This comforting Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta brings restaurant-quality dining to your table in just 20 minutes. The rich, creamy dish combines tender chicken and al dente pasta with classic Italian flavors – perfect for busy weeknights when you need a quick yet impressive meal.
Whether you’re feeding a hungry family or meal prepping for the week, this one-pot wonder delivers protein-packed satisfaction while keeping kitchen cleanup minimal.
Ingredients for Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Chicken: 1 pound boneless skinless breasts, perfect for absorbing flavors
- Base flavors: 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- Seasonings: 2 tsp paprika, dried basil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- Liquids: 4¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup milk
- Pasta: 12 oz penne or farfalle, choose your favorite shape
- Creamy elements: 6 oz cream cheese (softened), 1½ cups fresh parmesan
- Mix-ins: 8 oz sun-dried tomatoes (drained), 4 oz baby spinach leaves
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep and Season: Season chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper on both sides
- Sear Chicken: Using sauté function, brown chicken in olive oil for 2 mins each side
- Sauté Base: Cook onions in butter until softened, about 2 minutes
- Combine: Add broth, seasonings, milk, pasta, and return chicken to pot
- Pressure Cook: Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes
- Release: Perform controlled quick release, remove chicken and tent with foil
- Create Sauce: Stir in cream cheese until smooth, then add parmesan, tomatoes, and spinach
- Finish: Chop chicken, return to pot, let sauce thicken while cooling, then serve warm
Cooking Techniques
The beauty of this recipe lies in the two-step cooking process that builds amazing flavor! First, we brown the chicken to create a tasty crust, then let the Instant Pot work its magic.
When you’re browning the chicken, don’t worry if it’s not fully cooked – it’ll finish cooking perfectly under the foil later. A quick tip for the cream cheese: make sure it’s really soft before adding it to get the smoothest sauce possible.
Easy Substitutions
This recipe is super flexible! Don’t have penne? Any medium pasta shape works great – try bow ties or rotini. For a lighter version, swap the cream cheese for light cream cheese, and use half-and-half instead of milk.
No sun-dried tomatoes? Fresh cherry tomatoes are wonderful too. You can also use kale or arugula in place of spinach for a different peppery kick.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy pasta dish shines with a side of garlic bread to soak up that amazing sauce! Add a simple green salad with a light vinaigrette to balance the richness. Want to fancy it up? Sprinkle some red pepper flakes, fresh basil leaves, and extra parmesan on top just before serving. It’s perfect for family dinner but pretty enough for company!
Storage Tips
This pasta keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. The sauce might thicken up, so when reheating, add a splash of milk or chicken broth and stir gently.
Warm it slowly in the microwave or on the stovetop for the best texture. While you can freeze it, the cream sauce might separate a bit when thawed – just give it a good stir while reheating.
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2 breasts
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika smoked or regular
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 12 ounces penne pasta or farfalle
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened and cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
- 4 ounces baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Turn Instant pot to saute.
- Season chicken breasts on both sides with paprika, salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the hot instant pot.
- Add chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned, but not cooked through. Remove to a plate.
- Add butter and onion to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, (scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze it), seasonings, milk, pasta, and chicken breasts back to pot.
- Close IP lid and turn release valve to sealed. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, do a controlled quick release, to release the pressure. (Turn the valve but if any liquid sprays close it again and try again in a few seconds.)
- Carefully open lid. Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil. (Don’t skip this step. The chicken will continue to cook under the foil).
- Stir in cream cheese, stirring gently until it’s melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Stir in parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes and spinach. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Chop chicken and return to pot.
- Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve warm, garnished with extra parmesan cheese, if desired.
