Instant Pot Baked Ziti

Instant Pot Baked Ziti has become my go-to dinner for busy weeknights!  It is loaded with protein, flavor and veggies…but don’t tell my kids because they keep requesting it over and over again!  I love any recipe that I can make ahead of time and leave warming so when my hungry family walks in the door after an evening of sports we can eat as soon as possible.  

I know it’s technically called Baked Ziti because that’s the style of noodle that is most often used, but penne is more commonly found in most grocery stores than ziti noodles and works very well in this recipe!  This style of pasta makes it perfect for toddlers to self feed and for big kids to pick up with a fork.  I love the fact that you can up the protein count by cooking the noodles in bone broth rather than regular chicken stock. 

I’m a huge fan of all the ways you can tweak this recipe to fit your family’s needs:  gluten free or whole wheat pasta, spinach or kale, skip the meat to make it vegetarian, double the cheese or skip it, saute mushrooms or onions (or both!).  In other words, your family can have it your way! 

Instant Pot Baked Ziti Recipe

Ingredients:
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1 cup frozen spinach
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 16-oz box Penne pasta
  • 1 lb ground meat (beef, chicken, pork, or turkey)
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Optional: crushed red pepper flakes

    Directions:
    1. Set Instant Pot to saute mode for 10 minutes.  Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, diced onion, minced garlic and 1 lb ground meat of your choice.  Brown until the meat is cooked through.  Turn off saute setting.

    2. Add frozen spinach, chicken stock, water, and salt and to the instant pot.  Stir to mix everything evenly.  Scrape the bottom of the pot until you have removed any brown bits that might be stuck.  This will help to prevent the “burn” notice!

    3. Add the pasta on top and press down until it is submerged, not stirring will help to eliminate the “burn” notice.

    4. Top with marinara sauce and spread in an even layer to cover the pasta but do not stir it in.

    5. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal and turn the valve to closed.  Press “Pressure Cook” and set for 5 minutes.  It will take about 10 minutes for the pot to come to full pressure, then it will begin cooking.

    6. When the cook time has finished, you can leave the pot on “Warming” to enjoy your meal later, but if you are ready to eat dinner, turn it off and allow the pressure to release naturally.  After a few minutes, open the valve to release any remaining pressure.

    7. Remove the lid and stir well, as most of the liquid will be at the bottom of the pot.  Top with cheese, replace the lid and set aside for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted.  Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and enjoy!
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