Instant Pot Chicken Pasta

a black fork with a bite of chicken and cooked penne pasta on top of an instant pot.

This Instant Pot Chicken Pasta is a reader favorite! All the flavors of chicken parmesan are combined with pasta to make an easy instant pot dinner that is ready in 30 minutes. So so good!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword instant pot chicken parmesan pasta, instant pot chicken pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 13

Total Time 23

Servings Servings

Calories 427kcal

Author Maria Doss

Equipment

instant pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 and ¼ cups marinara sauce I used Prego, tomato, basil and garlic
¾ cup water
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ to ¾ teaspooon salt, refer notes I used ¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks
8 ounces penne pasta
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
chopped parsley or basil, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Saute aromatics. Set Instant pot to saute setting. When hot, add olive oil and then chopped onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 to 2 minutes, or until translucent.
Add everything else. Press cancel, then add the marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to combine. Scatter the pasta over the top, then use the back of a spoon to gently press it into the sauce until it's mostly submerged.
👉 Don't stir the pasta. Keeping it on top of the sauce helps prevent the Instant Pot from triggering the "Burn" warning. The sauce creates a protective layer between the bottom of the pot and the pasta, reducing the chance of it sticking or scorching.
Pressure cook. Close instant pot, making sure that the valve is set to sealing, and cook for 5 minutes on manual mode and then let it be in warm mode for 4 minutes.
Finish. Carefully turn the valve to vent to release any remaining pressure, then open the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top, close the lid (no need to seal), and let it sit for 3–5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Give everything a good stir before serving. This melts the cheese into the sauce, evenly distributes the chicken and pasta, and brings all the flavors together into one creamy, cheesy dish.

Video

Notes

Use any medium sized pasta instead of penne.

Use boneless breasts instead of thighs.

Adjust salt based on your taste and the type of marinara sauce used. I used Prego, tomato, basil and garlic and found ¾ teaspoon to be perfect.

Nutrition