This quick and easy Instant Pot chicken pasta with ham and vegetables takes less than 30 minutes and is tasty and nutritious. The whole family will love it!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken pasta, Dinner, Family-Friendly, Instant Pot pasta recipes, vegetable pasta
Prep Time 12 minutesminutes
Cook Time 17 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 5servings
Calories 590kcal
Ingredients
1tablespoonolive oil
½oniondiced
1mediumcarrotdiced
0.5lb.chicken breastdiced (250-300 g)
5oz.hamor pastrami, good quality, diced (150 g)
1cupmixed frozen vegetablessuch as beans and peas
1large clove of garlicfinely diced
1teaspoonsea salt
¼teaspoonpepper
2tablespoonstomato paste
3.5cupswater
1lb.penne or spirals dried pasta (about 3.5 cups)
¼cupgrated Parmesan cheese
1teaspoonbutter
¼cupheavy creamsour cream or creme fraiche
Chopped chives or parsley for garnish
Instructions
Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Sauté button.
Add the olive oil, onions, and carrots, and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, stirring a few times. Press Cancel to stop the Sauté function.
Add the salt, pepper, garlic, dry pasta, frozen veggies and diced ham. Add the tomato paste and water and stir through.
Pop the lid on top and set to HIGH pressure for 2 minutes. After 3 minutes, the Instant Pot will start to build up the pressure (this will take about 10 minutes during which the pasta will begin to cook). Once the timer goes off, release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick release. Beware, when cooking pasta in the Instant Pot, you will often get spurts of the liquid when quick-releasing the pressure, so stand back or hover a kitchen towel high over the valve.
Open the lid. You might have a little broth in the pasta. Pour most of it out (carefully, holding the pasta back) but leave a little bit to use as the sauce base. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, a teaspoon of butter and about 4 tablespoons of heavy cream, sour cream or creme fraiche (the latter two will give it a little tang, which is nice).
Stir and serve with extra cheese and chopped chives or parsley.