Eggplant Parmesan made in the Instant Pot
Eggplant Parmesan that you can make in the Instant Pot! This side dish is ready in just 15 minutes. Layers of eggplant, tomato sauce, basil and mozzerella cheese. Vegetarian and Gluten-Free.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants, sliced into 1/4" rings (the eggplant needs to be uniform in slices so it cooks evenly)
- 4 cups marinara sauce, homemade or jarred
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of the water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Layer with a few slices of eggplant, a sprinkle of cheese and cover with a very thin layer of sauce. Repeat, layering eggplant, cheese and a thin layer of sauce until all the eggplant is in the pot, ending with the remaining sauce and then a sprinkle of cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if using.
- Cover and bring the pressure to high (using the manual setting) and cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally or use a quick-release method after 3 minutes.
- Serve, garnish with fresh basil. You will likely have extra sauce, so serve this one over pasta if you'd like!
Notes
- If you read the comments you'll see that 1/2 of the people LOVE this recipe and 1/2 had it scorch on them. Here's how to prevent that:
- Make sure you have enough water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. I've tested this recipe a few times and this amount works for me. I have the smaller Instant Pot, so if you are using a larger one then you might need to add more. The first layer of eggplant should almost float so that the eggplant doesn't stick. The only downside is that you will end up with more sauce than you need so do what I do: make some pasta to put the eggplant and sauce over! It's delicious.
- The KEY is not letting the sauce touch the bottom of the pot. So, make sure your first few layers are thin and then add the rest at the end and DON'T stir.
- Make sure your Instant Pot is set to sealing when you cook it; if it's not then it won't come to pressure and the sauce will burn.
- You'll want fairly thin slices of eggplant; too thick and they won't cook through.
- For more detailed information on why some recipes burn and why some don't, read this post.
- No Instapot? No problem. A regular pressure cooker should work the same way.
- None of the above? Layer the eggplant, sauce and shredded cheese in a casserole dish and roast at 375F for 35-40 minutes until golden browned and eggplant is tender.
- Feel free to alternate layers of zucchini and eggplant in this dish as well- works great!
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 11gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 1346mgPotassium: 1276mgFiber: 11gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 1340IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 3mg