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Instant Pot Ziti Recipe

Under 30 minutes for this easy, flavorful Instant Pot Ziti Recipe. Packed with flavor and CHEESE, you’ll love this delicious weeknight dinner in the pressure cooker!

I was on a mission this past week to conquer all things ziti.

You may recall this delicious Baked Ziti recipe that I shared. It’s seriously THE BEST. 

Baked Ziti is known in my house as “lasagna with mostacchioli noodles.” Not quite, but dang, pretty close.

• Thick meaty marinara sauce
• Tangy ricotta cheese filling
• Baked with extra mozzarella on top

While Baked Ziti is fantastic, I wanted to try my hand at making it in the Instant Pot.

Let me just cut to the chase and say, it turned out fantastic. Using my baked ziti recipe as the base…this Instant Pot Ziti Recipe was a winner, with so much flavor.

Unlike most Instant Pot Ziti recipes, my version still has the ricotta filling like you would find in a traditional recipe. All the zing and flavor with half the work!

How to make Instant Pot Ziti

STEP 1: Turn Instant Pot to “Saute” and add olive oil, diced onions, and pressed garlic. Heat for about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

STEP 2: Add ground beef and mild Italian sausage. Cook and brown in the “Saute” mode until done. When browned, turn Instant Pot off.

STEP 3: To the pressure cooker, add marinara sauce (your favorite spaghetti sauce), beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined with the meat and onion mixture.

STEP 4: Pour in uncooked Ziti noodles. Do NOT stir. Using the wooden spoon, press the noodles until they are submerged in the sauce, but not stirred.

STEP 5: Secure lid to instant pot, making sure it is on “SEALING“. Turn pressure cooker on high “Pressure Cook” for 6 minutes. Allow to cook then do a QUICK RELEASE.

PRO TIP. Hold a thin tea towel above the release valve (several inches away) to  prevent the liquid to spray all over your cabinets. Pasta liquid will usually spray longer too!

STEP 6: While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese mixture by combining ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, and cottage cheese. Set aside.

STEP 7: Once the pressure is released, open lid. Spoon in the cheese mixture, stirring until fully combined. Serve immediately and enjoy!

What you’ll need to make Instant Pot Ziti Pasta

If you want a quick glance at what’s needed for today’s recipe, look no further. For the printable recipe with measurements, scroll all the way down!

Ingredients:

• Ziti Pasta Noodles
• Olive oil
• Garlic, pressed
• Yellow onion, diced
• Ground beef
• Mild Italian sausage
• Marinara sauce
• Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt
• Black Pepper
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Whole milk ricotta cheese
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley
• Cottage Cheese

Tools:

• Instant Pot- this is the one I have from Amazon!!
• Wooden Spoon

Can Instant Pot Ziti be made on the stove top?

Yes!

For this recipe, you can make the meat sauce in a large skillet (while cooking the noodles in a separate pot). Omit the extra beef broth from the recipe, as you won’t need it.

Once the noodles are done cooking, drain them and add them to the skillet (or add the sauce to the pot with the drained noodles if your skillet isn’t large enough).

Drop in the cheese mixture, mix until combined and serve hot!

What to serve with Instant Pot Ziti

If you’ve ever been to Olive Garden and had their ziti, you know how good it is paired with salad. This Italian Salad is JUST LIKE Olive Garden’s recipe. Only better because you don’t have to leave the house!

Whip up a batch of these easy, no knead Garlic Dinner rolls to go with your dump and serve ziti recipe. You’ll love the flavor!

My family could eat Caesar Salad with every meal. Good thing I’ve got an easy, homemade caesar dressing recipe (and no raw eggs needed)!

Tips for making Baked Ziti in the Instant Pot

• Use your favorite combination of meat, from ground beef, Italian sausage, and ground turkey!
• Avoid the “burn notice” by following directions exactly. Do NOT stir the noodles into the sauce.
• You can substitute penne pasta if you desire. Both work great in this recipe, trapping sauce and cheese in the tubes of pasta.
• Cheese. Stir the cheese in at the end completely, adding more or less to your taste.

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MORE Instant Pot Recipes:

• Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Stuffed Peppers Casserole
• Bourbon Chicken Recipe
• French Dip Sandwiches
• Chicken Alfredo
• Beef Stroganoff in Instant Pot
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Pasta Fagioli Recipe
• Instant Pot Pork Chops
• Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe
• MORE Easy Dinner Recipes

Instant Pot Ziti Pasta Recipe

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Yield: 6 servings

Instant Pot Ziti Recipe

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Under 30 minutes for this easy, flavorful Instant Pot Ziti Recipe. Packed with flavor and CHEESE, you'll love this delicious weeknight dinner in the pressure cooker!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage
• 1 jar (24oz) marinara sauce (your favorite pasta sauce)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz ziti, uncooked
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese

Instructions

1. Turn Instant Pot to "Saute" and add olive oil, diced onions, and pressed garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
2. Add ground beef and mild Italian sausage. Cook and brown in the "Saute" mode until done. When browned, turn Instant Pot off.
3. To the pressure cooker, add marinara sauce (your favorite spaghetti sauce), beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined with the meat and onion mixture.
4. Pour in uncooked Ziti noodles. Do NOT stir. Using the wooden spoon, press the noodles until they are submerged in the sauce, but not stirred.
5. Secure lid to instant pot, making sure it is on "SEALING". Turn pressure cooker on high "Pressure Cook" for 6 minutes. Allow to cook then do a QUICK RELEASE.
6. While the pasta was cooking, make the cheese mixture in a small bowl by combining ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, and cottage cheese. Set aside.
7. Once the pressure is released, open lid. Spoon in the cheese mixture, stirring until fully combined. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recommended Products

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• 
  Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 357 Total Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 10g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 76mg Sodium: 930mg Carbohydrates: 7g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 3g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 25g

*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

Cheesy, creamy Instant Pot Ziti recipe. Ready in under 30 minutes!

Aimee

Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator. Her recipes have been featured in over 15 magazines, and her passion is to share her love of cooking with the everyday home cook! Learn more about Aimee.

www.shugarysweets.com

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