Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
I can take you to Italy in 30 minutes with this Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta, made with juicy chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a creamy parmesan sauce. This easy, one-pot recipe will quickly become one of your favorites, and the whole family will love it.
I enjoy making easy and delicious Instant Pot pasta recipes; they are such a time saver during busy work nights. My favorites include this popular orange chicken it never fails me, and my kids love the cheesy cheeseburger macaroni. Dinner has never been easier and tastier!
Table of contents
My secret ingredients in this recipe are cream cheese and evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. The concentrated proteins in the evaporated milk, without all the extra water from the cream, give you a thicker sauce that does not clump or curdle. This allows you to use it while cooking instead of waiting to stir it at the end. Also, you get a much richer taste and texture.
Why you will love this recipe
- There are no dishes to clean: It is a one-pot meal, so you do not have a sink full of dishes to wash.
- It cooks in minutes: You set the instant pot timer for four minutes!
- Anyone can make it: This is an easy recipe—no need for a cooking class.
- No fancy tools: All you need is an instant pot. You could even cook it on the stove.
What you will need
I like to use lean chicken breasts for this recipe since I chop them at the end and mix the meat into the pasta. I rub the chicken in olive oil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper for extra flavor.
For the pasta:
- Sun-dried tomatoes give your sauce that intense tart and sweet flavor with a chewy texture, so they are so much better than regular tomatoes.
- Pasta – I prefer shells, so you get sauce, meat, and veggies in every bite.
- The broth: I use chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor. I also use evaporated milk since it’s a safe choice when pressure cooking. It does not clot, like cream or milk, that need to be added at the end.
- Cheese – I use cream and parmesan cheese to make this meal extra creamy and rich.
- Fresh ingredients – I use garlic and onion, and I stir in fresh spinach at the end.
- Italian seasoning – You can use your own, store-bought, or try my homemade Italian seasoning.
How to make it
Please see the recipe card below for the exact steps and ingredient measures. Also, watch the short video tutorial attached for easy step-by-step guidelines. But the general steps are the following:
Season the chicken: I start by whisking the herbs and rubbing them onto the chicken.
Saute the meat: I used the IP’s saute function to saute the chicken breasts until nicely browned, then set them aside.
Add the pasta: I add some olive oil to the pot, along with chopped onion, sun-dried tomatoes, seasoning, broth, evaporated milk, and pasta. I mix well and scratch the bottom of the pot.
Pressure cook: Then, I place the chicken on top, close the lid, and cook under HIGH pressure.
Cut the poultry: After the pressure cooking time elapses, I do a Quick release, open the lid, and remove the chicken breasts. I chop them into smaller pieces. Add the cream cheese and shredded parmesan cheese to the pot and gently stir together. Then, add fresh spinach and mix. I add back the chicken and stir.
Serve: I serve the dish immediately.
Expert tip
Browning the meat
Although you do not have to, browning (or searing) the chicken is one important step I would not recommend skipping. It seals in the juices to make the meat more flavorful and tender. Also, rendering the chicken in fat (oil or butter) gives it a nice golden-brown crust. This is an essential step to fill the meat with more flavor!
More tips to consider:
- Refrain from pre-cooking the pasta, or you will end up with soggy noodles.
- You can use any pasta you like for this dish. I like shells, but fusilli are my second favorite.
- The secret ingredient, evaporated milk, is essential to making this dish so creamy. Please do not skip it or replace it with cream.
- Do not use fresh pasta in the instant pot. It cooks too fast and will stick together.
Recipe Variations:
- Greens: You can use frozen, thawed, and drained spinach instead of fresh spinach. As an alternative, use kale and garnish the dish with basil leaves.
- Creamier: If preferred, light cream cheese will work in place of regular. Another option is to use creme frache.
- Aromatics: Garlic powder could be replaced with fresh; I’d go with about three minced garlic cloves.
- Veggies: You can also try adding more veggies, such as chopped red peppers, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, or zucchini.
- Other meats: I have used ground turkey, chopped turkey, and sliced pork instead of chicken; all three were hits with my family.
- Spice it up: Add hot chili peppers to your sauce for spicy food lovers, or sprinkle on some cayenne pepper.
- Slow Cooker: If you have a slow cooker, try making this slow cooker Tuscan pasta.
Serving suggestions:
I like to serve this Italian dish with cheesy garlic bread or homemade breadsticks and a glass of dry white wine, such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. It also goes well with a simple salad like this strawberry arugula salad. It is sweet and tangy and goes perfectly with the Tuscan sauce flavors.
During summertime, I enjoy serving it with grilled zucchini, artichokes, asparagus, or grilled eggplant on the side. For dessert, I like something refreshing, like this Limoncello tiramisu.
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: First, let the chicken pasta fully cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Next, refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool the leftovers and transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: When ready, thaw the frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight.
Frequently asked questions
There are several reasons why this could have happened. First, use evaporated milk and not creamy condensed milk or heavy cream. Also, be sure to get the kind made from whole milk. It has to have enough fat so it does not separate. But wait to add the cream cheese until you are done pressure cooking, and you turn the cooker to saute. Chop it into small cubes so it melts well, and then stir until it is creamy before adding the parmesan, spinach, and chicken.
Chewy chicken from the Instant Pot is usually caused by overcooking. For chicken breasts about one and a half inches thick, you should only cook it for four minutes. If you use thinner chicken pieces, you may have to cook them for a shorter time. I recommend three minutes. You can always cook it longer, but you can never take back the cooking you already did.
You want to choose a pasta shape that will hang onto the sauce and keep some of the pieces of chicken, tomatoes, and spinach inside it so you can get a good amount of taste in every bite. Shells are perfect. Sinking your teeth into a shell full of creamy cheese, Italian herbs, and sauce is lovely. Other shapes that work include ziti, penne, rotini, and cavatappi. Campanelle noodles are nice if you want something fancier. They look like frilly trumpets.
More Instant Pot recipes:
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Easy Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 regular boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4 smaller ones)
Pasta:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and roughly chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth water or veggie broth
- 1 cup evaporated canned milk
- 3 cups shell pasta
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan grated
- 4-5 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Add salt, pepper, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to a large shallow bowl and stir to combine.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Once the IP is hot, add the oil.
- Toss chicken in the seasoning mix to coat on both sides and add to the hot oil.
- Cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pot and set aside on a plate; cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
- Add one tablespoon of oil to the pot still in Sauté mode if needed.
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add Italian seasoning and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Add chicken broth, and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot well to remove any bits that stuck to it.
- Add the pasta and evaporated milk. Stir gently and top with the chicken breasts.
- Cover and seal the lid. Make sure the valve points to Sealed. Change the setting to manual and adjust the time to 4 minutes on High Pressure.
- Once Instant Pot beeps to show that it's done, do a quick release by changing the position of the valve to Vent. Carefully remove the cover.
- Remove chicken from pot, and set aside on a cutting board. Cover with foil.
- Select Sauté mode and add the cubed cream cheese. Gently stir to combine for 1 minute.
- Add the parmesan cheese and gently stir to combine for 1 minute.
- Add the spinach and stir to combine. Turn off the pressure cooker.
- Cut the chicken into cubes and add to the pot; gently give everything a final stir.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
Browning the meat
Although you do not have to, browning (or searing) the chicken is one important step I would not recommend skipping. It seals in the juices to make the meat more flavorful and tender. Also, rendering the chicken in fat (oil or butter) gives it a nice golden-brown crust. This is an essential step to fill the meat with more flavor!More tips to consider:
- Refrain from pre-cooking the pasta, or you will end up with soggy noodles.
- You can use any pasta you like for this dish. I like shells, but fusilli are my second favorite.
- The secret ingredient, evaporated milk, is essential to making this dish so creamy. Please do not skip it or replace it with cream.
- Do not use fresh pasta in the instant pot. It cooks too fast and will stick together.