Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
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Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta is an easy one-pot meal. Pasta and chicken are cooked together in the Instant Pot and then combined with delicious marinated tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Perfect for summer and busy weeknights!
If you’re looking for more Instant Pot pasta ideas, try my Pesto Chicken Pasta!
This Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta is just the thing to make in the summer when beautiful seasonal tomatoes and fresh basil are easily found (or maybe you have some in your garden!). This recipe is also great because you don’t need to heat up the kitchen to make it! All the cooking is done in the Instant Pot, so there’s minimal cleanup. What’s not to love?
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta. See the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions.
For the bruschetta topping you’ll need
- Roma tomatoes – or plum tomatoes (Roma is a variety of plum). You can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, but this variety is a nice choice because it has relatively fewer seeds.
- Red onion – diced small so you don’t get an overwhelming onion taste in one bite!
- Fresh basil – thinly sliced (chiffonade), for a pretty presentation. See my tip below for how to slice this way.
- Olive oil
- Garlic – infuses the oil with flavour.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed, to add some brightness and acidity.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Red pepper flakes – for a bit of heat (optional).
For the pasta you’ll need
- Chicken breast – 1.5 pounds, 1-inch dice; or you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Chicken broth – I use broth rather than water to cook the pasta, for more flavour.
- Bowtie pasta noodles – or any noodle that will cook in 3-4 minutes under pressure. See my tip below for how to determine pasta pressure cook time.
- Parmesan cheese – to stir in after cooking.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step one: Make the bruschetta topping
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, basil, olive oil, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Cover and set aside at room temperature to marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Step two: Cook the chicken and pasta
In a single layer, add the diced chicken to the Instant Pot insert, then sprinkle it with the Italian seasoning, kosher salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the uncooked pasta in an even layer on top. The pasta doesn’t need to be submerged in broth, but you do want it to be in a nice layer so it cooks evenly.
Pressure cook on Manual High pressure for 4 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
(Note: you could season the chicken with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a separate bowl before adding it to the Instant Pot, but then you need to clean another dish. I don’t find it makes a big difference for taste, so I just season right in the pot!)
Step 3: Stir in the marinated tomatoes and cheese
At the end of cooking time, quick release pressure (carefully, watch for splatter), give the chicken and pasta a stir, then add the tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Stir until everything is evenly distributed, then set the lid askew on top of the pot to let everything warm up for 3-5 minutes.
Step 4: Garnish and serve
Garnish with more parmesan and fresh basil, if desired, and serve!
Tips for Success
How to chiffonade fresh basil leaves
- Stack leaves face down on the cutting board.
- Roll up the stack as if you were rolling up a piece of paper.
- Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the roll.
- Pull apart the slices into pretty ribbons!
How to substitute different types of pasta
You can use any type of short pasta that will pressure cook in 3-4 minutes (the time needed for the diced chicken to cook). A good rule of thumb is to divide the lowest cook time on the package by two. If it’s an odd number, round down and divide by two. For example, 7 minutes would round down to 6, then divide by two to get 3 minutes.
Prepare the bruschetta topping first
For the best flavour, you want to give the tomatoes as much time as possible to marinate. You could even prepare the tomatoes an hour or two before you cook the pasta.
Can I make this gluten free?
Yes! This recipe should work with gluten free pasta. Follow the tip above to determine the appropriate cook time.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai
- Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
For the bruschetta topping
- 1 lb roma tomatoes, diced (5-6 roma tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup red onion, small dice
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- red pepper flakes, to taste (optional; I used 1/8 teaspoon)
For the pasta
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1-inch dice (can also use diced chicken thighs)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb uncooked bowtie pasta
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- First, prepare the bruschetta topping. In a medium bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, red onion, basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cover and set aside at room temperature to marinate, while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Next, cook the chicken and pasta. Place the diced chicken in the Instant Pot insert in an even layer. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the Italian seasoning, kosher salt and black pepper. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the bowtie pasta in an even layer on top. Close the lid, set the vent to sealing and pressure cook on Manual High pressure for 4 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
- Then, release pressure. At the end of cooking time, do a controlled quick release of the pressure (see note 3) and give the chicken and pasta a stir. (There will be a bit of liquid left at the bottom of the pot, but there shouldn't be much. If you find there's a bit too much liquid left, turn on the Sauté function and simmer off the liquid for a couple minutes. Turn off the Sauté function before proceeding!)
- Add the cheese and tomatoes. Add the parmesan cheese and bruschetta topping and mix until evenly distributed. Set the lid askew on the pot to let the tomatoes and cheese warm for 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired, and serve. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Notes
- Serves 8 based on a standard 2-ounce pasta serving. Serves 6 generous portions.
- Inactive time indicates the time it takes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure and release pressure.
- Controlled quick release: let pressure out a bit at a time, rather than turning the seal all the way to venting right away (I like to use a wooden spoon so I don’t get hit with any splatter). Pasta is notorious for splatter.
- This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot model.
Equipment
Nutrition Estimate
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a review below!
I’d love to hear from you!
Hey, I’m Laura!
Creator of The Recipe Well
I love food and cooking, but hate doing the dishes. I use my nutrition degree to create easy, approachable recipes that will help you find your happy place in the kitchen.
Flavors here are excellent. One thing I should have paid better attention to was liquid measurements: my chicken was already cooked so I should have probably added another half cup of broth, as not all the topmost pasta cooked completely. However, when I added the tomatoes and stirred and covered, that helped to further soften the drier pasta.
Also, I left the cheese on the side only as I was serving at a function with some dairy-free friends. This was so easy to accommodate for dairy free guests!
Hi Rachel, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! And you’re right – with pre-cooked chicken you’ll need more broth to cook the pasta 🙂
Clear instructions & family loved it. Next time I will increase cook time to 7 min. Substituted mozzarella because didn’t have fresh parm. Also used frozen tomatoes from garden.
Really liked this recipe it was super easy and tasty. I would however recommend adding 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar to the bruschetta portion to help bring some brightness to the dish as the pressure cooker tends to cut off the highs and lows. I would also suggest 50/50 chicken/Italian sausage to bring another depth of flavor.
I cooked it a bit longer–another 5 minutes. I sauteed the chicken for 2 minutes in a little bacon grease left over from breakfast. Also used my own tomatoes from the freezer that I quartered last summer. Thawed and drained. It’s delicious. Will definitely make again
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Barbara! Thanks for leaving a review!
I hate tomatoes! But I could eat this over and over. I added a whole red onion and doubled the basil. My family loves this meal so much! Couldn’t find bow tie pasta, so I’m going to risk it with penne tonight. It’s such a light, flavorful meal.
This was a home run! I had to reduce the broth proportionally (2 2/3 C, since I only had 12 oz of pasta) and I did sauté to boil some liquid off after pressure cooking. Also, I strained the marinated tomatoes before adding. I accidentally got shredded Parm instead of grated, but it was still great. Thank you for this one!!’
Hi! Can this recipe be doubled? We have an 8qt IP. I’m going to make it tonight.
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried a double batch myself, but I think it should work based on looking at some other recipes that use 2 pounds of pasta. Let us know how it goes if you try!
I doubled it and it worked out except there needed to be more liquid for the pasta. I’ll definitely be making this again and this is going to be my go to recipe just for the bruchetta as well!
Thanks for reporting back! So happy you liked it! The rule of thumb for pasta is 1 cup thin liquid per 4oz pasta, but in this case I reduced it slightly to account for the liquid that comes out of the chicken. If you didn’t have 3lbs of chicken, you would want to add a bit more broth. That might have been the reason 🙂
Delicious. I am very intimidated by the instapot. Your suggestions and tips definitely helped.
One question I do have is, can you use frozen chicken……as long as it can be diced?
So glad you enjoyed it, Jaime! Because we’re cooking the chicken along with pasta, it’s better to thaw it first so that the pasta doesn’t get overcooked. If you have frozen breasts, you can pressure cook for just 1 minute to thaw them, then dice and follow the usual recipe. Here’s a post from another blogger with tips: https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/how-to-pressure-cook-frozen-chicken-breasts/. Hope this helps!
Fantastic!!!
This was amazing! My store only had mini bow ties, which increased the volume, so I increased the broth to 4 cups and it worked beautifully!
Laura,
I am not vegetarian but seldom eat meat. Is it possible for this recipe to work without the chicken? The same for some of your other recipes. They look great and easy. Also, I cook for one so a pot lasts a while. Thank you.
Hi Joy, yes, this recipe will work without chicken. I would increase the amount of broth to 4 cups, to replace the liquid that would have come out of the chicken (you generally want 4 cups of liquid per pound of pasta). If you have questions about changes to any of the other recipes, please leave a question on the post (the adjustments may be different). Hope this helps!
My whole family loved this!! My picky 6 yo asked for seconds (gasp!) and they asked me to “make it all the time” – that’s a real compliment.
I did add a heaping spoonful of pesto to the pasta as i mixed in the bruscetta topping and parm, which added bonus loads of flavor (But I’m sure it’s incredible without as well). Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Pesto sounds like a great addition! So glad your family enjoyed the recipe!
This looks great! Just to clarify, I put the diced chicken into the IP raw, correct? Just want to make sure I’m doing it right!
Yes, add it raw! The chicken and pasta will cook together. If you need a visual, you can see it in the video. Enjoy!
I don’t think I’ve ever left a review on a recipe before, but I love this recipe so much! I don’t even like tomatoes, so I was worried about trying this but it is my new favorite recipe. So easy to make (with a little bit of prep work), and so fresh and summery. I’m sharing this recipe with everyone I know!
Thank you for the kind words, Alyssa! So happy you like it!
I don’t have fresh Roma tomatoes- can I use canned?
Hi Marti, I would stick to fresh tomatoes for this recipe.
I thought is tasted great! My only issue was it took a little while to get everything prepped. I was expecting a dump in the instant pot recipe and that is was not. But, definitely worth it. Will make again. Just get everything prepped before hand!
Glad you enjoyed it, Laurie! Thanks for leaving a review!
Made this dish tonight and it was amazing! My husband said it’s a keeper!
I love hearing this! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for leaving a review!
I have made this Instant Pot Chicken Bruschetta twice now. The second time I added a packet of Italian seasonings (from Good Seasons, it’s a salad dressing and recipe mix) and chopped up 5 strips of crisp bacon to the marinade. Really sent this recipe a punch of flavor. So good with shrimp as well.
Those sound like delicious additions! So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
This is an excellent recipe and so easy to make. I certainly will be making this again.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!