This comforting one-pot pasta bake starts with the Instant Pot doing double duty: browning rich ground beef, softening onion and garlic, and building a deeply savory tomato sauce with crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth, all before the ziti even finishes cooking right in that same sauce. A quick pressure cook turns dry pasta into perfectly tender noodles coated in a thick, clingy sauce, no separate pot of boiling water required. From there, a creamy ricotta and Parmesan mixture gets dropped over the top along with a generous layer of mozzarella, then broiled until it's bubbling and deeply golden. Torn fresh basil finishes it off with a bright, herby lift. Because you're building every layer of flavor yourself with real aromatics, oregano, and red pepper flakes rather than relying on a jarred sauce, this one is easy to keep in line with an added salt–conscious kitchen. It's a satisfying, cheesy weeknight dinner that still feels like a baked pasta from scratch.
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Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (high). Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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