Weeknight Dinners

Instant Pot Unbaked Ziti

Name: Instant Pot Unbaked Ziti
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup (8 oz) of ricotta cheese; 1 large egg; 1 tsp of dried parsley; 1/2 tsp of kosher salt; 5 ⅕ oz of Boursin cheese (either Garlic & Herb or Shallot & Chive flavors will work. This can be found in the cheese/cured meat deli section in most markets and Costco also sells it in 3 packs for a great price. If you cannot find Boursin, 5 oz from a brick of cream cheese will work well too); 8 oz bag (2 cups) of shredded mozzarella cheese; 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese; 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 1 tbsp of crushed garlic; 1-1.5 lbs of ground beef (I used 90% lean as this is best for ziti meat so it doesn’t get too oily as we won’t drain the meat); 4 cups of a marinara sauce of your choice – just make sure it’s not TOO thick (I love the Victoria brand); 3 cups of water or chicken broth (add 1 more cup if using an 8qt over a 6qt); 1-2 tbsp (or more) of hot sauce (optional); 1 lb box of Ziti (I used Ziti Rigati because I like the ridges)

6 servings

servings

5 minutes

active time

18 minutes

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

1 cup (8 oz) of ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1 tsp of dried parsley

1/2 tsp of kosher salt

5 ⅕ oz of Boursin cheese (either Garlic & Herb or Shallot & Chive flavors will work. This can be found in the cheese/cured meat deli section in most markets and Costco also sells it in 3 packs for a great price. If you cannot find Boursin, 5 oz from a brick of cream cheese will work well too)

8 oz bag (2 cups) of shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tbsp of crushed garlic

1-1.5 lbs of ground beef (I used 90% lean as this is best for ziti meat so it doesn’t get too oily as we won’t drain the meat)

4 cups of a marinara sauce of your choice – just make sure it’s not TOO thick (I love the Victoria brand)

3 cups of water or chicken broth (add 1 more cup if using an 8qt over a 6qt)

1-2 tbsp (or more) of hot sauce (optional)

1 lb box of Ziti (I used Ziti Rigati because I like the ridges)

Directions

Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and then hit “Sauté” and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Let the oil heat for about 2 minutes

Next, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes until lightly softened and lightly translucent/browned and then add in garlic and cook for another minute

Then, add in the ground beef. Stir constantly as it cooks so it crumbles and browns for 2 mins. Make sure you deglaze (scrape) the bottom of the pot as it cooks so nothing sticks to it

Pour in the marinara sauce and water (and hot sauce if using). Stir well

Lastly, add in the ziti noodles and just smooth them out so they’re submerged in the sauce (DO NOT STIR)

Secure the lid, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done

While the pasta’s cooking, combine the ricotta, egg, dried parsley and salt in a mixing bowl

When the lid comes off, stir in the ricotta mixture (don’t worry – the raw egg will quickly be cooked by the heat from the pot’s contents), Boursin, mozzarella and parmesan

Stir everything until well combined, top with some extra parmesan if desired and serve with my amazing garlic bread (follow steps 3 and 4 of this recipe to make it)! (Note: If you wish to make this a baked ziti, check out the “Jeffrey Sez” section of the recipe)

Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving Size

Calories

1031

Total Fat

58 g

Saturated Fat

24 g

Unsaturated Fat

26 g

Trans Fat

2 g

Cholesterol

264 mg

Sodium

1887 g

Total Carbohydrate

44 g

Dietary Fiber

5 g

Total Sugars

11 g

Protein

78 g