Making Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta is the perfect solution for dinner on busy weeknights. This easy meal relies on simple ingredients to prepare a creamy and delicious pasta recipe that's sure to be a hit at the dinner table. It cooks up in about 30 minutes and requires only a fraction of that time for hands-on preparation.
I love to cook! I guess that's why I have a food blog!! But there are times when I need meals that don't require tons of time to prepare. Using the Instant Pot is one way to make cooking meals for weekdays easier especially when time is short. This creamy garlic chicken pasta is just the answer and it's always a crowd-pleaser for dinner.
Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
This was inspired by my other chicken parmesan recipe on Kitchen Divas, and pairs well with a side of these pizza dough breadsticks to soak up all the yummy sauce. You can get lots of ideas of what to serve on the side in this guide to What to Serve With Chicken Parmesan.
If you like using the Instant Pot during the week to make easy meals, you might also like to try making Corned Beef Brisket and Veggies or Instant Pot Ham.
Ingredients
This recipe is prepared using simple ingredients you already have on hand or can pick up at just about any grocery store.
- Chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Onion
- Chicken broth
- Penne pasta
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Spaghetti sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
See the recipe card further down on the page for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Instructions
This easy instant pot chicken pasta recipe takes only a few steps to prepare for serving up as a busy weeknight dinner.
Step 1: Saute the Chicken
Add the olive oil, cut chicken, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to the Instant Pot. Set to the SAUTE setting and cook the chicken until it is almost cooked all the way through. Add the onions and cook until the chicken is completely done.
Step 2: Cook Under Pressure
Add chicken broth and pasta to the Instant Pot. Stir together with a wooden spoon. Add the lid and lock it into place. Set the pot to cook for five minutes on HIGH PRESSURE.
As soon as it is finished cooking, use the quick release method to let out the pressure and remove the lid.
Step 3: Finish the Sauce
Stir in the butter, heavy cream, spaghetti sauce, and mozzarella cheese to the ingredients in the Instant Pot. Mix until the sauce is creamy and the butter and cheese are melted. Top with parmesan cheese and allow it to melt.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve up with your favorite side dish or salad.
Substitutions
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change Chicken Parmesan Pasta in the Instant Pot.
- Chicken - Swap out the chicken for ground beef, ground turkey or cubes of pork loin.
- Penne - Swap out with any other short pasta such as orecchiette, rotini, macaroni, shells or bowtie.
- Vegetarian - Swap out the chicken for chickpeas or fresh veggies and the chicken broth for veggie broth.
Variations
Want to personalize this Chicken Parmesan Pasta Instant Pot recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing it up.
- Spicy - Turn this into a spicy chicken parmesan pasta by adding a dash of chili pepper flakes along with the other ingredients after the pasta has cooked.
- Lower in Fat - Swap out the heavy cream for whole milk and use reduced fat cheese.
- Healthy - Stir in some cooked veggies before serving and swap out the regular pasta for whole wheat to add more fiber to the meal.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe.
Equipment
You need an Instant Pot and a few other easy kitchen tools to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
Storage
Store leftovers of chicken parmesan pasta in the refrigerator inside an airtight container for up to five days.
To reheat, return the desired amount to a pot and add some liquid to the pot. You can use broth, water, or milk when reheating. Heat on medium heat until the sauce is creamy and the pasta is heated through.
Tips
Here are some things to keep in mind when making Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta to make sure it turns out with excellent results.
- Use penne or another type of short pasta. Longer noodles don't do as well to cook in the Instant Pot.
- Open the lid immediately when the high pressure cook time is up. The pasta will continue cooking while it's depressuring and can become mushy and overcooked when the lid isn't moved right away.
- Serve up a bowl of Instant Pot pasta right away with your favorite garlic bread recipe and a green salad.
More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
Do you like cooking up chicken for quick weeknight meals? Here are some more recipes you may also like to try:
- Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
- Smoked Chicken Tacos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Tator Tot Casserole
FAQ
Do you have questions about making chicken parmesan pasta in the Instant Pot? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions I receive about this recipe.
Yes, as long as your Instant Pot is large enough. Make sure the ingredients cooking under pressure don't exceed the maximum fill line when added to the pot.
I don't recommend freezing leftovers of this recipe. Both the pasta and cream don't do well when reheated after freezing.
For best results, this recipe tastes the best when served right after cooking. If you need to save some time, you can cook the chicken in advance or use a pre-cooked chicken alternative such as rotisserie chicken. You can also have the other ingredients measured out and ready to quickly add to the pot when making this recipe in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz penne pasta uncooked
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients and measure everything out.
- Add the olive oil, chicken, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to the Instant Pot.
- Use the SAUTE setting of the Instant Pot to cook the chicken until almost fully cooked. Add the onions to the pot and continue cooking until chicken is done.
- Add pasta to the Instant Pot.
- Add chicken broth and stir together.
- Place the lid. top and set the Instant Pot to with the PRESSURE setting on HIGH for 5 minutes. When it's done, use k release to let the pressure out.
- Add the butter,
- spaghetti sauce,
- mozzarella cheese,
- and heavy cream to the pot.
- Stir all the ingredients together.
- Until the cheese is melted and everything is creamy and delicious.
- Top with parmesan cheese and allow it to melt. Serve with fresh parsley on top.
- Stir until blended.
- Serve.
- Enjoy!
- Every bite!
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