Ratatouille is a dish that takes a lot of love and care.

You can easily make this classic French recipe at home, but without the time requirements of the original.

With the help of an instant pot, this is the perfect way to create a one-of-a-kind veggie delight.

Ingredients

The ingredients are colorful, which makes sense when you marvel at the look of the finished dish. That is why ratatouille is considered a comfort food.

In the movie it was called a peasant dish due to the inexpensive cost of the ingredients – this is also true.

Don’t let the long ingredient dish fool you, as this recipe remains one of the best values in the kitchen to feed eight people.

2 medium-size heirloom tomatoes, sliced into thin (about 1/4 in.) rounds
2 small red onions, sliced into thin (about 1/4 in.) rounds
1 large zucchini, sliced into thin (about 1/4 in.) rounds
1 large yellow squash, sliced into thin (about 1/4 in.) rounds
1 medium eggplant, sliced into thin (about 1/4 in.) rounds
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
Fresh basil and grated Parmesan, for serving

Preparation

Presentation, presentation, presentation! You save so much time with the actual cooking of ratatouille, so take great care when slicing the vegetables.

Believe it or not, a sloppily made meal can taste different than one that is made to look presentable.

After your vegetables are cut, sprinkle them evenly with the oregano, sea salt, pepper and thyme.

Using a ramekin or similar six cup dish, spread the marinara sauce on the bottom.

Then begin to layer the vegetables into a tight spiral. There is no order here, but alternating between each will give you a chance at more flavor per bite.

Once the spiral is done, sprinkle it with garlic. Repeat this for each additional layer, but don’t forget to add the original spices to each!

Place the water into your instant pot and put everything in place.

With a six-minute timer, you can walk away until it’s all done. After the original timer expires, wait another six minutes for the pressure to release.

Sprinkle with basil, parmesan and extra marinara when serving.

Tips

Grilled salmon is an underrated protein to pair with ratatouille. If you want to enjoy wine with this meal, rose’ is an exceptional choice to bring everything together.

This recipe can also be accomplished in a slow cooker.

A crockpot on low should be able to make this dish in about 7-9 hours – do not use the high setting!

Main Course or Side Dish?

Ratatouille is diverse enough to stand on its own, or to be used as the highlight to a protein.

The choice is yours, but the great taste of the meal will always be top notch.

Put your love into this recipe and watch as the magic happens right before your eyes.