If lasagna is your ultimate comfort food, you need to try this easy Instant Pot Vegan Lasagna! With no-boil noodles and a “bake” time of just 20 minutes, it’s a quick and easy alternative to traditional lasagna. And with an addictively rich yet healthy homemade ricotta, it’ll become your new favorite lasagna recipe.
Today’s recipe share from my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, so be sure to order it for even more delicious and easy instant pot recipes!
Table of contents:
1. Why you’ll love this recipe
2. Tips for making this recipe
3. Watch! How to make this lasagna
4. Recipe card with notes
Why you’ll love this recipe
Lasagna is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods, and I love veganizing it. You might think it’s difficult to do so, but with a a hearty vegetable filling and an easy homemade cheese spread that takes just five minutes to make, you won’t be missing any of the meat or dairy!
And while I enjoy an oven-baked lasagna, I also love making one in my Instant Pot. It’s perfect when you don’t have a large group to feed, as the smaller pan size for the Instant Pot makes it a perfect meal for a few people.
Tips for making this recipe
- As with many of the pot-in-pot recipes for the Instant Pot, you will need a 7-inch round pan and the Instant Pot steamer rack (also known as the trivet; it comes with your Instant Pot) for this recipe. My recipe calls for a 7-inch springform pan (I use this for cakes as well), but if you have a 7-cup round glass storage dish, that would work as well.
- The recipe calls for sautéing the vegetable filling in the Instant Pot using the Sauté function, but if you don’t mind dirtying up another pan, you can also sauté the vegetable filling in a skillet on the stove.
- If you want to keep this recipe even simpler, feel free to use store-bought vegan cheese instead of making the Basil Tofu Ricotta (but again, it takes five minutes to make).
Watch! How to make this lasagna
VEGAN LASAGNA RECIPE | The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook
And for more mouth-watering videos, check out my Youtube channel!
If you make this recipe, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! I love seeing your recreations!
Vegan Instant Pot Lasagna (from The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook)
If lasagna is your ultimate comfort food, you need to try this easy Instant Pot Vegan Lasagna! With no-boil noodles and a "bake" time of just 20 minutes, it's a quick and easy alternative to traditional lasagna. And with an addictively rich yet healthy homemade ricotta, it'll become your new favorite lasagna recipe.
Ingredients
VEGETABLE FILLING
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup finely chopped zucchini
- 3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly cracked black pepper
LASAGNA ASSEMBLY
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce of choice or Fiery Arrabbiata Sauce (recipe in my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook)
- 6 to 8 individual no-boil or oven-ready lasagna sheets
- Basil Ricotta (recipe follows), or 2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella or other cheese
- 1 cup chopped spinach or shredded Tuscan (lacinato) kale
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella, for finishing (optional)
BASIL RICOTTA (makes about 2 cups)
- 1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
- 3 ⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the Basil Ricotta: Drain the tofu and blot away the excess water with a few paper towels. For a smooth ricotta, crumble the tofu into a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until you have a creamy, smooth texture. Taste for salt, acidity, and cheesiness, adding more salt, lemon juice, or nutritional yeast, respectively, as needed. For a chunkier ricotta, place the tofu in a large bowl and break it into smaller chunks using a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together until the consistency resembles ricotta cheese.
- Make the vegetable filling: Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and, after a few minutes, add the olive oil, followed by the onion. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, then add the garlic, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, tossing frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and cook for 30 seconds. Select the Cancel setting and remove the inner pot.
- To assemble the lasagna: Pour the marinara sauce into a large measuring cup and add 1⁄2 cup water to equal 2 cups, stirring to incorporate (thinning out the sauce with water ensures the noodles will cook evenly).
- Pour 1⁄2 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan, spreading evenly with a silicone spatula. Top the sauce with half of the oven-ready lasagna noodles, breaking them into pieces and fitting them to cover the sauce in a mosaic-like pattern.
- Add another 1⁄2 cup of the marinara sauce on top of the noodles. Using a silicone spatula, spread one-third of the basil ricotta (or shredded cheese) on top of the marinara sauce, followed by half of the vegetable filling and half of the spinach or kale.
- Repeat the layers: Add 1⁄2 cup of the marinara sauce, followed by one-third of the basil ricotta (or shredded cheese), the remaining vegetable filling, and the remaining spinach or kale.
- Finish with the remaining lasagna noodles (broken into pieces), the final 1⁄2 cup marinara sauce, and the final one-third of the basil ricotta (or shredded cheese). If you can’t fit all of the lasagna noodles, just leave a few pieces out. You don’t want to layer them on top of each other because that might cause them to cook unevenly.
- Spray a piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray and tightly cover the pan. Wipe out the inner pot of any remaining vegetables and give it a rinse. Add 11⁄2 cups water to the inner pot.
- For easy removal of the pan from the Instant Pot, create a foil sling (instructions are in my cookbook or can be found here).
- On the counter, place the pan on top of the steamer rack (with the handles facing up) and arrange the foil sling (if using) underneath the steamer rack. Carefully lower the steamer rack and pan into the inner pot using the foil sling or steamer rack handles.
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 20 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release. If you want to broil the lasagna in your oven, turn on your oven’s broiler.
- Open the pot and, wearing oven mitts, grasp the foil sling or steamer rack handles and carefully lift the pan out of the Instant Pot. Carefully remove the foil cover, taking care to not drip any condensation on the lasagna.
- If desired, top the lasagna with the 1⁄2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella and place the lasagna under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on the strength of your broiler and the distance between the heat and oven rack) to brown the top. You can also broil the lasagna without adding the vegan mozzarella. Garnish with fresh basil.
Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 1269mg | Potassium: 992mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2253IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3mg
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Hi Nisha,
I have repaired this dish several times with different vegetables. I love it. It is easy to prepare and so healthy for you. I purchased your book, and I am trying to go through every recipe provide. You are very talented. Love to see your recipe preparation on YouTube. Love your assistant cameraman; he is funny. I wish you the best in looking for a part-time employee. Your website is impressive.
I often consult these recipes on YouTube. I like the format of the offerings there. This tine I wanted to read and follow here to be more exact. I enjoyed making this dish. My lasagne was a bit watery, yet tasty.
This came out just fantastic and was a big hit! Your book is also my fave! So glad I found you!
My family and I enjoyed this recipe, but I did bake this in the oven. Delicious! Lots of veggies and great flavors. Thank you! Nisha, I love your recipes! You are so creative, what I have cooked has been so flavorful and not just plant based but full of delicious vegetables and wonderful flavor profiles. This one is a keeper
Is it possible to make the ricotta without oil?
Nisha-can I use those aluminum round pans instead of my springform? I’m making it for a friend and don’t want to have to ask for my pan back lol
Hi Tamara, I get that lol. Those pans can be a bit flimsy, so I would wrap them in foil to prevent any leaking from the lasagna.
Love love love this recipe! It is soooo good. For all those who talk about it being runny, let it sit to “setup” for as long as possible. I usually let Mine sit for 30 minutes to an hour and it’s still warm when it’s done cooling. It works to put it in the fridge if you have less time too.
I have made this twice now and it is incredible. Husband loved it and I would make it for company. Thank you.
I too ended up with a runny Lasagna – a delicious one though. My lasagna deflated/melted/lost its shape after I removed the springform side-cover.
This was my second attempt at this recipe. I’m going to try again next week.
How do I help it keep its shape and look beautiful like yours?
Also, the liquid leaked through the springform pan onto the counter when I added the marinara sauce. Is that to be expected?
Thank you!
Hi David, I have learned that there’s some variability in leakproof quality between springform pans. The springform I have is from hiware (https://amzn.to/2VC3a15) and seems to be the best one I’ve tried. Before I started using that pan, I would wrap the bottom of the pan in foil to minimize leaking, so you could try that. As for the shape, I think if you let it rest in the pan for ~ 15 minutes before opening the clasp, it should help retain the shape more. Hope that helps!
Fantastic, thank you!
I kind of messed this one up because I didn’t have the pan to put it in inside the Instant Pot – but it still came out delicious! I especially love the basil ricotta
Oh that’s great to hear – how did you cook it? And yes, the ricotta is one of my all-time favorite things to make. So good smeared on toasted bread!
Oh my goodness! Soooooo good. I wanted to lick my plate!
Haha yay! That’s the best feedback :) So happy you loved the lasagna!
Julia. How are you viewing this?Try opening in n your browser and printing, or use control_ print. Or control and p.
This looks so good. I really want to make it but for the life of me, I can’t find the print button. I can’t face copying it on a 3×5 card. What am I missing?
Thank you so much for the video. I have been vegan for 5 months and have lost 30 pounds and now off my Diabetes T2 meds. I am still working to lose another 35-50 pounds to be off my BP meds as well. Also off my cholesterol meds. This vegan lifestyle is so healthy and these recipes make it easier. I have served this to my family and they loved it. I do not like Tofu so I subbed the “cheese” with cashew cream and it was delicious. I will be trying more of your recipes and sharing with friends. Thank you again.
I made this and it was good. I used just normal whole wheat noodles and they came out perfect
So glad to hear that, thank you for the feedback. Nice to hear it worked well with normal whole wheat noodles – I’ll have to try that sometime!
Made this and it is DELICIOUS! The tofu ricotta is AMAZING…I will make this even alone and use it on sandwiches, it’s that flavorful! We used Trader Joe’s marinara tonight but will try yours the next time around, and trust me, we will be making this in a double batch next time :) Thank you for the recipe! Things we did differently because we used what we had at home: Did not use lemon rind in ricotta. Did not use mushrooms or peppers so added additional zucchini. Added some Italian Spices between the layers.
Hi Stacy! SO happy to hear that. The tofu ricotta is literally my favorite – I use it for everything (sandwich spread, on top of grain bowls or buddha bowls, thin it out for pasta sauce…it’s so versatile)! Thanks for sharing your modifications too – happy it worked out so well!
I saw your video a week or so ago (the day before the cookbook release) and thought I had to try this recipe! I prefer a print recipe over flipping back and forth on my phone so pre-ordered the cookbook… then realized I didn’t have the spring form pan, so ordered that too… then today I finally got to buy the ingredients! I decided to try the sauce I. Your cookbook! Absolutely the best sauce I have ever had in my life! I predict a few big batches being made very soon in order to freeze for other meals.
My husband walked out as I pulled it from the instant pot, asked what was on top “tofu or hummus”?. I didn’t tell him other than it was homemade vegan ricotta! Lol. He took one bite and said “it’s really good!” So I admitted that it was tofu!
Awesome recipes and I can’t wait to try out more recipes from the book!
Nisha,
Can I use something other than tofu to make the ricotta cheese .
I haven’t experimented with this particular recipe, but there are vegan almond and cashew ricotta recipes on other blogs that you could try! Or, you could simply use a store bought vegan cheese of your choice. Hope that helps!
Nisha, I made the lasagna today excited to use the instapot in this way. My husband’s response when he first took a bite was “Tasty as can be”!
About the recipe…Followed the recipe but ended up with too much ricotta. The lasagna would have been pretty tall! When we were taking it out to serve it was pretty runny. We did let it sit after removing from th e IP. Any idea why it was runny?
Looking forward to the book at my door!
Hi Mindy! So happy you tried the recipe and it was tasty :) I usually have a tiny bit of ricotta left, but not a lot (I usually snack on it lol). Can you specify which part was runny? And thank you so much for buying my cookbook!
Nisha your website is so beautiful! Love everything here! And this recipe and the photos are making me very hungry. I really wish Instant pot was popular here as well, I still haven’t seen it anywhere here…but I think it will come and then I can test all your recipes. Also once again huge congratulations on the book, such an amazing achievement!