Food and Recipes Pasta Instant Pot Baked Ziti 5.0 (4) 3 Reviews A comforting weeknight meal in a pinch. By Julia Levy Julia Levy Julia is an experienced cook with a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry. She is skilled in catering, food & beverage, event planning, and menu development. She tests and develops recipes in the DotDash Meredith Test Kitchen for Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 28, 2023 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe When the family wants cheesy baked pasta for supper but you simply don't have the time, let your multicooker do all the work in under 40 minutes with this Instant Pot Baked Ziti recipe. While technically this is not a baked pasta dish (no baking involved), this recipe checks all the boxes: melty cheese topping, tender pasta, and lots of ricotta-laced sauce. It requires just one pot and comes together quicker than its oven-based counterpart. It might win the contest, to be honest. Instant Pots have quickly become popular because even when you are short on time, you can cook anything from cornbread to lasagna. This Instant Pot Baked Ziti uses lean ground beef (we like the 90/10 blend because there is very little fat), but you can use Italian sausage instead of ground beef if you prefer (omit the fennel seed). Stirring the pasta into the sauce might cause a BURN notice on your multicooker, so resist the urge the stir and leave the liquid on the bottom. Complete your meal with a tossed green salad and warm garlic bread. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 Tbsp. olive oil 12 oz. lean ground sirloin (90/10) 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning 1 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 clove) 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. fennel seed 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper 1 (24-oz.) jar marinara sauce 1 cup water 8 oz. uncooked ziti or penne pasta 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese 4 oz. pre-shredded 6-cheese Italian blend cheese (about 1 cup) 2 Tbsp. torn fresh basil, for garnish Directions Select SAUTÉ setting on a programmable pressure multicooker (such as Instant Pot). (Times, instructions, and settings may vary according to cooker brand or model.) Select HIGH temperature setting and allow to preheat 2 to 3 minutes. Add oil and beef to cooker. Cook, stirring to crumble, until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, fennel seed, and pepper; cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Press CANCEL. Add marinara sauce and 1 cup water, stirring until well combined. Scatter pasta over sauce mixture, pressing to submerge (do NOT stir). Cover cooker with lid, and lock in place. Turn steam release handle to SEALING position. Select MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK setting. Select HIGH pressure for 8 minutes. (It will take 10 to 12 minutes for cooker to come up to pressure before cooking begins.) When cooking has finished, carefully turn steam release handle to VENTING position, and let steam fully escape (float valve will drop). (This will take 2 to 3 minutes.) Remove lid from cooker. Gently stir in ricotta. Sprinkle Italian blend cheese on top, and close lid again. Let sit until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil, and serve immediately. Rate It Print