Today, I’m tackling homemade instant pot eggplant Parmesan. Cheesy, saucy, delicious Italian classic eggplant Parmesan made simple in the instant pot!
I’m so excited. Every year on my birthday, I order eggplant Parmesan from a local restaurant that has a complimentary birthday meal.
Why? Because it’s kind of a pain to make eggplant Parmesan myself and, I really shouldn’t have the wheat (I skip the noodles, but it’s still lightly breaded). And, because I love eggplant Parmesan!
I’m a superfan of risotto, too. It’s a toss-up between those two for all-time favorite Italian dish. And what’s up with most everyday Italian places not having risotto on the menu anymore? Sad. So, for the 364 (or sometimes 365) in between my birthdays) I need to come up with an easier way to make a gluten-free version at home.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my eggplant tian. It’s delicious and it’s pretty close to eggplant parm, so it nearly satisfies that desire, but if I really want parm it’s not quite right. And my more recent discovery of chickpea Parmesan is absolutely fantastic. And so simple!
But again, it’s not the same. So, today, we’re doing it. We’re going full eggplant parm. Well, minus the breading. Because, honestly, to me, that’s not the important part. I do have a recipe coming up in the future for eggplant parm bites that are breaded and are more like nuggets. But for now, we’re going with thin slivers of eggplant, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
1 small eggplant, sliced thin
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup mozzarella, for serving
fresh basil, for serving
Instant Pot Method
Place all ingredients except mozzarella and basil in instant pot and cook on low pressure for 30 minutes.
Note: If your marinara is thicker, you can also use the pot-in-pot method to prevent the burn warning. Use a smaller oven-safe dish, or the inner pot for a 3-quart instant pot for your food. Then, pour 1 cup of water in your larger instant pot. Place the trivet in the bottom and the smaller pot with the food inside on top before cooking.
Top with cheese and basil.
Serve over noodles.
Slow Cooker Method
Place all ingredients except mozzarella and basil in slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
Top with cheese and basil.
Serve over noodles.
Eggplant Parmesan
Today, I'm tackling homemade instant pot eggplant Parmesan. Cheesy, saucy, delicious Italian classic eggplant Parmesan made simple in the instant pot!
Ingredients
- 1 small eggplant, sliced thin
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella, for serving
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except mozzarella and basil in instant pot and cook on low pressure for 30 minutes.
- Top with cheese and basil. (Cover and switch to saute mode or pop under your oven broiler for 5 minutes if you want to melt the cheese.)
- Serve over noodles.
