This Pesto Chicken Pasta recipe was hosted by Power Pressure Cooker XL. All opinions are our own. | I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’ve spent my whole life cooking and loving it, but I’ve never used a pressure cooker. Why? The reason is quite simple. I’m terrified of blowing up my house. I even told the folks at Power Pressure Cooker XL™ as much when they contacted me.
Their response? “Perfect! We want to show you how easy it is!”
So I agreed, and here I am. A brand new believer, and a brand new lover of easy 10-minute Pesto Chicken Pasta.
Easy 10-minute Pesto Chicken Pasta made with @fusionlifebrand Power Pressure Cooker XL! So easy! #foodie #recipeClick To Tweet
10-Minute Pesto Chicken Pasta
- 6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups dry gemelli pasta
- 1 8-ounce jar pesto
- 1 28-ounce can tomatoes (diced or crushed)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper, to taste
- grated Parmesan, if desired
- Combine all ingredients in pressure cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on soup/stew setting for 10 minutes according to pressure cooker directions.
- Serve immediately. Top with grated Parmesan, if desired.
Not Your Grandma’s Pressure Cooker
I’m not sure if pressure cookers were ever really known for being unsafe, but that’s the idea I had in my head. After one use, I realized that this was not at all the machine I thought it was. It’s basically just as easy to use as a slow cooker, but much, much faster. Power Pressure Cooker XL includes lots of safety features, a thorough instruction manual, and online videos to help you get started if you’re a little skittish.
I named him Vader. Seems fitting, right?
Since the whole point of this new venture was to help me get dinner on the table on busy weeknights when anything beyond sandwiches or pizza seems impossible, I started with something pretty simple. A chicken and pasta dish that I knew both my husband and my kids would love.
And how can you go wrong with a jar of pesto? We always seem to have one or two in the pantry, and pesto is a great way to add loads of flavor to almost anything. Added to a few chicken breasts, dry pasta, tomato sauce and a big bunch of fresh baby spinach, it made for a delicious meal in ten minutes flat.
Seriously. Ten minutes. That was it. The chicken was done. The pasta was perfectly al dente. I kid you not. TEN MINUTES.
Wanna try it? Pin it for later!
I’m still kind of in awe that all I have to do is put the lid on and the Power Pressure Cooker XL does its high-power magic. A few words from my brand sponsor describe the benefits:
- Traditionally slow-cooked meals that are ready 70% faster than conventional methods
- Locked in nutrients and vitamins
- Meats and seafood with intense flavor without added fat
- Tender, crisp vegetables with intact fiber
- Cheaper cuts of meat transformed into juicy perfection
- One-touch setting designed for a variety of foods
- Meat, fish, vegetables, beans, rice, soup or stews can all quickly be cooked to perfection!
Available in 6 quart ($99.99), 8 quart ($129.96) and 10 quart ($159.93) models, Power Pressure Cooker XL™ can be purchased at powerpressurecooker.com, as well as through select national retail stores and websites.
Are you a pressure cooker fan? I’d love some more recipes!
Get your own Power Pressure Cooker now! If time is money, it’s worth every penny.
That sounds delicious. I just wish I had a pressure cooker so that I could try this.
If you ever decide to invest in one, I highly recommend the Power Pressure Cooker XL! I never imagined it would be so easy to use. I still kind of marvel at the magic of a 10-minute meal!
I love pesto on just about anything. I may have to pull out my pressure cooker to make this.
That sounds so yummy, and you can’t beat 10 minutes in the cooker! I’ve recently fallen in love with adding pesto to everything, so I’m excited to try this.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle recently posted…Pineapple & Mint Basil Granita Recipe #CreateWithDole #KingofJuices
I recently just started using my pressure cooker and love it! I just made a yummy roast in it! I will definitely try out this recipe!
MJ L recently posted…Your Home will Smell Amazing with Pink Zebra Soaks! Review and Giveaway
What a handy device to have around the kitchen. A pressure cooker is at the top of my husband’s wish list and knowing you can create a complete meal in ten minutes just totally sealed the deal for me.
Marcie W. recently posted…The Marvelous World Of Murray’s Cheese
I love cooking with my slow cookers and now I will definitely add the pressure cooker to my collection as well. A delicious meal that only takes 10 minutes to make sounds great!
These look delicious. The recipes look easy enough to make. Not sure about the pressure cooker though. But love the fact that it only takes 10 minutes to make.
Val recently posted…Coconut Lime Shrimp With Plantains And Mango Salsa #Recipe
I feel like it’s almost exactly like cooking in a slow cooker. The only real difference is that the lid locks on!
This sounds like the perfect pesto pasta to me. I love pesto and I’d love to start cooking with a pressure cooker.
My husband and I were just discussing getting a pressure cooker and this makes me want one even more.
I’ve only had mine a few weeks, but I’m really sold on it. And the bonus of not heating up the kitchen in the summer is great, too!
I like this recipe, the fact that it only takes 10 minutes with some boneless chicken is enough to make this a frontrunner for my weekend menu. Thanks for the recipe! I’m sure there are variants with it with seafood.
Karlaroundtheworld | Karla recently posted…A Day in LA: One day overview of the City
Isn’t ten minutes amazing? You just have to add in whatever time it takes to gather your ingredients. You can even use frozen chicken! You just have to add an extra 10 minutes, but that’s still pretty fast! I haven’t done seafood yet, but I would guess you would just cut the time a little due to its delicate texture.
So you just dump all the ingredients in at once? Even the raw chicken? That is amazing… I have an Instant Pot and I have been so overwhelmed to use it!
This is a great-looking recipe.
The pressure cooker looks beastly good itself!
Oh yum! This looks so delicious and easy too. Great dinner ideas!
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I reallllly want one of these pressure cookers! I have heard such great things about them.
It’s magic, Whitney. Pure magic. 🙂
I had no idea you could make a meal in a pressure cooker in such a short amount of time. This is a recipe my husband would LOVE!
I started with this one because it seems really family-friendly. Who doesn’t like chicken and pasta, right?
My wife will love to do this. She likes pressure cooker foods because it is easier to prepare and cooking time is lesser.
Smart lady! I only wish I had known sooner!
Wow! You had me at 10 minutes, and pesto will always be one of my favorite pasta sauces! This is definitely a keeper and I like that you used the pressure cooker as well.
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Did you use natural or quick release?
I am trying to make this now in my pressure cooker, but I cannot get my pot to come to pressure. What am I doing wrong?
I wish I could help! I would double check that the lid is on correctly? Can you troubleshoot on the manufacturer’s website?
The one and only time I did pasta in the PPC XL, the pasta came out so gummy that it was hardly edible. So now, I am reluctant to try a pasta recipe. Any suggestions?
I am allergic to spinach. Would kale or collard greens be a good substitute?
Also did you do quick release after the ten minutes was up or natural release?
I did quick release (opening the valve to release the pressure manually, right?) and yes, I think most any green would work! Although kale and collards are quite sturdy, so they won’t break down as quickly as the spinach. Thanks for asking!
Do you know what the soup/stew settings are? I have an InstaPot and the soup and stew buttons are separate. If you know the settings, perhaps
I can do it on manual!
Hello! I tried this for dinner last night and couldn’t believe how easy it was! My boys ate it and kept saying it was the best thing they have had! That is amazing because the younger one complains if pasta has any sauce on it… and he is part Italian! They said the recipe is a keeper. Thanks for making our dinner a great one last night!
Aw, I’m SO glad to hear that! You made my day!
It’s so nice to see a comment from someone that actually made the recipe. THANK YOU!
What’s up, I would like to subscribe for this blog to take hottest updates, thus where can i do
it please help out.
brico recently posted…brico
Made this tonight and it had very good flavor! Some modifications I made were using whole wheat rotini pasta, as I couldn’t find the type that it called for and then using 2 large chicken breasts cut in half, lengthwise, so basically 4 small breasts.
I have an Instapot Duo and used the meat/stew setting with the same time it calls for and it turned out perfectly. Pasta was done and not overcooked, and the chicken was perfect and juicy.
Will make again!
Laura, thank you. Perfect timing, planning to make tonight in Instant Duo so appreciated the tips. Thinking about making 1-1/2 times, would that fit? thank you again.
Sorry I didn’t see this til now, Kathy. I would think it would fit just fine, if you haven’t made it by now 😉
Made this for my family last night and we all really liked it. I browned the chicken breasts in the bottom of the instant pot first with some seasoning to give them a little more flavor. The only thing I would change next time is to cut the chicken up even smaller so that more surface area soaks in the sauce. I used mini penne pasta because I couldn’t find the kind called for and it was the perfect size for this. Will bey making again.
Thanks so much for your comment, Deborah! I definitely did start browning the chicken in the pot once I got more used to pressure cooking. I agree that it makes it taste even better! I’m so glad you were happy with the recipe.
Just made this for supper tonight. It was my first time using my instant pot. I Was So Impressed on how easy this was to make. My husband ate It up And Gave It a Thumbs Up. Will Be Making This Again.
Hi there! I made this and it was delicious! My family loved it. I followed the directions exactly except I used rotini and it burnt to the bottom of the pot. It did not change the flavor, it just took longer because I had to open it twice to scrape the bottom. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Hey! A friend asked for instant pot recipes and one of his friends posted this. I made it tonight for my hubs (and 3 year old), and we all loved it! My husband is a bit of a foodie, and he said he felt this had the perfect ratio of pesto to sauce to chicken and loved the noodles too.
It was sooo easy! Only 10 minutes once the pot came to pressure. Amazing. And perfect. I used low sodium chicken broth, didn’t use any seasoning otherwise. Park after. I think next time I’ll use boneless skinless chicken thighs, I used a couple plus chicken breasts and felt like the thighs just fell apart more.
Amazing. Delicious!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I look forward to making it again!