Instant Pot Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta Casserole

Sharing is caring!

We love pasta, and my Instant Pot Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta Casserole is no exception. This Creamy Chicken Pasta Dish is made with juicy chicken sauted in garlic butter and bound in a creamy Alfredo sauce with peppers, spinach and shredded cheese.

Instant Pot Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta Casserole

Pasta dishes are always a firm a favorite in our home. Nick is from Italian heritage, so it’s no surprise he and the boys really adore Italian meals.

With three growing teenage boys in the house, I love utilizing pasta to stretch my grocery budget and fill up the bottomless stomachs! These boys can EAT!

Since I got my new Instant Pot, I’ve been trying 1-2 new recipes each week to get a feel for it and get better at adapting my recipes to work with it. This Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta got their seal of approval, so I thought I’d share it with you.

I like cooking with my Instant Pot as there’s no need to stand over the stove, watching pots of pasta boil and pots of pasta sauce bubbling. Instead I can get on with other things while the Instant Pot does all the hard work.

The Instant Pot makes quick work of the Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Sauce, and you have the entire meal cooked and ready to serve in 45 minutes.

I serve this Easy Creamy Chicken Pasta dish with garlic bread and a small garden salad on the side.

Can you cook pasta in the Instant Pot?

Yes you can. It is really straightforward to cook pasta in your Instant Pot. You can cook pasta on it’s own with water and salt in a matter of minutes, and there’s no need to stand at the stove.

Or make an entire pasta dish in your Instant Pot like I have done here as it cooks in no time. Just always ensure that there is plenty of liquid for the pasta to absorb.

How to make Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta in Instant Pot:

• Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function.
• Add the garlic butter, and when it melts and begins to sizzle, add your chicken.

• Saute the chicken to brown it, but take care not to cook it all the way through.

• If using the Alfredo seasoning, add your milk to the mix and whisk together.
• Pour into the Instant Pot.
• If you are using Alfredo sauce from the jar, add that here.

• Add roasted red peppers and pasta to instant pot.

• Give everything a good stir.  

• Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to high pressure and set timer for 20 minutes.
• Make sure the knob on the top is turned to sealing.
• When the timer beeps, allow pressure to decrease naturally for 15 minutes.
• Release the remaining pressure by turning knob to venting.

• Now add the spinach and cheese, stir it through to combine and close the lid.
• Wait for 10 minutes for the cheese to melt and the spinach to wilt.
• Serve immediately with some delicious crusty Italian bread!

Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta recipe ingredients:

• BUTTER: I start with garlic butter. You can make this by adding minced garlic, or garlic salt to softened butter.
• CHICKEN: I use chicken breast meat, cut into bite sized pieces. You can also use chicken thigh meat in this recipe too.
• SEASONING: I use a package of McCormick Alfredo mix which I blend with MILK. You can also use a jar of Alfredo sauce.
• BROTH: I use 3 cups of chicken broth or stock, but you could also use vegetable broth too.
• ROASTED PEPPERS: I use jarred roasted red peppers for ease, just ensure you drain away any excess liquid. You can also roast your own red peppers, or use fresh red peppers if you prefer.
• PASTA: use any shape of dried pasta that you and your family enjoy eating.
• SPINACH: I added to the pasta sauce for the final few minutes of cooking as you only want it to melt and not overcook.
• CHEESE: add your favorite shredded cheese to melt through the pasta just before serving, cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey jack cheese would all work.

Serving suggestion:

This deliciously creamy bowl of pasta is an entire meal in one, so I like to keep any side dishes simple. Serve it with a dressed green salad, fresh tomatoes and some crusty Italian bread, garlic bread or focaccia to mop up any pasta sauce.

How to store leftover Italian Chicken Pasta:

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, heat up gently on the stove or pop into the microwave for a couple of minutes. Add a little water or chicken broth to loosen the sauce if it needs it.

Recipe tips:

• Feeding a crowd? This recipe is easily doubled or trebled up depending on numbers.
• This recipe is easily adapted for the Crockpot. Simply follow the same steps, but leave out the pasta noodles. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, adding the pasta for the last 2 hours of the cook so that it doesn’t overcook and become soggy.
• If you want to cook this recipe on the stove top, simply follow the instructions but use a large pot instead. Adapt cooking times as necessary, to ensure the pasta is cooked to al-dente and the chicken is cooked through.

More Instant Pot Recipes on When Is Dinner:

• Instant Pot Round Steak
• Instant Pot Roast
• Spaghetti & Meatballs in Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Poached Chicken
• Instant Pot Reese’s Fudge

These are a few items I find helpful when preparing this Instant Pot Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta Casserole Recipe in my own kitchen:

Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and WarmerMcCormick Parmesan Alfredo Pasta Sauce & Seasoning Mix, 8.12 ozGorilla Grip Original Reversible Cutting Board (3-Piece) BPA Free, Dishwasher Safe, Juice Grooves, Larger Thicker Boards, Easy Grip Handle, Non Porous, Extra Large, Kitchen (Set of Three: Black)J.A. HENCKELS INTERNATIONAL 31161-201 CLASSIC Chef’s Knife, 8 Inch, BlackRachael Ray 57232 Cucina Serveware Platter 8-Inch by 12-Inch Cranberry RedSpode Blue Italian Dinner Plate, Set of 4Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy MealsThe Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook: 200 Deliciously Simple Recipes for Your Electric Pressure CookerINSTANT POT COOKBOOK: 600 Quick, Easy & Delicious Instant Pot Recipes with 5-Ingredient or Less