Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan Pasta

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Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan Pasta is a fast dump and go dinner with eggplant in a cheesy Italian-flavored tomato sauce with penne pasta and crisp bread crumbs. 

Instant Pot eggplant parmigiana in a ramekin topped with panko bread crumbs and ready to serve

This easy eggplant parmesan recipe comes from the Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre. I adapted the recipe slightly by using panko for a crisp, golden crust on this cheesy and melty eggplant parm.

This is a must-try recipe for anyone looking for a fast and fuss-free weeknight dinner loved by kids and adults. It also happens to be vegetarian for meatless Monday!  

We love all of Urvashi’s cookbooks—we’ve reviewed them here and here. And you can find more of her amazing recipes at twosleevers.com. Jump to the bottom to see our full cookbook review.

Eggplant parmigiana served with garlic bread and garnished with fresh parsley on a plate in front of an Instant Pot.

How to Make Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan

This Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan recipe works in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the  Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

This is truly a dump-and-go recipe. You’ll add all of the ingredients to the pressure cooker, including the pasta, eggplant and tomato sauce ingredients. 

Then seal on the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. When you remove the lid, your pasta will be fully cooked and the eggplant will be tender in a flavor-packed tomato sauce. 

Add a crisp panko and cheese topping for a truly crowd-pleasing dish in minutes! 

Getting a Crispy Crust on Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan

Of course, everyone’s favorite part of eggplant parm is the cheesy, crispy crust. To complete the dish after pressure cooking, transfer it to a baking dish.

Cover the dish with grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese and panko breadcrumbs and set it under the broiler for a few minutes. Watch it crisp up to golden perfection and dig in!

Overhead picture of Instant Pot eggplant parmigiana in a ramekin, topped with panko and ready to serve.

How to Cut Eggplant

To ensure your eggplant cooks evenly, you want to dice it into even cubes. 

  1. Start by peeling the vegetable with a peeler. 
  2. Then trim off the ends and stand the eggplant up on the flat bottom.
  3. Slice the eggplant into 3-4 ½-inch planks, depending on the size of your eggplant. 
  4. Stack the planks on your cutting board then cut them lengthwise into ½-inch sticks.
  5. Finally, divide the sticks into ½-inch cubes. 
Eggplant parmigiana plated next to garlic bread and garnished with fresh parsley, and placed in front of an Instant Pot.

More One-Pot Instant Pot Dinners

Here are more fast and easy one-pot recipes to make in your Instant Pot:

Pressure Cooker eggplant parmigiana plated next to garlic bread and placed front of sliced bread and the serving dish.

About the Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook

Again, this easy eggplant parmesan recipe comes from the cookbook Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre.

Picture collage featuring the cover of the Instant Pot Vegetarian cookbook along with images from the inside of the book

My first impression is that this cookbook is easy to read and full of gorgeous color photographs. The recipes are clear and there are helpful hints and discussions sprinkled throughout.

The cookbook is divided by major ingredients (Vegetables, Lentils and Beans, Rice and Grains, Eggs and Cheese, and Desserts), and nearly all recipes are 10 ingredients or less. 

Also, If you’re trying to accommodate any major allergies or diet types (egg-free, nut-free, gluten-free), the back of the book contains a really useful Chart of Dietary Considerations that lists all the recipes by diet. 

If you’re vegetarian—OR if you just want to add more delicious meatless meals to your diet—I absolutely recommend this cookbook.


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Instant Pot eggplant parmigiana in a ramekin topped with panko bread crumbs and ready to serve

Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Additional Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan has tender eggplant and penne pasta in a flavorful tomato sauce with a crisp cheesy crust. 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups peeled and diced eggplant
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper*
  • 9 ounces penne pasta (2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1.5 cups (8-ounce tub) small mozzarella balls

Instructions

    Place eggplant, tomatoes, water, onions, butter, garlic, tomato paste, dried Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes in the pressure cooking pot and stir.

    Add pasta, and stir. (I know it doesn’t look like there will be enough water to cook the pasta, because the vegetables will release a lot of water.) 

    Lock the lid in place and select High Pressure and a 7 minute cook time. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes and finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. 

    In a small bowl, use a fork to mix panko and shredded parmesan cheese. Add melted butter and stir to combine; set aside.

    Preheat the broiler. Add the mozzarella balls to the pasta and transfer the pasta to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and broil for 2-3 minutes.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook

*originally 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 1159mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 13g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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