Instant Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a great dinner that can be made right in your electric pressure cooker! Everything is cooked to perfection. The garlicky creamy sauce coats the pasta and chicken. The sun dried tomatoes add a nice bright tangy flavor. The best part is everything is done in under 30 minutes!
Enjoy this easy Instant Pot pasta recipe with a side salad and some garlic bread.
Some other delicious Instant Pot recipes are this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta or Instant Pot Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce.
Ingredients
To make this one-pot meal you need the ingredients pictured below. I have also included tips on a few ingredients:
Chicken Broth – the chicken broth cooks the pasta and adds a deeper flavor to the dish as a whole.
Heavy Cream – make sure to use heavy cream and not a lower fat dairy product. The fat content stabilizes the cream so it won’t curdle when it cooks.
Chicken – the recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken breasts. As always I recommend buying Air Chilled chicken if you can find it. If you want to use boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders, those will work too!
Sun Dried Tomatoes – for the best results use an oil packed sun dried tomato. They are juicer and more flavorful. Also if you can, buy julienned tomatoes, it cuts down on your dinner prep.
Step By Step Picture Instructions
Start by cutting your chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
In a small bowl stir together the kosher salt, onion powder and black pepper. Sprinkle HALF of this mixture over the chicken pieces and then set the rest aside for later.
Turn your Instant Pot on to the saute function. Add the butter and sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Then turn the sauté off.
It is important to add the ingredients in the order written. This will help prevent the burn notice and pasta sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the chicken stock or broth and heavy cream.
- Add the penne pasta and then pour in the remaining salt/pepper mixture.
- Sprinkle the sun dried tomatoes and cream cheese cubes on top of the pasta.
- Place the seasoned chicken pieces on top.
DO NOT STIR AT THIS POINT! You want everything to cook in these layers.
Close the lid and set to cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Then do a quick pressure release.
Give everything a stir.
Pro Tip: Don’t be concerned if it looks soupy, it will thicken as it cools and after you add the parmesan cheese!
Put the fresh spinach on top of the pasta and close the lid back up for 5 minutes. The heat of the pasta will wilt the spinach!
To finish open the pot back up, sprinkle in the parmesan and fresh basil.
Give it all a stir and it’s time to eat!
Serving
You can absolutely serve this Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe on it’s own, no side dishes. Just sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese over top.
If you want to make it a little heartier you can add some garlic bread and a side salad. This basil vinaigrette would make a great dressing for the salad.
Storing
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. It will be good for up to 4 days.
Reheat portions in the microwave. You may need to add a little liquid to reconstitute.
Recipe Tips
Follow these final tips to make sure your Instant Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta turns out perfect!
- Use heavy cream to keep the dairy from curdling in the Instant Pot.
- Buy julienned sun dried tomatoes packed in oil.
- Layer the ingredients in the Instant Pot and then do not be tempted to stir!
- Only cook for 4 minutes, it doesn’t seem like long but it is perfect for the chicken and the penne pasta.
- Add the spinach after it cooks so the heat of the pot can wilt it perfectly.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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Instant Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups dry penne pasta (generous cups), about 12 oz.
- 6 oz cream cheese cubed
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into ¾-1 inch pieces
- 4 oz julienne oil packed sun dried tomatoes drained, but do not rinse (chop if you bought whole sun dried tomatoes)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 3 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper and onion powder. Sprinkle HALF the mixture over the cut chicken pieces. Set aside.
- Turn the saute function on the Instant Pot. Once it reads "hot" add the butter and garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Turn the saute function off.
- Make sure to add the next few ingredients in the order writtem, this will help prevent the burn notice:Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream.
- Add the penne pasta and sprinkle in the remaining salt/pepper mixutre. Top with the sun dried tomatoes and cream cheese cubes.
- Spread the seasoned chicken pieces on top. Once again… DO NOT STIR, you want it to cook in these layers.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the pressure valve to seal. Set to cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure at the end of the cook time.
- Give everything a stir. Add the spinach on top of the pasta. Close the lid back up for 5 minutes. The heat of the pot will wilt the spinach perfectly.
- Open the pot and add the chopped basil and parmesan. Then give it a stir.
- Time to eat!
Serving
- Serve this delicious creamy pasta dish on it's own with a little extra parmesan cheese on the side. For a heartier dinner add a side salad and garlic bread.
Storing
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat portions in the microwave for a minute or two. You may need to add a little liquid to reconstitute (milk, water or broth).
If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.
Linger, Kristy Murray
Hi Susie. This Tuscan Chicken Pasta dish looked fabulous and the ingredients together are mouthwatering. It doesn’t get any better than using an instant pot. And I’m really happy to find this recipe because I don’t have a lot of things that I cook in my instant pot. So it’s nice to add to the small repertoire of recipes that I do have. Thanks for sharing.