Here is a delicious meal featuring eggplant that you can easily make in an Instant Pot. It is like ratatouille but with whole-grain spaghetti included to make it a full meal. It’s rich in nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber, plus very low in saturated fat. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can cook the vegetables and sauce on the stovetop for longer until the vegetables are done to your liking, then stir in cooked whole-grain linguini or your favorite pasta.
Ingredient Notes
Eggplant: I chose a medium-sized one. Sometimes the larger ones can be bitter. You can also use Japanese-style eggplants. They are narrow and about two would work for this recipe. I didn’t salt the eggplant before using it for this recipe. Here are some great tips for using Eggplant as a Meat Alternative from Alex Caspero, MA, RD, CLT, and the Produce for Better Health Foundation.
Zucchini: My favorite is green zucchini. I chose 2 medium-sized ones. A large one may be enough, and you could also use a combination of zucchini and yellow summer squash.
Tomatoes: I recommend canned tomatoes for the consistency and more concentrated flavor. Choose low-sodium tomatoes in BPA-free cans: I am finding these more available now, even from some store brands. If you are using fresh tomatoes, plum tomatoes would work well, and remove the skin and seeds first.
Garlic – I used large cloves, smashed them on the side with a chef’s knife, and minced them. If you are out of fresh garlic, substitute with a half of a teaspoon of powdered garlic, or more, per your preference. Just add that right before you start pressure cooking.
Onions: I used a yellow onion. Red or white onions would be fine too. If you don’t have these, try shallots or the white part of scallions.
Herbs de Provence: This usually includes rosemary, basil, marjoram, thyme, and lavender. It may also include fennel, oregano, tarragon, mint, or savory. Feel free to substitute with a combination of these individual herbs.
Some supermarkets carry herbs de Provence, as well as big-box stores and kitchenware shops. I bought some at the Peace Valley Lavender Farm that I love: plus it is beautiful to see the lavender in bloom and fun to browse and sniff all of their products.
How to Make Mediterranean Style Eggplant Pasta in an Instant Pot
First, turn the Instant Pot on saute and medium, set for 5 minutes. Add in the olive oil and eggplant, onions, and salt. Don’t go anywhere…keep an eye on it and stir it occasionally. Then after 4 and a half minutes, add the chopped garlic. Next, add the zucchini. Mix everything well.
On top of this, add the tomatoes without stirring. Place the broken spaghetti on top, pour the water on top, and press it in gently to the liquid. Set the Instant Pot on high for 5 minutes, and turn off the keep warm setting. After the 5 minutes is done, allow for natural pressure release for 5 minutes.
Then, carefully release the pressure. Open the pot, stir the pasta and vegetables, and you are all set.
FAQs
Q: How can I avoid the “burn” alarm on the Instant Pot?
A: Be sure to place the tomatoes on top of the mixture. Don’t mix them into the rest of the vegetables. And don’t forget the water.
Q: How can I prevent the zucchini from getting mushy?
A: Zucchini cooks very quickly. That’s why I don’t saute it at all. The 5 minutes of pressure cooking with the rest of the dish works out great.
Q: Can I use regular pasta in this recipe?
A: Yes. I didn’t test it with white pasta, but it should work out fine.
If you would like to make this meal more filling or higher in protein, you can top it with chopped nuts, sauteed tempeh, or baked tofu.
Related Recipes You May Enjoy
Here are some more vegan recipes you may want to try:
- 32 Vegan Eggplant recipes
- Crispy Baked Eggplant
- One Pan Pasta with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
- Sesame Sweet Potatoes with Green Onions
- Easy Kabocha Squash and Collard Greens with Pasta
- Thai Peanut Tempeh with Rice
Mediterranean Eggplant Pasta – an Instant Pot Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 (15 ounce) medium eggplant peeled and chopped
- 1 (5 ounce) onion, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (12 ounces) zucchini chopped
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes canned, reduced sodium
- 8 -12 ounces water
- 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti uncooked, broken in half
- 1 teaspoon herbs d'Provence
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot on saute – medium for 5 minutes. Add olive oil to the inner pot and heat for 30 seconds. Add eggplant, onions, and salt. Stir occasionally and saute for 4 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Then saute setting should be done.
- Add zucchini, herbs de Provence, basil, and black pepper, and stir. Pour diced tomatoes over the top of this mixture without stirring.
- Place broken spaghetti on top of the vegetable mixture. Pour 8 – 12 oz. of water on top as needed to all spaghetti is moist.
- Set pressure on high for 5 minutes. Turn off the keep warm setting.
- After pressure cooking is done, allow for atural pressure release for 5 minutes. Then, carefully release pressure manually.
- Stir, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you tried this eggplant linguini, please leave a comment and let me know how you liked it!
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I love the flavors in this pasta. I also love how easy it is to make for my family. Two thumbs up!
Love this eggplant based pasta! Great for the Instant Pot when you want a dinner quickly and hands off.
Mmm eggplants with pasta, i love it!
this eggplant pasta turned out perfect and my family loved it!
I’m so glad you liked it, Maayke. Thanks for letting me know!
Such a delicious dish!! I’ll be making this one often!
I’m always looking for new things to do with the instant pot and I will be trying this for sure.
Oh, this sounds amazing. I love using my Instant Pot and can’t wait to get the ingredients to give this a go.
This is such a great recipe! I used edamame pasta instead of wheat and it turned out great.
Hi Kathleen. That is a nice idea plus I bet it is higher in protein. I haven’t tried it before but I will keep a lookout for it.
YUM! I love eggplant (or ‘aubergine’ as I would call it!) with pasta 😀
Thank you, Eb. It is an easy make-ahead meal too!
I’ve seen so many gorgeous Instant Pot recipes recently and this one sounds delicious! I really must get myself an Instant Pot – all those lovely Mediterranean flavours – yum!
Thank you, Kate. I was holding off on getting one for a while, thinking that it is too big and I would have no place to put it (true) and that I wouldn’t use it (false). It is quite fun to use and I often use it for cooking potatoes, vegetables, broth, soup, and beans.
I never thought to put eggplant in pasta. This looks amazing! Definitely going to try as a weeknight meal!
What a great pasta recipe. We always grow zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes every summer, so saving this to try with our fresh veggies!
I think it would be a good solution to excess zucchini!
Love the idea of a ratatouille pasta. I’m still finding my way with aubergine, which I’ve only started to eat with any enjoyment over the last few years. But this sounds perfectly doable and delicious.