“Hey Jeff. When are you gonna make a lasagna already?!” they keep asking me. This is a perfectly valid question as it’s a very popular recipe for the Instant Pot but also because I LOVE lasagna.
Well kids, I didn’t really see the point in having to crack noodles into a circular shape to fit into a pot and lasagna so I decided to think outside the layers. Say…why don’t we make them in an individual ROLL FASHION instead?! Not only is this easier for portion control and cutting out on the serving mess, but you get so much more cheese and sauce in every bite too!
This is also my first pot-in-pot (PIP) recipe! And I can’t wait to do more with these AWESOME Ekovana stackable pots which you can purchase by clicking here! (If the Ekovana pans are out of stock, these are basically the exact same ones with the same dimensions!)
It’s also SO fun and easy to make and it doesn’t make your kitchen a furnace with the oven blaring as a lasagna bakes for 40 minutes! I am telling you right now that you’ll never make lasagna the same way in the Instant Pot again! No more messy layers and the cracking of noodles. Nope! Lasagna Rolls is now how *I* roll!
Here’s How I Made It:
We’ll start by boiling a pot of water on the stove (the lasagna noodles wont fit properly in the Instant Pot and this will also ensure they cook the proper way).
Add our lasagna noodles as well as some salt and olive oil to ensure they don’t stick to each other. After a few minutes of being in the water and become bendable, push down all of the noodles so they are submerged and let boil.
While the noodles are cooking, chop up an onion and set aside.
Then, let’s make our ricotta cheese mixture by taking some (you guessed it) ricotta cheese and pouring in a mixing bowl…
…along with one cracked egg…
…some grated parmesan…
…and some dried parsley and salt.
Give it all a good stir…
…so it looks like this one done. Put a lid on it and place in the fridge to set while we continue.
By now, our noodles should be about done boiling so let’s strain them, rinse them with cold water and then straighten each one out and set aside.
Now to the Instant Pot, toss in a little olive oil, heat it up…
…and add our onions…
…and some garlic. Stir well for a couple of minutes until a little translucent and a nice color.
“Where’s the beef?!” Right here! Toss in some ground chuck beef….
…Italian seasoning…
…seasoned salt…
…ground black pepper and stir it up real good and let cook for a few minutes until browned.
Now we’ll add in a jar of a really good marinara sauce (I LOVE Victoria White Linen!)…
…and give it a good stir. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure.
While that awesome sauce is cooking, take a lasagna noodle and lay it on a flat surface.
Take the ricotta mixture out of the fridge and using a silicone spatula or something that spreads easily, spread some of the mixture on each noodle, face-side up.
Just like that!
Top it off with some shredded mozzarella…
And roll ’em all up!
That was fun! Now set them aside on a plate when done.
When our sauce is done cooking, give it a good stir and let simmer for a moment and it will thicken a little.
Now taking our stackable pots (there are 2 tiers)…
…we’ll spoon in some sauce so the surface of the bottom of each pot is just covered (it’s important to do this so the lasagna rolls don’t stick)!
Next we’ll add our lasagna rolls to each pot (about 5 will fit in each pot nice and snuggly so you’ll get 10 big rolls!)…
…cover with sauce…
…and finish it off with more mozzarella!
Once you’ve done this with both pans, re-stack them and secure the caddy lock.
Reserve any leftover sauce for additional topping when serving or for future use and then rinse of the liner pot…
…dry it and return it back to the Instant Pot.
Add the trivet and some water to the pot…
…and rest the stackable pots on top of it. Secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
Remove the stackable pots from the Instant Pot…
…and there you have it! Some of the BEST lasagna ever – in the form of a convenient, cheesy and delectable roll!
Mangia!
Instant Pot Lasagna Rolls
One of my favorite things about Lasagna Rolls are that they are so much easier to serve, are more fun to eat AND let you keep your portion control in check. All while giving you that unforgettable lasagna experience you crave.
Ingredients
- 10 lasagna noodles, boiled (just use a whole box in case some come out ripped or cracked from the box. OR you can buy FRESH lasagna noodles at some supermarkets, Italian markets or pasta shops and be ready to go!)
- 16 oz container of ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tbsp of dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow or Spanish onion, diced
- 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
- 1 lb of ground chuck beef (the less lean, the better)
- 1 tsp of Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp of seasoned salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- Two 2 cup bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 40 oz jar of marinara sauce (use a good one like Victoria White Linen)
Instructions
- Start by boiling a pot of water and adding in a bit of salt and a splash of olive oil. Add the box of lasagna noodles and boil for 10 minutes or according to the package (Note: These noodles won’t boil properly in the Instant Pot due it it not having enough room due to the size of the noodles so doing them on the stove is a must. We’ll also only be using about 10 of these noodles, but some will definitely be broken in the box, so just use the ones that are the most perfect and cook a few extra for safety). You can also skip this step if you buy fresh lasagna noodles at your local market, Italian market or pasta shop!
- While the noodles are boiling, in a mixing bowl add the ricotta cheese, parmesan, egg, parsley and salt. Mix well, cover and pop in the fridge to briefly set
- Drain the noodles and run them under cold water. Try to straighten the noodles as best as possible as they rest
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by pouring the olive oil into the Instant Pot and hitting “Sauté” and “Adjust” so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting and once it reads “Hot,” add the onions. Cook for a 2-3 minutes until translucent and then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Next up, add the ground beef and cook until browned, seasoning with the Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper along the way. Add the jar of marinara sauce and stir well. No water is needed here because the juices from the meat will be sufficient enough for that extra liquid
- Secure the lid and cook on “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” for 4 minutes and follow with a quick release. When done, give it a good stir and you can just leave it on the “Keep Warm” setting as the sauce simmers and thickens a little.
- While the sauce is cooking, prepare the lasagna rolls by taking the ricotta mixture out of the fridge as well as some of the mozzarella cheese. Lay each noodle on a flat surface and using a silicone spatula (or any tool that spreads easily) line the facing-up side of the lasagna noodle with the ricotta mixture (not TOO much, but enough), sprinkle some mozzarella on top, roll it up like a jellyroll and set aside with the seam side down
- For our final step, using your stackable pans, layer in enough sauce to coat the bottom of each pan, carefully layer in each lasagna roll (seam side down) and generously cover with sauce followed with a generous amount of sprinkled mozzarella cheese. Stack the pots, and secure them in their carrying case. You can keep any leftover sauce for later or using when serving but set that aside and quickly clean and dry the liner pot and return it to the Instant Pot.
- Add the trivet to the Instant Pot along with 1 cup of water. Rest the stackable pots on top of it with the two carrying case lines facing directly towards the front and back ends of the pot for the lid to properly close (see video for guidance).
- Secure the lid and cook on “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” for 10 minutes and follow with a quick release. With a dish towel or oven mit, carefully remove the pot by the handle (it will be hot!) and serve!
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
This makes lasagna SO much easier to serve since it not only commands portion control, but it also prevents having to cut through layers of noodles and making a mess! You’re going love cooking it in these stackable pots too! YES they fit in both the 6qt AND the 8qt!
If the Ekovana pans are out of stock, these are basically the exact same ones with the same dimensions!
If you’d rather skip making your own meat sauce or if you’re a vegetarian and you don’t want any meat at all, you can use a jarred one instead and heat it up on the stove. But if you DO what it with meat, the method I use to pressure cook the seasoned meat combined with the marinara is definitely going to make it taste better! Just make sure you use a good marinara sauce like Victoria White Linen if you go that route!
Want to eliminate the carbs? Try slicing an eggplant or zucchini thinly and subbing those for the lasagna noodles instead! You won’t need to boil them and it will be the same cooking time in the IP!
Loretta
Jeffery, I detest ricotta cheese. Can I replace the ricotta cheese with cottage cheese? Wasn’t sure if you can use cottage cheese in the IP.
Christopher Gibson
Can I double up the rolls in the pans or should I just make two separate batches?
I’m making 20 rolls for a dinner tonight.
Louie
you can only fit 5 in each pan. make sure you roll tight or you won’t be able to fit the 5
Mary
Where can I find the nutrition information for this recipe?
Rebecca
Hello – love this idea! How about cabbage rolls done this same way – pot in a pot? Can you provide instructions? Thanks.