Instant Pot® Ratatouille Pasta

Prep 25 min
Total 50 min
Servings 6

Consider this dish a problem-solving variation on a classic. Ratatouille is a richly-seasoned, but not heavy, French vegetable stew featuring tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and more summer vegetables. The trouble is that those veggies are at their best during a season when it’s too hot to stew anything. That’s why this recipe is so ingenious. It puts the Instant Pot® to good use, so your kitchen can stay cool. Not only that, but this recipe turns this classic side into a hearty main dish with the addition of pasta. If you’ve yet to try making a one-pot pasta in your machine, you’re about to be wowed. The Instant Pot® sauté function makes it easy to overcome one of the trickiest aspects of making ratatouille: cooking a variety of vegetables—each with different ideal cook times—perfectly. Onions and peppers get softened with a quick sauté before being combined with softer vegetables and pasta to pressure cook. The end result is a silky-smooth and absolutely delectable vegetarian dish that will satisfy everyone—avowed carnivores included!

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated February 10, 2020

Make with

Progresso Broth

Ingredients

2

tablespoons olive oil
2

cups chopped yellow onions
2

medium red bell peppers, cut in 1-inch squares
2

teaspoons herbes de provence
1 1/4

teaspoons salt
2

medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/2-inch slices (2 cups)
1/2

small eggplant, quartered lengthwise and cut in 1/2-inch slices (2 cups)
6

cloves garlic, chopped
1

can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
2

cups Progresso™ vegetable broth (from 32-oz carton)
12

oz uncooked farfalle pasta (4 1/3 cups)
1/2

cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz)
1/4

cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1/4

cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Steps

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1

On 6-quart Instant Pot®, select SAUTE; adjust to normal. Heat oil in insert. Add onions, bell peppers, herbes de provence and salt; cook 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2

Stir in zucchini, eggplant and garlic. Select CANCEL.
3

Stir in tomatoes and broth, then pasta. Secure lid; set pressure valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL; cook on high pressure 7 minutes. Select CANCEL. Set pressure valve to VENTING to quick-release pressure.
4

Immediately stir mixture 1 to 2 minutes or until pasta is completely separated. Pasta will appear to be stuck together but will separate while stirring. Top with cheese and herbs.

Onions should always be sautéed before being added to liquid that will be boiled. Sautéing not only creates appetizing aroma, it also means better flavor—onions will not lose their acrid, raw scent and taste by simply boiling them. Sautéing the onions and bell peppers before pressure cooking adds variation to the dish’s texture.
Ratatouille is a vegetable stew from Provence, a province of southern France. While there are a multitude of recipes for this classic (and its Italian cousins), most recipes include same variation of the following vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, red bell pepper. Typically, this dish is considered a side or appetizer and can be served at any temperature. Betty’s version adds pasta for a heartier one-pot pasta meal.
Herbes de Provence is a French herb blend named for the same province from which ratatouille originates. Herbs typically included are thyme, oregano, rosemary, lavender, savory and marjoram. It should be available in the spice section of most major grocery stores.
Cooking Vegetarian? Always read labels to make sure each recipe ingredient is vegetarian. Products and ingredient sources can change.