Creamy Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta

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This recipe for Creamy Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta is rich, luscious comfort food at its finest. And since this is pretty much a dump and start recipe, you get maximum deliciousness with a minimum amount of effort.

You don’t have to precook the chicken in this take of the Italian classic pasta dish. Just toss it in with the rest of the ingredients and you get moist, juicy and perfectly cooked chicken. Talk about a formula for success: one pot meal = easy weeknight dinner!

Just imagine the flavor of pasta in a cheese sauce boosted by sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. #somuchyum

You can double and even even triple this Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta without having to add any extra cooking time. Amaaaazing. Which makes it perfect for larger families, or when you decide to invite the neighbors over for an impromptu dinner party and for meal prep.

Just as delicious as this Instant Pot Bacon Pasta, Instant Pot Chicken Mac and Cheese and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.

Why Make This Recipe

• One-Pan – One-pan cooking means this creamy pasta is easy prep and easy cleanup.
• Affordable – Chicken breast is combined with seasonings and a few ingredients like baby spinach to likely already have on hand.  
• Comforting – The deliciously creamy flavors make this a comforting and delicious dish.
• Freezer Friendly – Check out the how to freeze and how to thaw sections below.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken stock : This can be homemade or store bought. You might want to use unsalted chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth if you using salt and the sundried tomatoes
• Chicken – This uses uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can use boneless chicken thighs or turkey instead. Cubed chicken breasts are awesome in this.
• Pasta –  This version uses uncooked penne pasta, but butterfly pasta, shells or fusilli will work too.
• Whipping cream – Makes the well loved creamy sauce associated with this dish.
• Sundried tomatoes – Diced sun dried tomatoes add incredible flavor, color and a hint of tartness.
• Herbs, spices and flavors – Italian seasoning, oregano, pureed garlic cloves (minced garlic) or garlic powder and salt and freshly ground black pepper give this its great flavors. Feel free to add more or less to your taste.
• Cheeses – You need freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and regular cream cheese for this. Feel free to use light cream cheese to cut the calories a bit and freshly grated parmesan cheese yields the best flavor.
• Baby spinach– fresh baby spinach is the most used but I have made this with fresh spinach that has been shredded also and arugula.

Ready to learn just how easy it is to make Instant Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta? Then gather up your ingredients and let me show you…..

How to Make Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Pour stock into the Instant Pot insert, then add the cubed chicken, uncooked pasta, diced sun dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning and salt (not the cream cheese, Parmesan or spinach….that comes later).
2. Close the lid and turn the vent to the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 4 minutes.
3. Cook till done, then allow for a natural pressure release (NPR) of 5 minutes before performing a quick release to let out remaining steam.
4. Open lid, select the sauté function and stir in the light cream cheese and Parmesan till it all melts in. 
5. Then switch off the heat, add the fresh spinach and let it wilt.
6. Serve this creamy pasta dish warm topped with fresh basil. 

Make This In The Slow Cooker

Prefer to make this in the slow cooker instead of the pressure cooker, then head over to my Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe instead.

Recipe Tips

• When you first open the deliciously creamy sauce will be a bit runny, but if you mix and it let stand for a few minutes, the liquid will be absorbed.
• And if you like your pasta with lots of sauce, add an extra half to one cup of stock or cream.
• Feel free to double the ingredients in this recipe (as long as it fits into your instant pot) to feed a crowd without having to adjust the cook time at all!
• You can sprinkle in even more grated Parmesan cheese, or add some grated mozzarella for extra cheesy goodness.
• If you prefer you can brown the chicken breasts first before cooking with them. Just use the saute function of your electric pressure cooker, making sure to deglaze the Instant Pot Insert with some chicken broth or water before adding in the rest of the ingredients.
• I do love topping this with more shredded fresh baby spinach.
• 

Delicious Variations

This chicken pasta recipe has a few simple ingredients to make it oh so delicious. However, you can season this delicious recipe with a variety of other spices and adapt it to suit your taste. Here are a few suggestions for you to try:

• Swap the meat – use turkey breast instead of chicken.
• Add onion – feel free to cook some diced onion in olive oil or sun dried tomato oil using the saute function before adding the chicken stock.
• Vary the spice – Add in some paprika, thyme, rosemary, onion powder.
• Add heat – add heat with red pepper flakes, chipotle or jalapeno.
• Add in a few tablespoons of cooked bacon for some extra meatiness.
• Make it vegetarian – skip the chicken and use sliced mushrooms instead.

Storage

• Store – Store any leftovers in airtight containers inside the fridge for 3 days. 
• Freeze – Follow the handy tips below for how to freeze this. Transfer cooled pasta into meal prep containers. Label and store in the freezer for 2 months. To make reheating easier, freeze in the right portion sizes that you need for the future. You may need to add a splash of broth or water when reheating.

FAQs

Chef’s Tip: the cook time for the pasta remains the same whether you are making 8 ounces, 16 ounces, or 24 ounces of pasta.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Want more delicious recipes then check out these below.

• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.
• Instant Pot Ramen.
• Instant Pot Chicken Mac And Cheese.
• Instant Pot Baked Feta Pasta.
• Instant Pot Garlic Butter Spaghetti.
• Instant Pot Chili Mac And Cheese.
• And check out the rest of my Instant Pot recipes.

Serving Suggestions

This will work well with a whole range of vegetables side dishes like easy peasy Instant Pot Broccoli, this delicious Instant Pot Buttered Cabbage and even Instant Pot Carrots.

Alternatively a simple salad like this Spinach Salad or Cucumber Tomato Salad works too.

Thank you for reading my Creamy Pressure Cooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.

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