Instant Pot Baked Ziti

Name: Instant Pot Baked Ziti
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 lb mild or spicy Italian sausage (casings removed); 1 medium onion (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 24 oz. crushed tomatoes; 1 15. oz can diced tomatoes with juices; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 lb ziti pasta; 2 cups water; 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; ¾ cup ricotta cheese

November 17, 2019 by Anna 35 Comments

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Instant Pot Baked Ziti – easy pasta with Italian sausage, tomato sauce and ricotta cheese. Creamy and cheesy pasta dish cooked in your pressure cooker.

Serve this pasta dish with my One-Hour Skillet Focaccia or Cheesy Garlic Bread.

When you are craving comfort food, need something easy that everyone will love or simply it’s pasta night at your house, this Instant Pot Baked Ziti will fit the bill. It’s super easy and packed with flavor. You will make it once and it will stay in your weekly menu for a long time. This pasta can be adjusted to your likings by using different meat or skipping it entirely for a vegetarian meal. Just don’t forget the ricotta and more cheese on top! This dish is bound to be a hit!

Ingredients

ziti pasta
Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
olive oil
onion
garlic
Italian seasoning
dried oregano
salt and pepper
crushed tomatoes
tomato paste
water
shredded mozzarella cheese
ricotta cheese

Instructions

On “saute” setting, add oil to insert and saute onion and garlic. Add seasoning and saute for 1 minutes. I like to saute seasoning at this point because it in a way “activates” the spices and makes them more fragrant.
Add sausage and cook until done.
Press “cancel/off” button. Add 1/4 cup of water and using a wooden spoon, scrape all of the browned bits from the bottom of the insert. They have a lot of flavor but also, it will prevent the dish from burning at the bottom.
Now add pasta and water and stir everything together.
Add diced tomatoes, paste, and crushed tomatoes and do not stir.
Cook on “manual” or “pressure cook” setting for 6 minutes.
When done, carefully switch the valve to “venting” position. Carefully open the lid away from your face. Stir pasta.
Add ricotta and stir again. Top pasta with grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley or basil.

Can I freeze this dish?

Yes! Like any cooked pasta dish, you can freeze this Instant Pot Baked Ziti. Cool it completely after cooking and freeze for up to 3 months. I do not like to add ricotta before freezing but stir it in before serving.

Can I use pasta sauce in a jar in this recipe?

You can use any pasta sauce you like to make this dish. Just make sure to use 24 ounces total. If it already has seasoning, you may need to adjust the amount of Italian seasoning you add to the pasta.

Variations

You can play with this recipe and use ingredients depending on what you like or what you have on hand.

meat: Instead of Italian sausage, you can use ground beef, turkey or even chicken.
no meat: You can also keep it vegetarian and skip the meat but add spinach, mushrooms, peppers, etc.
pasta: You can also use penne, macaroni pasta or bow tie pasta in place of ziti.

More pasta recipes

Check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀