Instant Pot Ratatouille is the quick and easy way to prepare ratatouille!  It’s healthy, flavorful and on the table in about 30 minutes!

bowl of instant pot ratatouille with spoon in the bowl and bread alongside

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.

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.

overhead shot of bowl of ratatouille on cutting board with spoon

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. I absolutely loved it and created my own ratatouille recipe shortly thereafter.

It normally takes a while to cook in order to bring the vegetables to a tender, unctuous state, but this Instant Pot Ratatouille will enable you to get it on your table in under 30 minutes.

overhead shot of ratatouille in the instant pot

In cooking school we used red wine in our ratatouille, but I discovered while testing the recipe 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.

The Instant Pot makes this dish 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. 🙂

bowl of instant pot ratatouille topped with basil

Recipe notes

  • 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 with crusty bread, or over pasta, quinoa or polenta.
bowl of ratatouille with spoon inside and bread

More ratatouille recipes you’ll love:

If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or rating below, or tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

bowl of instant pot ratatouille with spoon in the bowl and bread alongside

Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille

Easy Instant Pot Ratatouille is a classic french vegetable stew made with the pressure cooker in under 30 minutes!
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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

Calories: 173kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 128mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 9g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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