Skip to Content

Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe with Zucchini & Eggplant

We use zucchini and eggplant in our Instant Pot Lasagna recipe for a delicious vegetarian twist. Add a layer of sausage for the meat lovers!

Easy Vegetarian Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe

“I never would have believed there was an Instant Pot Lasagna recipe out there that could convince me there’s a better way than the tried-and-true oven method.”

That quote is from a friend of mine who swore that making lasagna in the Instant Pot was ludicrous.

But the Instant Pot, despite being the biggest kitchen craze of the past few years and therefore suggests it’s possibly just another fad, actually works.

And it works very, very well. Even for such things as this Instant Pot lasagna recipe.

HOW TO COOK LASAGNA IN THE INSTANT POT?

Making a lasagna in the Instant Pot is very simple. You’ll use a technique called “PIP” (Pot in Pot), in which you’ll place a 7-inch cheesecake or lasagna pan on a trivet inside your Instant Pot. The lasagna will be covered with foil so no condensation gets inside the pan.

I use the Fat Daddio Cheesecake Pan and it works very well. I love it, but scroll down for the bestsellers in that category to see more options.

You’ll spray your pan as usual, then layer your ingredients in the same way you make a traditional lasagna. The only difference is that you’ll be cooking it in the Instant Pot instead of your oven. Which, of course, will take less time overall.

It’s crucial to this recipe that you use the best ingredients you can find. I find that I don’t normally have time to make a sauce from scratch during the week, so I choose to use products I can pick up on my way home. I go for the jarred marinara and I don’t skimp here since it’s a big part of the dish. The eggplant and zucchini are from my farmer’s market if I can get them. I do make a homemade ricotta cheese that’s out of this world and can’t compare to store-bought.

Vegetarian Lasagna Instant Pot

For the mozzarella, I use shredded whole milk mozzarella. This is coming from a born-and-bred Wisconsin girl who knows her cheese! I’m very particular about the cheese I buy, so make sure it’s a reputable brand!

There are very few ingredients in this Instant Pot Lasagna recipe so you can see why it’s important to use the best products you can find. I also like to add some homemade basil pesto for additional flavor, but a jarred will work if you don’t have a basil surplus this time of year.

HOW LONG TO COOK LASAGNA IN THE INSTANT POT?

The beauty of the Instant Pot is that it takes much less time than the stovetop or oven in most cases. This Instant Pot Lasagna recipe takes just 20 minutes at high pressure, then a natural release of 10 minutes.

No matter which recipe you make, the time will remain about the same since the same size pan is being used. All of this time is hands-off, so you can get a few things done while your pot is cooking away.

Best Vegetarian Lasagna Instant Pot Recipe

This Instant Pot Lasagna recipe is hearty and filling. No pasta is used so it’s great for those who are gluten-intolerant or eating Keto. You can add a layer of no-boil noodles if you’d like, or even a layer of sausage. Just don’t skip the cheese!

Vegetarian Lasagna Instant Pot Recipe

Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe with Zucchini and Eggplant

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Zucchini/Eggplant Resting: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

If you would like to add a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles, add them just after the second layer of marinara sauce, pressing down to make sure they're coated in sauce. For sausage, add it just after the pasta.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchinis, sliced lengthwise
  • 2 small eggplants, sliced crosswise
  • 1 tbsp coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1 25 oz jar high-quality marinara sauce
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
  • 1 package Crystal Farms Whole Milk Mozzarella Shreds, (2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto, for topping (optional but recommended)
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

  1. Place the eggplant and zucchini slices on a large cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes so they release some water. Wipe the water and salt away with a paper towel.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg and parmesan until smooth.
  3. Grease a round 7-inch baking pan. Place a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Top with one layer each of zucchini, eggplant, ricotta mixture then the shredded cheese. Continue layering once more, ending with a final layer of just sauce and cheese (I like to make my top layer of cheese the thickest).
  4. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot, then place the trivet inside. Make a foil sling out of tinfoil (a long piece of tinfoil folded twice lengthwise) and place baking pan on top. Cover baking pan with additional foil (spray it with a little cooking spray so cheese doesn't stick), then, using the sling, carefully set the pan onto the trivet, folding down any tinfoil so that it doesn’t interfere with closing the lid.
  5. Close the lid, press “Manual” and immediately adjust the timer to 20 minutes. Check that the cooking pressure is on “high” and that the release valve is set to “Sealing”.
  6. When time is up, allow the IP to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then open the IP using “Quick Pressure Release”. Using the foil sling as “handles”, carefully remove lasagna from IP. Remove foil, and pop under the broiler a few minutes to brown cheese. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then serve. Top with basil pesto and freshly chopped basil, if desired.
Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Saturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 1778mgCarbohydrates: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 18g
Kristy Bernardo
Latest posts by Kristy Bernardo (see all)

Eric K

Sunday 28th of July 2019

Looks great! How thickly do you slice the veg?

Kristy

Tuesday 13th of August 2019

Pretty thin but not paper. Maybe 1/6 inch?

Michele

Monday 22nd of July 2019

The lasagna looked delicious so I tried it. I found right away that there were too many slices of zucchini (used small to medium) and I didn't need the 2nd eggplant at all. There were no instructions on slice width. Ended up making a second small lasagne to put in the oven. It was tasty other than that!

Kristy

Tuesday 13th of August 2019

Hi Michele! Sorry you found the ratios to be off. Those are what I use every time I make it, so I'm not sure why it didn't work out. Still, I'm glad you liked it! Thanks!

b

Friday 8th of March 2019

I made this and it was delicious. I don't have an instant pot so baked it using my own marinara sauce. Only suggestion I have is to peel the eggplant. The skin was very tough and made it difficult to eat. Delicious and easy!

Kelly L McMahon

Saturday 26th of January 2019

I made this tonight and it was delish! One question, does the sauce also get layered with the veggies, ricotta mixture, and cheese? Because your ingredients call for a whole jar of sauce but I only saw to put sauce on the bottom and the top and not in with the layers? Thank you!

Kristy

Tuesday 5th of February 2019

Hi Kelly! Sorry if that wasn't clear. Yes, you do layer the sauce as well. So glad you like it! - Kristy

Erin Casey-Whitney

Thursday 8th of November 2018

How many servings does this make?

Kristy

Wednesday 26th of June 2019

4-6

Skip to Recipe