This Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta is a delicious one pot dinner that comes together in 30 minutes. Use store-bought pesto for easy prep!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – any neutral cooking oil will work like canola or grapeseed oil.
- Chicken breast – chicken thighs can be used instead and may provide a juicier cut of meat.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is preferred but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Water – chicken broth or vegetable broth can be used as a more flavourful option to water.
- Rotini pasta – any pasta shape of your choice can be used for this recipe. I recommend using a short-shaped pasta like fusilli or penne.
- Salt – to taste.
- Parmesan cheese – use fresh grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
- Pesto – store-bought pesto is recommended for easier preparation, but you can use a homemade pesto if you’re feeling fancy!
- Red pepper – use any bell pepper colour of your choice or swap out for another vegetable of your choice.
- Red onion – white onion, yellow onion or shallots will work in place of red onion.
- Broccoli – cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale or spinach can be used in place of broccoli.
How to make chicken pesto pasta in the Instant Pot
- Add the first 5 ingredients to the Instant Pot in order.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with pesto pasta
Looking for ideas on what to serve with your Instant Pot chicken pesto pasta? Here are some side dish ideas:
- Garlic bread or crusty bread
- Side salad like Caesar salad
- Bruschetta
- Caprese salad
- Burrata
Frequently Asked Questions
This Instant Pot chicken pesto pasta is made of chicken, garlic, rotini pasta, pesto sauce and veggies like red pepper, red onion and broccoli.
I like making this Instant Pot chicken pasta with rotini – the shapes on the pasta are great for holding onto the pesto sauce. If you don’t have any rotini on hand, you can use any short pasta shape of your choice like fusilli, penne or rotelle.
This Instant Pot chicken pesto pasta is definitely indulgent but on the healthier side, with just 376 calories per serving. If you want to make it even healthier, you can swap out the rotini for a whole wheat pasta of your choice.
Storing and reheating
This chicken pesto pasta is great for your weekly meal prep and can be stored in individual serving sizes. Since the pasta will last up to 5 days in the fridge, all you have to do is grab a container, warm it up and enjoy!
When you’re ready to reheat, sprinkle some water over top so the pasta and chicken don’t dry out then microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. You can also reheat it on the stovetop until warmed through.
Freezing this recipe
I love to freeze chicken pesto pasta for nights where cooking is the last thing on my mind. Once frozen, this pasta will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. I suggest freezing individual servings in glass bowls or oven safe containers.
To reheat, sprinkle some water over top and reheat straight from frozen for 6 to 7 minutes in the microwave, stirring halfway through. If you stored it in an oven-safe container, reheat directly in the oven until warm.
More Instant Pot pasta recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
 is the version I use in this recipe. - Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing this pasta up for lunch!
- This is the pasta I used in this recipe.
- And of course I get all my free-range chicken breasts from Butcher Box!
 is the version I use in this recipe.
Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium-sized chicken breasts, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups water
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 (270mL) jar of store-bought pesto
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 head broccoli, chopped
Instructions
- Add olive oil, chicken, garlic, water and pasta to Instant Pot in that order, making sure most of pasta is submerged just below the surface of the water.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to preheat then the 3 minutes to pressure cook. Do a quick release of the pressure and remove lid.
- Stir in salt, parmesan cheese, pesto, red pepper, red onion and broccoli, mixing well. Place lid back on and let sit 10 minutes to steam the veggies.
- Serve and enjoy!
