Instant pot chicken pasta made with penne pasta! This easy pressure cooker chicken pasta recipe is so simple to make and a great dish to feed the family with
It uses few pantry ingredients, yet delicious and flavourful. A very comforting food that is perfect for weeknight dinners. It also makes a great leftover too. Let me show you how to make this simple dish in your pressure cooker in easy steps.
Instant pot chicken pasta recipe
Pasta dish is one of the easiest dinners to whip up on a weeknight especially on a school night. before you know it, you are reaching out for that shop bought pasta sauce, throwing everything into the pot with the pasta, bang bang, dinner ready in half an hour.
You serve up your family the pasta dish, they eat begrudgingly because the food is bland, and they can’t tell you in other not to break your heart. They don’t ask for a second helping or want the leftover the next day. Right enough of the poem or should I say spoken words
Related post: if you love pasta and tomato sauce, then you will this gnocchi with tomato sauce. Not an instant pot recipe but definitively worth the 20 minutes you will spend making it on the stovetop.
This instant pot chicken pasta recipe is here to change the script, your family would love this. You can customise this one-pot pasta dish to suit you and your family’s needs. Make it spicy, creamy or less tomatoey. You have got this mama! Let’s cook!
Let me show you how to make the best instant pot chicken penne pasta the whole family would love. This recipe uses the same spices as Nigerian Jollof rice, very flavourful and delicious. You can use any herbs of choice to suit your taste like Italian seasoning or homemade taco seasoning.
Ingredients you will need
Penne pasta: substitute for spaghetti or any other pasta of choice
Cubed boneless skinless chicken breast
Passata: This recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to use your shop-bought pasta sauce(spaghetti or marinara sauce), don’t worry, I am not judging you.
Chicken stock: substitute with vegetable or beef stock
Sugar: you only need a little to balance out the acidity from the tomato used. Alternatively, use Worcestershire sauce.
Curry powder: hot curry powder, please do not use Caribbean curry for this recipe, they do not taste the same.
Dried thyme
Garlic granules
Red pepper flakes for some heat
Chopped onions
Olive oil
tomato puree
Salt and black pepper to season chicken
Fresh basil to garnish
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Pasta (Penne pasta)
Season the cubed chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set aside.
Turn on your instant pot and select the saute button, add olive oil to the inner pot and leave until hot. Add the chopped onions and saute until it is soft and translucent.
Carefully add the seasoned cubed chicken cubes and stir until it is white. Stirring continuously so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan (this may lead to getting a burn notice)
Pour the chicken stock over the sautéed chicken and deglaze the pan so that nothing is sticking to the bottom (this step is vital, so do not skip it)
Add the dried penne pasta (or any other pasta of choice), passata, tomato paste, curry powder, thyme, garlic granules, chilli flakes, sugar (Worcestershire sauce) and salt to taste.
Finally, add 2 cups of water and gently stir to combine. Lock your instant pot to safety then turn the valve to the sealing position. Select the pressure cook or manual button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
Once the cooking cycle is completed, leave the pot untouched for another 5 minutes to natural pressure release then carefully do a quick release. Open the instant pot and shred some fresh basil over it.
Stir to combine and serve with some shaved parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar cheese.
For instant pot cheese pasta: after opening the instant pot, sprinkle about 1 cup of desired freshly grated cheese evenly on top of the pasta, return the lid and lock for another 2 minutes so that the heat can melt the cheese.
Serve and enjoy with some homemade garlic bread.
For chicken pasta bake: Add 50g cream cheese or more to the cooked chicken pasta and mix to combine, transfer to a baking dish then sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top.
Place it in a pre-heated oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy with some cool cucumber salad.
Tips
Make this creamy chicken pasta or spaghetti by adding 50g of cream cheese. Alternatively, use heavy cream/double cream or evaporated milk!
Everybody loves melty cheese, right? Yeah, me too, add some your favourite melty cheese to this pasta dish to make it cheesy and extra creamy. The string of cheese, my oh my.
I love using freshly grated cheddar cheese or mozzarella for taste and creaminess. I don’t use shop bought pre shredded cheese in dishes like this. Pre shredded cheese does contain preservatives/ anti clumping agents like potato starch in it so it doesn’t clump up and that is why it doesn’t melt like freshly grated cheese would.
Swap the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs
You can make this instant pot pasta without chicken. It would be perfect with this honey garlic salmon or garlic chicken thighs.
Stir in some veggies like broccoli or spinach into the pasta.
How to store
One of the reasons why I love this chicken pasta is the fact that it stores well in the fridge. Portion the leftover into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Store this pasta in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight or warm in the microwave or oven from frozen
Other recipes on the blog you would love
2-in-1 recipe, instant pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Instant pot spaghetti sauce made with frozen ground beef
Pressure cooker rice and chicken
Instant pot taco meat for your Tuesday dinner
10 minutes canned tune pasta recipe
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Instant Pot Chicken Pasta (Penne Pasta)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 650 g cubed boneless chicken breast 3 large boneless chicken breasts about 1 ½ lb
- 500 g penne pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 500 g passata
- 500 ml low sodium chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- ½ tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to season chicken
- Salt to taste the overall dish
to serve
- Parmesan cheese to serve
- Fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Season the cubed chicken breasts with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Turn on your instant pot and select the saute button, add olive oil to the inner pot and leave until hot. Add the chopped onions and saute until it is soft and translucent.
- Carefully add the seasoned cubed chicken cubes and stir until it is white. Stirring continuously so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan (this may lead to getting a burn notice)
- Pour the chicken stock over the sautéed chicken and deglaze the pan so that nothing is sticking to the bottom (this step is vital, so do not skip it)
- Add the dried penne pasta (or any other pasta of choice), passata, tomato paste, curry powder, thyme, garlic granules, chilli flakes, sugar (Worcestershire sauce) and salt to taste.
- Finally, add 2 cups of water and gently stir to combine. Lock your instant pot to safety then turn the valve to the sealing position. Select the pressure cook or manual button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once the cooking cycle is completed, leave the pot untouched for another 5 minutes to natural pressure release then carefully do a quick release. Open the instant pot and shred some fresh basil over it.
- Stir to combine and serve with some shaved parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
Serve and enjoy with some homemade garlic bread. For chicken pasta bake: Add 50g cream cheese or more to the cooked chicken pasta and mix to combine, transfer to a baking dish then sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top.
Place it in a pre-heated oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
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