Bruschetta Chicken Pasta is an easy weeknight meal that is done in the Instant Pot, in under 30 minutes. You will love the fresh flavors, with a kick of garlic, basil, and parmesan cheese.
If you love tomato and basil bruschetta, juicy chicken, and creamy pasta, then you’re going to love this recipe! Based on my fresh tomato bruschetta recipe, and this one-pan Bruschetta Chicken, I decided to make an Instant Pot version but with the addition of pasta. And it’s now a new favorite in our house!
This Instant Pot chicken recipe is simple to make and can easily be tailored to your liking. If you want a bit more of a kick, add some crushed red pepper flakes. For a creamier pasta, add in a cup of heavy cream when you stir in the parmesan cheese at the end. Whatever you choose to do, it will be delicious and I will provide you with some suggestions below.
The dish comes together in just 30 minutes and it’s an easy job of dump and start, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pasta and Chicken – Everyone loves dinner when it has pasta and chicken in it. It’s filling, simple, and delicious.
- Dump and Start – This bruschetta chicken pasta is so easy, that all you have to do is prep, dump in the instant pot, start, add the fresh ingredients and you’re ready to eat!
Key ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this chicken pasta:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: I used boneless and skinless chicken breasts that I thawed completely, and then diced up into bite-size pieces. If you prefer dark meat, chicken thighs will definitely work in this dish.
- Pasta: Go for good quality dry (uncooked) pasta, any short pasta shape works that’s not too small, i.e, penne, fusilli, bow ties, rigatoni… you get the point! Just avoid very small pasta like elbow macaroni as it will be overcooked.
Tip!
I use 12 ounces (340g) of pasta to make this recipe, but if you want to use the whole box (16 ounces) that’s perfectly fine. You can also add one more chicken breast that’s diced up into pieces. The only thing to look for, is that the pasta is almost covered in liquid before pressure cooking so feel free to add more water if necessary.
- Diced Tomatoes: One 15-ounce (400g) can of diced tomatoes is what you need for this recipe. I provided some substitutions in the FAQs sections if you need it.
- Seasonings: To flavor the chicken and the pasta, I added Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, and olive oil.
- For the Bruschetta Topping: I used Roma tomatoes, red onion, fresh basil, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
How To Make Bruschetta Chicken pasta in the instant pot
- Make the bruschetta topping, in a bowl combine tomatoes, red onion, garlic basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir and set aside.
- To the instant pot, add the chicken, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, olive oil, and diced tomatoes. Give everything a good mix.
- Add the pasta so it’s on top of the chicken, then add water (the water should cover the pasta or almost cover it – see the first image of the collage below).
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and make sure that the vent is in SEALING position. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 3 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start pressure cooking.
- When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam and remove the lid.
- Give everything a good stir (the pasta will absorb most of the water). Add parmesan, and bruschetta topping, stir well, cover with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra fresh basil and parmesan before serving.
Tip!
After pressure cooking, when you remove the lid you will find that the pasta floating in a lot of liquid, don’t worry! The pasta will absorb all of it as it sits with the toppings for 5 minutes (under the lid).
Recipe Tips
- Don’t sear the chicken before pressure cooking. Chicken breast meat is very easy to overcook, so don’t add an extra step of searing it before pressure cooking.
- For creamier pasta, mix in half a cup of heavy cream or sour cream at the very end.
- If you’re serving this to children, adjust the amount of the fresh garlic. This dish is quite garlicky if you make it as written, so adjust to your preference.
- For extra flavor, you can add a drizzle of balsamic glaze right before serving.
Storing Tips
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw the pasta in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it with a splash of water on the stove over low heat until warmed through.
What To Serve With
This bruschetta chicken pasta is a complete meal on its own, but if you want to round it out with a side dish, here are some ideas:
Bread: Homemade garlic bread is always a good idea, if you have more time try making these delicious Olive Garden breadsticks, or my favorite Texas Roadhouse Rolls.
Salad: Serve the chicken and pasta with a side of Simple Side Salad, homemade Caesar Salad, or Olive Garden Salad.
FAQs
Yes, you can. You don’t need to adjust the cooking time if using frozen chicken.
I prefer to thaw completely. But you don’t need to thaw the chicken if you don’t have time, however, I do recommend that you dice it into small pieces before cooking.
Yes, any short pasta shape works that’s not too small, i.e, penne, fusilli, bow ties, rigatoni. Avoid small pasta shapes like elbow macaroni or orzo as these will be overcooked.
Yes, you can double the recipe, but you will need to cook it in two batches since you can’t fit double the amount of ingredients in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
You can substitute crushed tomatoes, or whole peeled tomatoes that you’ve diced yourself. If using whole peeled tomatoes, you might need to add a bit more water (you want to make sure that the pasta is almost covered in liquid before it’s cooked).
So here’s what I do, I mix in ¾ of the mixture after pressure cooking and then let the pasta sit with the topping under a lid. This does 2 things: the garlic is cooked a little using residual heat, and the pasta will absorb the liquid. I then use the remaining topping as a garnish right before serving and do an extra sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and extra fresh basil.
This bruschetta chicken pasta is a quick and easy weeknight meal that’s full of flavor. The dish comes together in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy families. And because it’s made in the Instant Pot, cleanup is a breeze! Simply add all of the ingredients to the pot, set it, and forget it until dinner time. This bruschetta chicken pasta is sure to become a new family favorite. Serve it with a side of garlic bread or salad and enjoy!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 15-ounce (400g) can diced tomatoes undrained, See note 1 for sub
- 2 cups water
- 12 ounces penne pasta uncooked, See note 2
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese freshly from a block
For the bruschetta topping:
- 4 plum tomatoes diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the bruschetta topping, in a bowl combine tomatoes, red onion, garlic basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside.
- To the instant pot, add the chicken, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, olive oil, and diced tomatoes. Give everything a good mix.
- Add the pasta so it’s on top of the chicken, then add water (the water should cover the pasta, or almost cover).
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and make sure that the vent is in SEALING position. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 3 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking.
- When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam and remove the lid.
- Give everything a good stir (the pasta will absorb most of the water). Add parmesan, and bruschetta topping, stir well, cover with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra fresh basil and parmesan before serving.
Notes:
- Diced tomatoes substitute: You can substitute crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes that you’ve diced yourself. If using whole peeled tomatoes, you might need to add a bit more water (you want to make sure that the pasta is almost covered in liquid before it’s cooked).
- Pasta: I use 12 ounces (340g) of pasta to make this recipe, but if you want to use the whole box (16 ounces) that’s perfectly fine. You can also add one more chicken breast that’s diced up into pieces. The only thing to look for, is that the pasta is almost covered in liquid before pressure cooking so feel free to add more water if necessary.
- Using frozen chicken: I recommend always thawing the chicken before cooking, but if you’re short on time you can use frozen chicken just dice it up into small pieces. You do not need to adjust the cooking time.
- Don’t sear the chicken before pressure cooking. Chicken breast meat is very easy to overcook, so don’t add an extra step of searing it before pressure cooking.
- For creamier pasta, mix in half a cup of heavy cream or sour cream at the very end.
- If you’re serving this to children, adjust the amount of the fresh garlic. This dish is quite garlicky if you make it as written, so adjust to your preference.
- For extra flavor, you can add a drizzle of balsamic glaze right before serving.
- Storing: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw the pasta in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it with a splash of water on the stove over low heat until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Debbie Sneed says
This is very good! My husband had seconds. He is hard to please when dinner has pasta, but he loved it. I can definitely see doubling the bruschetta, but the amount on the recipe is good too.
My only issue was the length of time it was supposed to cook. The directions says, water should be above pasta or almost above. Mine was almost above plus I added about a cup more of water. The first time I cooked it I did 5 mins not 3. Pasta was still hard, the second time I ran it for 2 minutes. Almost done by not completely. I did it a 3rd time for an additional 2 mins. The pasta was completely done. I know for most people the second time would be enough.
Other than that, it was absolutely delicious
Diana says
Thank you Debbie for your feedback! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe. What type of pasta did you use?
Veil says
What should I do if I already cooked the chicken?
Diana says
Just shred it and add it to the pasta at the end. Don’t cook it again.
Bonbon says
Delish!! Will definately be making again!!! Even better and tastier the second day!!!!
Heather says
This was amazing it has a nice light taste and not super heavy on the stomach either. It also taste super good cold as a pasta salad. Great for a hot summer day.
Nina says
This was soooo good!!! We will be making this often!!!