Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Instant Pot Italian Chicken Pasta
Roasted red pepper and basil pesto give creamy chicken pasta a savory, mellow sweetness. Little bits of spinach tuck among the pasta, with Parmesan adding a salty finish. Pour yourself a drink and enjoy a bowl with plenty of sauce caught in the pasta's curves.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 2 min
- Total
- 12 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Pressure cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Start with a hot pot
Wait for the saute setting to read hot before adding oil and chicken for its initial cook.
2. Scrape before layering
Scrape the bottom well after adding broth so no cooked chicken bits remain stuck beneath the pasta.
3. Pasta stays on top
Press the pasta gently into the liquid without stirring so it is less likely to touch the pot bottom.
Get to know the ingredients
Red peppers
Chop the jarred roasted red peppers before stirring them in with the tomatoes beneath the pasta.
Tomatoes
Use the Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes undrained so their juice joins the broth before pressure cooking.
Pasta
Lumaconi or another short pasta shape is used, pressed into the liquid above the chicken mixture.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 9 steps completeMake room for Instant Pot Italian Chicken Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Creamy pesto finish
Stir in the cream mixture, spinach, pesto and Parmesan, then saute until the sauce thickens around the pasta.
A little more help as you go
Gradual pressure release
After the brief off period, release pressure gradually rather than venting everything at once.
Combine cream and starch
Stir the heavy cream and cornstarch together before adding them with the final flavorings.
A few questions you might have
When does the spinach go in?
Add the chopped spinach after pressure release, along with pesto, Parmesan and the cream mixture.
Does the chicken cook through before pressure cooking?
Its first saute cooks the outside; it continues cooking during the pressure stage with the broth.
Should I leave saute on while adding tomatoes?
Turn the pot off after scraping the broth, then stir in tomatoes and peppers before adding pasta.
Is the pesto cooked under pressure?
No, stir it in after pressure release during the final sauce thickening on saute.
When do garlic and seasoning go in?
Cook them briefly with the chicken before adding broth and scraping the bottom of the pot.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
