Instant Pot Creamy Alfredo Pasta is a quick and delicious set-and-forget-it meal. This family favorite is packed with veggies, protein, and carbs and is made from start to finish in the Instant Pot.
If my Classic Chicken Broccoli Pasta and Garlicky Creamy Alfredo Sauce had a baby, you’d get this hearty, delicious Creamy Instant Pot Pasta! Packed with bits of seasoned seared chicken breast, farfalle pasta, broccoli florets, and a rich homemade alfredo sauce, this quick and easy Instant Pot pasta is sure to become a new favorite!
Table of Contents
You and your family are going to love this easy Instant Pot Creamy Pasta because it’s:
- Comforting and cozy.
- Versatile; make it vegetarian or gluten free!
- Easy to make in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
- Ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Perfect for family dinners or busy weeknights.
When you’re ready to dig in, this creamy pasta pairs perfect with a few simple side dishes, like my balsamic roasted beets, bacon wrapped asparagus, and honey roasted carrots. It’s even great for meal prep! Just pack up the leftovers and enjoy throughout the week. How great is that?
Ingredient notes
- Chicken breast – Chicken cooks really quickly when it’s chopped into bite-sized pieces. If you don’t have chicken breasts, use boneless chicken thighs or tenders instead. Want to save some time? Replace the raw chicken with leftover roasted chicken, a storebought rotisserie chicken, or pre-cooked shredded chicken. Add the pre-cooked chicken to the pot at the same time as the alfredo sauce ingredients and let it heat through.
- Chicken seasoning – All you need is an aromatic blend of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Farfalle pasta – Or any short-cut pasta noodle. Fettucini noodles can also be used and will give your dish a more classic feel.
- Chicken broth – I prefer to use low sodium broth, but any kind of storebought, homemade, or bone broth will work instead.
- Broccoli florets – Frozen or fresh both work well.
- Creamy alfredo sauce – This simple homemade alfredo sauce is easy to make with whole milk, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and butter. Do you love garlic? Feel free to swap this sauce for my Garlicky Creamy Alfredo Sauce instead.
How to make Instant Pot chicken alfredo
This classic chicken alfredo pasta is ready in just under 30 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot. The recipe makes enough to serve a crowd and only takes 6 easy steps:
Step 1: Heat the oil in the Instant Pot using Saute mode. Add the shallots, chicken, and seasoning mix, and saute until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 2: Stir the pasta and chicken broth into the pot. Turn off Saute mode.
Step 3: Seal the lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook on High for 3 minutes. When the time is up, quickly release all of the pressure.
Step 4: Carefully remove the lid and turn on Saute mode once again.
Step 5: Add the alfredo sauce ingredients and the broccoli. Cook until the sauce has thickened and the broccoli is fork tender.
Step 6: Garnish the finished pasta with fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy!
Stovetop instructions
If you don’t own an Instant Pot, you can easily make this recipe on the stove instead:
- Stir the alfredo sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- Saute the chicken, shallots, and chicken seasonings together in an oiled skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Toss the broccoli into the pot in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, then drain.
- Toss the cooked pasta and broccoli, chicken and shallot mixture, and alfredo sauce together in a large pot or bowl, then serve!
Variations
- Gluten free – Replace the regular pasta with gluten free pasta like bean pasta or brown rice pasta.
- Vegetarian – Omit the chicken entirely, add chickpeas or extra vegetables in its place, or replace it with sauteed tofu, tempeh, or storebought vegetarian chicken.
- Different vegetables – Either replace the broccoli or add more veggies to the dish. Cooked squash, asparagus, cauliflower, green peas, mushrooms, or leafy greens would all be great choices.
- Low calorie alfredo sauce – Swap the cream out for half and half, reduce the amount of butter, and use ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese to create a lighter alfredo sauce.
Storing and reheating
To store: Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat: Either reheat the leftovers in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove until warmed through. Keep some extra alfredo sauce on the side to mix in with the leftovers as they can dry out a little as they sit.
Looking for more easy pasta recipes?
- Tomato Basil Creamy Tortellini
- Chicken Sausage and Vegetable Pasta Skillet
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Garlicky Kale and Mushroom Pasta
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Instant Pot Creamy Alfredo Pasta
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast or cutlets, cubed
- 16 oz farfalle (bow tie pasta)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Chicken Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp each; onion and garlic powder, paprika and oregano
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Creamy Alfredo Sauce
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp cream cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Turn instant pot on sauté mode. Add oil, shallots, chicken and all the seasoning. Stir to coat chicken with seasoning. Sauté for about 10-12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
- Add pasta and chicken broth. Give it a good stir.
- Turn off sauté mode. Cover the instant pot and seal the vent knob. Turn on high pressure for 3 minutes. When the time is up, quick release all pressure.
- Remove lid and turn on sauté mode. Add alfredo sauce ingredients and broccoli and stir. Cook for about 7-8 minutes stirring often.
- When done garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The pictures are sooo beautiful and tempting. Thanks for sharing this.
I have some shredded chicken lying around in my fridge. Can I use them instead?
Thanks so much! Yes you can use the shredded chicken, but don’t sauté for long… only long enough to add some flavor to it (seasoning and spices)
Can you double this recipe? If so, do you double everything?
yes, pretty much for best results
I have tried several homemade Alfredo recipes and none compare to this one. Absolutely delightful and incredibly easy.
That’s so wonderful to hear! Thanks for your feedback Caitlin 🙂
If I use Fettuccine noodles. Do I cook for longer time the 3 mins?
You can cook fettuccine for 3-minutes as well
This was so easy to make and true to Silvia’s promise – no leftovers. It was so fun to watch the kids taking seconds and thirds. And the adults loved this recipe, too!
So happy to hear Kirsti and also to know you have been enjoying your instant pot!
Does the broccoli need to be cooked prior to adding or can it be frozen?
it can be frozen 🙂
I’ve made this a few times: exactly as written (delicious) and also lightened up as follows (still delicious): Substitutions – reduced fat milk, half and half (instead of cream), 4 oz of Neufchatel cheese (instead of 3 oz of cream cheese), 8-10 oz of whole wheat fettucine (cooked for four minutes instead of 3), and an additional cup of broccoli. Great recipe.
Thank you so much Doug, this is so great to hear. I am glad! 🙂
Just finished making this . . . OMG !!!! Smells delish, looks delish and tastes delish. My family is loving it . Thank you
That’s great Cora! There is nothing like a good meal to look forward to. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Just made this for dinner but I didn’t have cream. The flavour was great, everyone loved it, very quick weekday meal. I will definitely be making this again, thanks for sharing!
My first internet recipe review.
I loved it! I am always wary of cooking pasta in the instant pot, but this turned out perfect following recipe. Sauce was thick and creamy.
I added a few pieces of bacon and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper.
Cilantro garnish added great flavor (I also love cilantro, so…)
Yay, that’s great Frank, so happy to hear! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback!
This was a terrible recipe! You did not give enough details to prepare this correctly. I am new to Instant Pot cooking and from the short time I’ve had it, I know there are some rules to follow. I followed the recipe, but the Fafelle that was above the liquid is not done. Rule#1 Submerge pasta to cook completely. You didn’t say whether to use fresh or frozen or pre-cooked broccoli. I used frozen, so no way is it done. This whole pot is going in the trash! What a waste of chicken breasts. You’ve got to write for everyone. Some of us are beginners and not a pro such as yourself.
Calm down B. it’s a recipe. This is a VERY simple to follow recipe. Each step of how to use the Instapot was very clearly laid out. I have had an Instapot for a number of years but my husband is the only one who ever uses it. So this was my first time ever using it and this came out perfect and delicious.