Instant Pot Chicken Penne Pasta
This Instant Pot Chicken Penne Pasta recipe MUST be in your weeknight dinner rotation! All the yummy flavors of chicken parmesan are combined with VERY little hands on work! The Instant Pot practically makes this entire meal for you! If you have never cooked pasta in your Instant Pot, start here! You’ll be addicted!
If you have never cooked pasta in your instant pot, now is the time to start! DO NOT BE AFRAID, friends!! I remember hesitantly opening my Instant Pot after this pasta had cooked for only 5 minutes, thinking for sure I’d see a bunch of uncooked pasta!
But nope! It was perfect! This Instant Pot chicken pasta could not be easier…and the clean up is a breeze! Everything comes together in your Instant Pot and there is only ONE pot to clean up!
This recipe is an Instant Pot chicken parmesan of sorts, however much more healthy because there is no breading and hardly any oil involved. Just all delicious flavors, on your table in less than 30 minutes! While the Instant Pot is cooking your dinner, whip up this quick Arugula Salad or a simple tossed salad and dinner is served!
And if you’re looking for more cozy Instant Pot comfort food you have to try my Instant Pot Beef Tips with Gravy , my Easy Red Beans and Rice and the easiest risotto you will ever make: Instant Pot Risotto with Asparagus!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy clean up–everything comes together in one pot!
- Very little hands on time–only one thing to chop and the Instant Pot does the rest!
- Super quick–less than 30 minutes start to finish!
- Healthy and delicious!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Instant Pot Chicken Penne:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: You can also use chicken thighs! Or swap out this protein for ground beef or ground turkey.
Marinara Sauce: Rao’s Marinara is my all-time favorite sauce for everything!
Penne Pasta: You can use any pasta with a similar shape and package cook time of 9-11 minutes. Rotini and bow ties work well.
Spices: I use traditional “chicken parm” spices–garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning but you can switch it up however you like! Cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme also work well.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PASTA IN THE INSTANT POT: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Saute chicken and spices in the Instant Pot for a few minutes.
Step 2: Add marinara, pasta and chicken stock. Give it a big stir!
Step 3: Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. Add cheeses.
Step 4: Close lid for about 2-3 minutes and allow cheese to melt. Open pot and serve immediately.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Absolutely. If you want to do this as a make-ahead meal, prepare the recipe, leaving off the cheese at the end. When the pasta is cool, transfer it into a freezer safe dish (my favorite are disposable aluminum trays with lids like these). When you are ready to prepare, thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight. Top with cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Pasta is best eaten/thawed within 2-3 weeks.
If you want to freeze leftovers, store leftovers in a freezer safe container. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a pan with a little more sauce or chicken stock, just to loosen it up a bit 🙂
The two perfect sides for this dish are this Simple Arugula Salad and this amazing Air Fryer Garlic Bread! This is the perfect, casual meal for guests or when you have to feed a crowd!
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I LOVE these glass bowls with lids!) in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave, topping with more cheese, if you like!
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- Don’t hesitate to change up the meat in this dish! Ground beef and turkey are both delish! Or you can use sweet Italian sausage and you can omit the seasonings since it’s already well seasoned.
- To make this dish healthier, omit the cheese and instead, just sprinkle with basil or red pepper flakes!
- Don’t second guess the 5 minute cook time (because I did and cooked it wayyy too long!). 5 minutes gets your pasta perfectly al dente! Pinky promise!
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OTHER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- INSTANT POT CHICKEN THIGHS AND POTATOES
- CHICKEN ORZO WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES
- CROCKPOT TACO PASTA
- INSTANT POT BEEF TIPS WITH GRAVY
I hope you love this Instant Pot Chicken Penne Pasta! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Instant Pot Chicken Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or about 1lb.
- 1 lb. penne pasta See Note 1
- 24-28 oz jar marinara sauce
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper See Note 2
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to "Sauté" setting (high) and add olive oil. Allow about 2 minutes to come to temperature, then add chicken and spices (garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper).
- Stir chicken to coat in spices and brown 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally (chicken doesn't have to be cooked all the way through).
- Press CANCEL on Instant Pot and add pasta, marinara, and chicken stock. Give it a few big stirs. Important: Make sure you scrape up any and ALL pieces of chicken or anything that might be stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is to avoid getting a BURN notice on your Instant Pot as it pressure cooks.
- Set Instant Pot to High Pressure for 5 minutes and press Start (it will take about 10 minutes to preheat and come up to pressure).
- When timer goes off and it's pressured cooked for 5 minutes, do a quick release.
- After pressure is released, open lid and add cheeses. Close lid for 2-3 minutes and allow cheese to melt. Serve immediately.
Made this last night and my wife and I really enjoyed it!
Any time I can use my IP I’m sold! This was absolutely delicious!
This looks and sounds fabulous! Love this recipe.
Great pasta dish! Perfect for weeknights. So simple and a nice bit of added protein with the chicken!
This quick and easy instant pot chicken is perfect for my family on a busy weeknight.
This is a winner, for sure. I made this and it was ready so fast. It was also incredibly delicious. The chicken was especially nice because it was so tender and juicy.
Ahh mine totally scorched on the bottom of the insta pot and I couldn’t finish cooking because of the burn message 🙁
I am so sorry that happened, Brooke! Most likely, you had small pieces of chicken or onion that maybe stuck to the bottom of the pot when you sauteed everything. You bring up a great point, and I actually just added a note to the recipe card that has readers check to make sure nothing is “stuck” to the bottom of the pot before pressure cooking! XO ~ Casey
Can this recipe be halved successfully?
Hi Barbara, I haven’t tried that but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work! XO ~ Casey
You had me at Instant Pot! Adding this to my menu for next week immediately!
Yay! Yes, it’s a easiest way to make pasta!! XO ~ Casey
Amazing! Made it last night and it was perfect! The chicken was very tender and nothing stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot. My family loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you loved it, Jyoti! XO ~ Casey
This is so delicious. I I love chicken pastas and this is a simple one but packed with flavour.
So glad you enjoyed it, Siley! XO ~ Casey
Such a simple way to make this favorite pasta we loved it this was and leftovers were great too!
Leftovers are the best!! XO ~ Casey
This is a great dinner for a busy weeknight. So hearty and delicious!
Glad you liked it, Gwynn! XO ~ Casey