold its shape. Then spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Next, make an even layer using ⅓ of all your mozzarella. Make a slightly overlapping layer of squash, starting around the edges and working around the pan.
- Add about 1 ½ cups of sauce, making sure to cover squash layer completely. Make another layer of noodles, followed by all the remaining ricotta mix. Repeat the previous steps as before with the mozzarella and zucchini (instead of squash). Make one last layer of sauce on top and cover pan with aluminum foil.
- Add 1 ½ cups of water to pot, along with a 3-inch trivet. No need to rinse out the pot beforehand. Place pan on top of trivet, lock lid and cook for 40 minutes at high pressure. Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure. Carefully remove pan from pot and uncover. Top pan with Parmesan cheese.
- Put pan on a baking sheet to prevent any splatters or leaks. Then place under a high broiler for about 5 minutes, or until cheese has reached the color/crispiness you prefer. Remove from oven and let rest for AT LEAST 30 minutes. If you slice or push it before it has cooled slightly, it will lose its shape and fall apart.
Nutrition
And as Always… Please Pin & Share the Love!
Vanessa
How deep is the 7-inch pan you are using? Any idea where to find one to buy? I am only finding cake pans that are only 2-inches deep.
Gary
We use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Fat-Daddios-Anodized-Aluminum-7-Inch/dp/B001332TE8
K
Just found your recipe & look forward to making it this week!
Thanks!!
Judy
Can you use cottage cheese in place of ricotta? Just don’t care for taste and texture. Thank you
Gary
I've never used cottage cheese in lasagna, so I can not recommend either way.
John
I am lactose intolerant and use Lactose free cottage cheese in all my lasagnas and it taste just fine. I do suggest that you stir the cottage cheese good before using.
Lisa D
You don't have garlic listed in the ingredients, but you have it in the instructions to add.
Gary White
Thanks for the heads up! 1 tablespoon.
Keri
This is only the second recipe I’ve made in the instant pot. I didn’t realize I should’ve been putting it together in a separate pot I put the trivet in the base and pour the water into that. It’s an idiotic thing to do I realize now any ideas on cook time in an oven? From what I’ve read I’ll have to let the base try out for at least 72 hours.
Katy
This recipe looks great! I'm just wondering if you've ever tried inverting your layers, so the parmesan is on bottom, to see if it would brown, then when you turn it onto the plate, the cheese would be on top and you might not have to broil it.
Lynn B
40 minutes at high pressure seems like a really long time. I'm mostly wondering how that amount of time affects the lasagna noodles - do they get mushy?
Gary White
Not at all.
Tricia
Can't wait to try this. Are the fennel seeds necessary?
Rebecca
We loved this! Even the meat eaters in the family loved it. You really don't miss the meat because everything is so flavor full.