Pressure-Cooking Pasta in Your Instant Pot Is Practically Magic
One of the many wonders of the Instant Pot is pressure cooking pasta to al-dente. Nope, it won't disintegrate into mush, and no you don't have to cook the pasta separately, drain it, and add it back into the sauce. You can truly make a one-pot pasta dish by pressure-cooking the noodles in a mix of milk (or heavy whipping cream) and chicken stock. They will plump up in record time, while the remaining liquid acts as the base for a creamy sauce. Stir in a brick of cream cheese to thicken things up, and garnish it with parm and basil. Dinner is served without a sink full of dishes.
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta
Total time:
35 mins
Serves 4 Portions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, chopped
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, cut in half
- 2 chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 can chicken stock
- 1 cup milk or heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound pasta
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- parmesan cheese, grated (to garnish)
- basil, chiffonade (to garnish)
- black pepper (to garnish)
Directions
Set an Instant Pot or an electric multi-cooker to the sauté setting add the olive oil and butter. Sauté the garlic for a few minutes, until caramelized and fragrant.
Add the chicken, stock, pasta, and cream, and cancel cooking. Close and lock the Instant Pot and set to manually pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
RELATED: The Hack for Cooking a Complete Meal in Your Instant Pot
(Recipe via Anna Monette Roberts / Brit + Co; photos via Brittany Griffin / Brit + Co)