Looking for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner? This Instant Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta is your answer. Combining tender chicken, perfectly cooked pasta, and a rich, basil pesto sauce, this dish delivers flavor and convenience in every bite.
With the magic of the Instant Pot, you’ll have a satisfying meal ready in no time, making it perfect for busy schedules.
Helpful Tips
- Use fresh basil: Fresh basil leaves give this dish an added brightness. You can make homemade pesto or just use a store-bought option.
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Make sure to cut the chicken into like sized pieces so that they cook evenly, ensuring juicy, tender chicken.
- Don’t stir the pasta: When you add the ingredients to the pot just push the pasta down into the liquid so it is covered as best you can. Don’t stir it.
- Watch for pasta water splatter: If you have pasta water spurt out the steam valve when you release the pressure you can lay a kitchen towel over it to collect the splatter.
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Instant Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Instant Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta combines tender chicken, perfectly cooked pasta, and a rich, basil pesto sauce, this dish delivers flavor and convenience in every bite.
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Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 583kcal
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 10 ounces penne pasta dry
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- shredded parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves chopped chopped ,for garnish
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Top with dry pasta, cream cheese, cherry tomatoes, salt, black pepper and broth. No stirring necessary.
- Secure the lid, make sure the valve is closed. Set to manual pressure cook for 8 minutes. When time is up let the steam naturally release for 5 minutes and then manually release.
- Stir in the pesto, parmesan and lemon zest. Let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken up. Top with Parmesan cheese and chopped basil.
Nutrition
Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1474mg | Potassium: 692mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1493IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 2mg
Angela’s passion for discovering and experimenting with new flavors and recipes is at the heart of her culinary philosophy. Residing in a quaint Oregon town, she finds joy and inspiration in her kitchen. Angela has a lot of expertise in cooking and she eagerly shares her discoveries and unique creations with you.