Description
Learn how to make our beginner-friendly recipe for creamy and delicious Instant Pot Tuscan chicken pasta. Larger shaped pasta and diced chicken are cooked together with sun-dried tomato, garlic and chicken stock, then finished with spinach, Parmesan and cream. This American-Italian classic is a popular dinner meal for the whole family.
Ingredients
TO COOK
- 4 cups chicken stock (32 fl. oz., 1 litre)
- ½ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon or mild yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or mixed Italian herbs)
- ¼ cup tomato sauce or tinned diced tomatoes (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste)
- 1 lb. / 450 g chicken breast or thigh meat, skinless, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 12 oz. (340 g) dry penne, fusilli or rigatoni pasta
TO FINISH
- 5 oz. / 150 g baby spinach
- 1 –1.5 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/3 cup roughly sliced basil leaves
- Extra sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- Extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper for garnish
Instructions
1. Prep. Prepare all ingredients for the cooking stage.
2. Add ingredients. Add the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, seasoning, garlic, mustard, tomato sauce and dry pasta to the pot. Pour in the chicken stock and stir through. Check that the pasta and chicken are covered with the stock. It’s always better to have a little more liquid as it can be strained once cooked.
4. Set & cook. Secure and lock the lid; make sure the pressure handle is pointing to Sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and adjust the timer to 5 minutes on HIGH pressure. After a few seconds, the ON sign will come on indicating the pressure is building (you might also hear 3 beeps on some models); pressurizing will take about 12 minutes and then the 5-minute timer will begin.
Once the timer is done, release the pressure manually right away. Press the steam knob down gradually (or point to Venting on older models. Hold a towel over the steam valve to catch any foam, which can spurt out when you cook starchy foods like pasta or potatoes in lots of broth.
5. Finish the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the finishing ingredients and garnishes.
Open the lid. Most of the liquid should be absorbed into the pasta but there will be a little left, which will combine with cheese and cream to form the delicious sauce.
Add baby spinach, cream, Parmesan cheese, and stir through until all melted in and the spinach is wilted. You can cover the pot with a regular lid and let sit for a minute if needed. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the basil last.
6. Serve. Top with extra basil, sliced sun-dried tomatoes and extra Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
Pressurizing time: 12 minutes | Cooking under pressure: 5 minutes (on HIGH) | Release: Quick Release Total cooking time: 17 minutes
SUN-DRIED TOMATOES: Use the sun-dried tomatoes that come preserved in oil; drain them lightly on a paper towel before using.
PASTA: Larger-shaped pasta like penne, fusilli or rigatoni are best for his recipe. Avoid elbow or macaroni pasta as those cook much quicker.
LIGHTEN IT UP: For a lighter version, use low-fat cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 634
- Sugar: 6.3 g
- Sodium: 745.8 mg
- Fat: 21.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 64.3 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 113 mg
Keywords: Tuscan Chicken Pasta, Chicken Pasta, Instant Pot Chicken Pasta, Chicken Recipes, Creamy Pasta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes