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Lots of people make Ratatouille when it’s zucchini season, but Instant Pot Ratatouille takes this famous recipe to a whole new level! And this tasty Ratatouille is easy, quick, delicious, and low in carbs!
PIN the Instant Pot Ratatouille to try it later!
Zucchini season is winding down, so for today’s Friday Favorites pick I’m reminding you to make this Instant Pot Ratatouille to use the zucchini, yellow summer squash, bell peppers, and tomatoes that are so good this time of year. And Ratatouille reheats beautifully, so it’s also great for Weekend Food Prep!
I try to be mature and not gush too much over my recipes, but seriously this Instant Pot Ratatouille is one of the best things I’ve made in the Instant Pot and also one of the tastiest recipes I’ve ever made with zucchini. And for someone who has quite a few good Instant Pot recipes and over 50 Zucchini Recipes, that’s really saying something.
I seasoned the Ratatouille with fresh thyme and Italian Herb Blend, and stirred in lots of chopped fresh basil. The day we tested the recipe I heated up a big bowl of this and called it dinner, and I’ve enjoyed all the leftovers. And I thought some freshly grated Parmesan cheese added at the table was the perfect finishing touch even though it’s not traditional for Ratatouille!
What is Ratatouille?
In case you aren’t familiar with this popular dish, Ratatouille is a French vegetable stew that uses summer produce like zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes, and it’s seasoned with garlic, onion, and fresh herbs. There are endless variations and preparation methods, but Ratatouille is without a doubt one of the most famous dishes ever created for using zucchini.
Why is making Ratatouille in the Instant Pot such a great idea?
Even if you’ve been making Ratatouille for years, I am URGING you to try this Instant Pot version. Instant Pot Ratatouille rocked my world! Pressure cooking for a very short time makes this so easy and keeps the vegetables bright tasting and colorful and infuses the finished dish with flavor.
What inspired me to make Instant Pot Ratatouille?
I’ve been intrigued with Ratatouille recipes ever since I took my nephews Mitch and Ethan to see the movie about this famous dish (quite a few years ago, lol.) But truthfully, when I heard about Ratatouille made in the Instant Pot I was skeptical. I worried the zucchini would turn to mush if it was pressure cooked, so for my version I kept all the vegetable pieces quite large and used a very short cooking time. And it was so delicious, with the vegetables cooked just enough!
What Vegetables did I use for Instant Pot Ratatouille?
I used a mix of zucchini and yellow squash, both red and yellow bell pepper, Roma tomatoes, and skipped the eggplant for my Ratatouille made in the Instant Pot.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.
What Size Instant Pot Did I Use?
I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes! You can find more Instant Pot Recipes on my other site, Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker, including a whole round-up of Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Ratatouille Recipes.
See the Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes:
Check out The Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes on Kalyn’s Kitchen for more zucchini recipes that are low in carbs like this one!
How to Make Instant Pot Ratatouille:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Cut up onion and peppers.
- Cut zucchini into pieces.
- Chop up Roma tomatoes.
- Finely chop the fresh thyme and coarsely chop the fresh basil.
- Measure 1/2 cup of chicken stock, or use vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT, heat one tablespoon olive oil, then add the onions, garlic, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper.
- Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Add zucchini, summer squash, chopped fresh thyme, and Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link) and cook about 2 minutes more.
- Add tomatoes and broth. Lock lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH HEAT.
- Cook for three minutes, then QUICK RELEASE.
- Stir in the chopped basil and other 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese to add at the table.
Make Ratatouille into a Low-Carb Meal:
This Instant Pot Ratatouille would be a great low-carb side dish for something like Chicken Souvlaki, Grilled Cuban Flank Steak, Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Sauce, Maple Glazed Salmon, or Slow Cooked Salmon with Butter, Capers, Garlic, and Lemon.
More Recipes to Use Up the Zucchini!
Ingredients
- 1 T + 2 T olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large yellow bell pepper
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 1 medium yellow summer squash
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (see notes)
- 2 tsp. dried Italian Herb Blend
- 3 large Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (or more)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Cut up onion and peppers into pieces about 1 inch square, or even a bit larger if you prefer.
- Cut up zucchini into pieces slightly larger than 1 inch. (I cut off the ends, cut them in fourths lengthwise, and then sliced the strips into pieces about 1 1/4 inch wide.)
- Chop up Roma tomatoes into pieces about 1 inch square.
- Wash the fresh herbs in a salad spinner (affiliate link) if needed, or wash and dry with paper towels.
- Finely chop the fresh thyme and coarsely chop the fresh basil.
- Measure 1/2 cup of chicken stock, or use vegetable stock if you prefer.
- Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT, heat one tablespoon olive oil, then add the onions, garlic, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper.
- Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Add zucchini, summer squash, chopped fresh thyme, and Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link) and cook about 2 minutes more.
- Add tomatoes and broth. Lock lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH HEAT.
- Cook for three minutes, then QUICK RELEASE the pressure.
- Stir in the chopped basil and other 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese to add at the table.
Notes
You can use any combination of peppers, zucchini, summer squash, and tomatoes you prefer and even add eggplant if you prefer. If you don’t have fresh thyme use 1/2 tsp. dried thyme.
Recipe inspired by many Ratatouille recipes I saw online and in cookbooks, but especially The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook (affiliate link) by Laurel Randolph.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 134Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 8mgSodium 186mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Everything in this Instant Pot Ratatouille recipe is a relatively low-carb vegetable or ingredient, and this recipe will work for low-carb diet plans and would also be approved for all phases of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would recommend a moderate amount of Parmesan cheese.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipes:
Instant Pot Ratatouille was posted in August 2020, when I was thinking of ways to use up zucchini! It was last updated with more information in the summer of 2023.
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