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Home / Recipes / Dinner / Instant Pot / Instant Pot “Baked” Ziti

Instant Pot “Baked” Ziti

45 mins
| 9 Comments |
4.90 from 19 votes
Jump to Recipe 12/10/20 | Updated: 12/16/20 | by Nora
Instant Pot Baked Ziti Pin 1

Like baked ziti? Then you’re going to LOVE this Instant Pot “Baked” Ziti recipe. This weeknight-friendly shortcut comes together in no time at all, and tastes just as good as the classic casserole.

overhead view of instant pot with ziti

Have you ever tried making pasta in your instant pot? I refused to for the longest time, but thanks to my Instant Pot Stroganoff, I’m a convert! The pasta gets infused with so much flavor from the sauce when pressure cooked, and it’s just so easy and hands-off.

Here, a delicious ground beef sauce is paired with ziti and plenty of shredded cheese for a shortcut Instant Pot Baked Ziti version of everybody’s favorite pasta casserole. Feel free to add some ricotta at the end for an extra creamy finish – but the meal is delicious all by itself, too!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for instant pot baked ziti with text labels
Ingredients for Instant Pot “Baked” Ziti: Pasta, beef broth, ground beef, diced tomatoes, onion, cheese, tomato paste, oil, balsamic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper.

Ingredient notes

  • Pasta: Use any short pasta shapes that cook in around 8 minutes – spirals, bowties or macaroni are all delicious, too
  • Liquid: Use water in place of the broth if you don’t have any on hand – simply increase the seasoning a little to make up for the lack of flavor from the broth. You can also use chicken broth in place of the beef broth if that’s what you have on hand
  • Meat: Ground Italian sausage is a great replacement for the ground beef, it adds even more flavor!
  • Extras: For more veggies, add a finely chopped carrot and a finely chopped celery stick along with the chopped onion. For extra creaminess, either stir some ricotta into the pasta in the end; or serve the pasta topped with a spoonful of ricotta cheese!

How to make Instant Pot “Baked” Ziti

This is a very easy instant pot recipe – everything cooks at the same time! You simply brown the meat first, then add all remaining ingredients and pressure cook.

1 – Brown the beef:

To brown, set the instant pot to “sauté” and add some oil to the inner pot. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, stirring to break up the meat (1).

collage of steps to show browning beef in instant pot with onions and seasoning

Once the beef is browned, stir in the onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar and cook for one more minute (2).

2 – Add remaining ingredients:

Pour the beef broth into the pot, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot (do this thoroughly, or you could trigger the burn warning during pressure cooking) (3).

collage of steps to show combining ingredients for ziti in instant pot

Finally, stir in the diced tomatoes and dry ziti pasta (4).

3 – Pressure cook:

Close the lid and set the valve to the “sealing” position. Pressure cook the pasta for 3 minutes.

collage of steps to show setting and releasing the valve of an instant pot

Once the cooking time is up, wait for one minute, then release the pressure manually according to manufacturer’s instructions (5). I like to place a kitchen towel over my instant pot and move the valve with a wooden spoon for safety reasons.

4 – Finish dish:

Once you open the pot, the pasta might look soupy – not to worry though, you just need to stir it well (6).

collage of steps to show how to finish instant pot baked ziti after pressure cooking

Finally, stir in the cheese. Loosely place the lid on the pot and let sit for a few minutes, until cheese has melted. Top with additional cheese if you like and serve immediately (7).

close up photo of baked ziti in instant pot

Recipe tips

  • Pressure release: Don’t do a longer natural pressure release than 1 minute, or your pasta will overcook and turn out mushy
  • Onion: Don’t skip sautéing the onion – it creates a better flavor and the onions lose their raw, biting scent only through sautéing, but not through boiling.
  • Even cooking: Try to have the ziti evenly covered with the liquids – the pasta will cook more evenly in the instant pot that way.
  • Finish: For a an easy (and delicious) finish, serve with grated parmesan and shredded basil leaves.
overhead closeup of baked ziti in instant pot

Leftovers and freezer instructions

Have leftovers? Turn them into a baked ziti pasta casserole!

Simply add the leftovers to a casserole dish and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

When ready to cook, stir in ½ – 1 cup tomato sauce (this keeps the pasta bake from drying out). You can also dot the casserole with ricotta cheese for extra goodness.

Generously sprinkle with cheese and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly and piping hot all the way through.

Make ahead instructions/freezer instructions:

If you want to make this a couple of days ahead, I recommend following the instructions for the leftovers above.

To freeze:

Place the cooked and cooled ziti in a casserole dish. Wrap well in foil and then in aluminum foil. Label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).

To reheat, unwrap the frozen casserole. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour at 350°F, or until bubbly piping hot all the way through.

Top with cheese around 15 minutes before the baking time is up, then finish baking uncovered.

plate with baked ziti

Serving suggestions

We love this with a leafy green salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette, with a slice of lemon pound cake for dessert!

More easy instant pot dinners

  • Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
  • Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
  • Instant Pot Chili
  • Instant Pot Beef Stew

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable Recipe Card
overhead view of instant pot with ziti
Save Recipe Saved!

Instant Pot “Baked” Ziti

This weeknight-friendly baked ziti shortcut version comes together in no time at all, and tastes just as good as the classic casserole.
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.90 from 19 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 10 mins
Cook 35 mins
Total 45 mins
Servings 6 servings
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • ½ yellow onion chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 16 oz dry ziti pasta
  • 1 cup shredded cheese or more to taste; I use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan

Instructions
 

  • Brown beef: Set instant pot to saute and add oil. Brown beef, then stir in the onion, garlic powder, thyme, salt, pepper, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  • Deglaze: Pour the beef broth into the pot, scraping any bits off the bottom of the inner pot (not doing this correctly will trigger the burn warning!). Stir in the tomatoes and dry pasta.
  • Cook: Pressure cook for 3 minutes (for pasta that indicates more than 9 minutes of regular cooking time on the package, cook for 4 minutes), then quick release the pressure and open the pot. Stir in the cheese, cover with the lid and let sit for 3-5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
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Notes

This serves 6 for us, but if you have big eaters (teen boys!!) it might only serve 4.
Ingredient notes
  • Pasta: Use any short pasta shapes that cook in around 8 minutes – spirals, bowties or macaroni are all delicious, too
  • Liquid: Use water in place of the broth if you don’t have any on hand – simply increase the seasoning a little to make up for the lack of flavor from the broth. You can also use chicken broth in place of the beef broth if that’s what you have on hand
  • Meat: Ground Italian sausage is a great replacement for the ground beef, it adds even more flavor!
  • Extras: For more veggies, add a finely chopped carrot and a finely chopped celery stick along with the chopped onion. For extra creaminess, either stir some ricotta into the pasta in the end; or serve the pasta topped with a spoonful of ricotta cheese!
Recipe tips
  • Pressure release: Don’t do a longer natural pressure release than 1 minute, or your pasta will overcook and turn out mushy
  • Onion: Don’t skip sautéing the onion – it creates a better flavor and the onions lose their raw, biting scent only through sautéing, but not through boiling.
  • Even cooking: Try to have the ziti evenly covered with the liquids – the pasta will cook more evenly in the instant pot that way.
  • Finish: For a an easy (and delicious) finish, serve with grated parmesan and shredded basil leaves.
Have leftovers? Turn them into a baked ziti pasta casserole!
Simply add the leftovers to a casserole dish and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
When ready to cook, stir in ½ – 1 cup tomato sauce (this keeps the pasta bake from drying out). You can also dot the casserole with ricotta cheese for extra goodness.
Generously sprinkle with cheese and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly and piping hot all the way through.
Make ahead instructions/freezer instructions:
If you want to make this a couple of days ahead, I recommend following the instructions for the leftovers above.
To freeze:
Place the cooked and cooled ziti in a casserole dish. Wrap well in foil and then in aluminum foil. Label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).
To reheat, unwrap the frozen casserole. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour at 350°F, or until bubbly piping hot all the way through.
Top with cheese around 15 minutes before the baking time is up, then finish baking uncovered.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 516kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 34gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 903mgPotassium: 988mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 367IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 196mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Traditional

More easy pasta recipes

  • One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
  • Spaghetti Carbonara
  • Easy Bolognese Gnocchi Bake
  • Easy American Goulash (One Pot!)

P.S: Check out our collection of easy dinner recipes with ground beef for more ideas!

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Frances. Wiefling says

    May 12, 2022 at 1:19 am

    5 stars
    Was the best I have made in a long while. I just happened to have all of the ingredients in my pantry. I used sausage and it did give it perfect flavor.it was perfect for my supper and my grandson to take for his supper. I definitely will make it again. Thank you for the recipe

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 15, 2022 at 3:09 pm

      I’m so glad you and your grandson enjoyed the pasta, Frances!

      Reply
  2. Darcy says

    April 28, 2022 at 4:54 am

    This was the best ziti ever! It first caught my eye because of the balsamic vinegar. This ziti recipe will replace all other ones. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 30, 2022 at 11:52 am

      Darcy, I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for your kind words, it means a lot to me.

      Reply
  3. Tiffany says

    August 02, 2021 at 10:12 pm

    If I don’t have an instant pot or pressure cooker, would I use the same amount of broth? I plan to boil the noodles separately and then combine.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      August 03, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      Tiffany, if you want to make something like this on the stove, I highly recommend looking at this recipe: https://www.savorynothings.com/one-pot-rigatoni-bolognese/ — if you want to try the instant pot recipe on the stove, I would make it as written but just use a large pot on the stove instead. You can throw the pasta right into the sauce, they will just take around 12-15 minutes to cook. If you boil the pasta separately, you’ll need to skip the beef broth.

      Reply
  4. Elizabeth says

    July 21, 2020 at 2:50 pm

    4 stars
    I made some changes to the recipe. I added Italian sausage and let me pot vent naturally for 5 minutes. It was really good. I did have more grease than I would like, but I feel that was my mistake because of the sausage and hamburger meat; I should have drained the pot before adding the other ingredients.

    Reply
  5. Terresa says

    January 16, 2020 at 5:41 pm

    If making Baked Ziti and wanting to use a Jar Sauce how much would you use?

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      January 17, 2020 at 9:24 pm

      Teresa, do you mean for the instant pot baked ziti, or for regular baked ziti? For this instant pot recipe, you can use a 14-oz jar sauce. Just brown the beef and onion, stir in the beef broth and jarred sauce, dry pasta and cook as directed in the recipe. Hope that helps!

      Reply

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Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

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Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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