Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille
Instant Pot Ratatouille is the quick and easy way to prepare ratatouille! It’s healthy, flavorful and on the table in about 30 minutes!
I’m always torn during the month of September. I don’t mind the cooler temperatures or the color of the leaves telling me that fall is right around the corner because fall is my favorite season.
What’s difficult is the transition from summer food to fall. One minute I crave soups and chili, and the next minute I want salad.
Needless to say, soup and salad has been on the menu a lot. 🙂
There’s one dish in particular that I think of every September because tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini and basil are all in peak season.
You guessed it! That dish is ratatouille.
Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille
If the only exposure you’ve had to ratatouille is the animated movie, don’t worry because I’m going to give you a little background on one of my favorite dishes.
Ratatouille is a classic french vegetable stew that’s rustic and soul warming. A traditional ratatouille recipe normally includes tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers and zucchini and is finished with fresh basil.
The first time I ever experienced ratatouille was in cooking school, and I posted an adaptation of that recipe here.
Normally ratatouille takes a considerable amount of time to cook in order to bring the vegetables to a tender, unctuous state, but this Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille will enable you to get it on your table in under 30 minutes.
In cooking school we used red wine in our ratatouille, but I discovered while testing the recipe for this Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille that it’s just not needed.
I decided to use some tomato paste to give this dish more pronounced tomato flavor instead. The pressure cooker worked it’s magic and concentrated the flavors of the vegetables, herbs and tomato paste even more, making this the best ratatouille recipe I’ve made.
Making ratatouille is very easy, and the Instant Pot makes it even easier! Prep your veggies and give the onion and garlic a quick sauté, then add the eggplant and sauté for 4 minutes more.
Add the bell peppers and zucchini, and sauté 1 minute longer, then stir in the tomatoes, paste, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
The cooking time for the ratatouille is only 2 minutes, and the result is a melt in your mouth vegetable stew. 🙂
Recipe Tips
If you have an abundance of tomatoes in your summer garden, consider substituting the canned diced tomatoes with 2-3 chopped fresh tomatoes.
While you can certainly use dried thyme and rosemary, fresh herbs really make a difference in this recipe.
Ratatouille is a great meal prep recipe! It will keep for about 5 days stored in an air tight container in the fridge and it also freezes very well.
Serve the ratatouille with crusty bread, or over pasta, quinoa or polenta.
More Ratatouille inspiration:
Ratatouille pasta by Bon Appetit
Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 onion peeled, halved and sliced along the lines
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium eggplant or 3 small Japanese eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 red bell pepper chopped in 1" chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped in 1" chunks
- 2 medium zucchini cut into 1" pieces
- 14 ounces low sodium diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
Instructions
- Select the Sauté option on the Instant Pot and set it for 7 minutes, then add one tablespoon of the olive oil. Once the olive oil has heated, sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until the onions are slightly softened.
- Add two more tablespoons of olive oil and the eggplant, and sauté 4 minutes more.
- Add the last remaining tablespoon of olive oil along with the bell pepper and zucchini, and sauté 1 minute longer.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, herbs, salt and black pepper to taste and stir until well combined.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot securely and set to cook at High Pressure for 2 minutes. When the ratatouille is done cooking, quick release the pressure and remove the lid when the pressure has been released.
- Remove the bay leaf and herb sprigs, then stir in the capers, fresh basil and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
- Serve with crusty bread or over pasta, quinoa or polenta. Enjoy!
Notes
- 2 large fresh tomatoes may be used in place of the canned tomatoes if desired.
- While you can certainly use dried thyme and rosemary, fresh herbs really make a difference in this recipe.
- Ratatouille is a great meal prep recipe! It will keep for about 5 days stored in an air tight container in the fridge and also freezes well.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
24 Comments on “Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille”
It’s been years since I’ve made ratatouille and your photos are looking so inviting! I’m still new to the Instant Pot so I’ve been trying to use it as much as possible – this is looking like such a marvelous IP adventure!
Thank you Julia! I’m starting to use my IP more and more…it’s definitely my favorite kitchen appliance!
I’m with you, ratatouille is a great dish to make this time of the year! Plus it’s nice and healthy, and a great way to get those veggies in.
Yes…I love that it’s packed with veggies especially for the days that I’m not craving salad. 🙂
I’m the same way with food in September! I LOVE fall but I also don’t want summer to end, so I feel like I eat a mix of things. This ratatouille looks so good, Marcie! I love that you made an instant pot version. I have to try this out!
I’m glad I’m not the only one! Thanks Gayle! 🙂
I’ll always be a summer girl, but there’s no doubt that fall is the prettiest time of year! I feel you on the soup/salad limbo! This ratatouille will be in mind for one of those cooler fall days when I need something cozy!
Thank you Katherine!
Ratatouille is my LOVE LANGUAGE! I am seriously loving so much that this is made in the instant pot! Perfect way for me to get my fix without taking hours to prep it! 🙂
There’s just something so magical about ratatouille isn’t there?! Thanks Sarah!
haha oh man I know what you mean. My dinner menu is all over the place in September. I go from cozy meals to light summer recipes! This ratatouille would be perfect for using up everything in my CSA box! Looks wonderful!
Thanks Ashley!
Just made this and it’s delicious. I added a bit more garlic and didn’t have capers so I substituted green olives. I was concerned that 2 minutes of pressure cooking wouldn’t be enough but it was absolutely perfect. Vegetables were fork tender but not mush. I served it over jasmine rice along with freshly baked pita bread. This recipe is a keeper.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the ratatouille Debby — thank you for leaving your feedback!
Great recipe! It’s featured on my blog’s Recipe Round-Up of 15 unique dishes using red pepper, many of which are vegan, gluten and oil-free. https://ohmeats.com/blog-1/2019/09/09/2019-9-8-recipe-round-up-15-unique-red-pepper-dishes/
Thank you Jenna, and I appreciate the share!
Do you think I can add potato? If so, would you change the amount of time in the pressure cooker?
Hi Rosa — i think this would work with one potato cut into 1 – 1.5” cubes. I wouldn’t add any extra time as that would make the vegetables mush. Hope this helps!
I’ve made this twice now. The first time it was absolutely amazing and everyone loved it. The second time I doubled it up in my 8-quart, but it didn’t turn out well and it was universally disliked due to a lack of flavor. I’ve thought about it and I’m pretty sure it’s because I used a lesser quality canned diced tomato and tomato paste. The first time I used San Marizano canned tomatoes and paste. The second time I used cheap hunts canned tomatoes and cento tomato paste. Flavor was just not there. The tomatoes really make this dish come together so I would highly recommend to everyone making this to use the absolute best quality tomatoes they can to acquire for good results.
You’re so right Harry — San Marzano tomatoes are important to giving this dish extra flavor. Thank you for sharing your feedback!
What size instapot do you do this in? If I double the recipe would it fit in a 4L?
I have a 6 quart. As long as it’s under the fill line you’re good to go!
I liked all the ingredients in this recipe but there wasn’t enough liquid to avoid the “burn” of the instant pot. It still came out okay as I needed to improvise, but I am thinking next time I will add some vegetable broth.
I’m sorry you ran into that problem — it has never happened to me! Glad it ended up working out for you though!