Instant Pot Penne Pasta And Creamy Tomato Sauce Recipe

This recipe for Instant Pot penne pasta in a creamy tomato sauce helps make dinnertime a breeze without compromising any of the flavor or texture of your favorite pasta. Made entirely in one pot, and containing the holy trifecta of chicken, creamy tomatoes, and sturdy penne noodles, this dinner is a hit with kids and adults alike.

According to Ksenia Prints of Thermocookery, with this recipe, the Instant Pot helps solve the eternal question dreaded by all parents, "What's for dinner?" An Instant Pot is essentially a modern version of a pressure cooker, and it helps to cook food quickly and efficiently, not to mention well.

In this recipe, we put the Instant Pot to the ultimate test, letting it cook a full meal combining all the food groups and achieving maximum flavor in one go. It starts with sauteed onions, continues with diced chicken thighs, and then we build up a deeply flavorful, rich tomato sauce that is finished off with cream and Parmesan cheese. A few julienned leaves of fresh basil, and you've got yourself a meal that can compete with any you could get in a restaurant.

For this Instant Pot pasta in creamy tomato sauce, you'll need olive oil, skinless boneless chicken thighs, salt, black pepper, an onion, minced garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and dried basil for aromatic seasoning. You'll also need penne pasta, a can of crushed tomatoes, and chicken stock for the base. Some heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese will add in the creaminess. Finally, have fresh basil ready for garnish.

Set an Instant Pot to saute mode and heat the olive oil.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Brown the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and dried basil. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the penne, crushed tomatoes, and chicken stock. Stir to combine, ensuring the pasta is mostly submerged. Do not stir again.

Place the chicken pieces on top of the pasta. Cancel saute mode.

Secure the lid with the valve in sealing position and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.

Quick release the pressure. Remove the lid and stir the pasta to incorporate any liquid.

Switch to saute mode. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, and simmer 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with fresh basil, and serve immediately.

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If you don't own an Instant Pot, you can easily adapt this one-pot recipe for stovetop cooking. The goal here is not to dirty too many dishes and still keep all the action in one place, and that can be achieved by using a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven.

Start by heating the olive oil over medium-high heat and browning the seasoned chicken pieces in batches, just as you would in the Instant Pot. Remove the chicken and set it aside, then saute the onions in the same pan until softened. Add the garlic and spices and cook them until they're fragrant. Next, add the penne, crushed tomatoes, and chicken stock, adding ¼ cup more to compensate for evaporation, and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pot, nestling it into the pasta mixture instead of just leaving it on top. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.

Once the pasta is done, stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, and let the pasta simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. The main difference is that stovetop cooking requires more attention and occasional stirring to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The total cooking time will be slightly longer on the stovetop, but the  result will be just as creamy.

The beauty of a good tomato sauce is that it can be dressed up or down to your liking. For the protein, you can swap out chicken thighs for chicken breasts, cut into similar-sized pieces, or for a richer taste, use Italian sausage removed from its casings and crumbled. If you want to go in a bolognese direction, use ground beef and drain the excess fat after browning. For a vegetarian version, omit the meat entirely and add vegetables like zucchini and bell peppers, or use chickpeas for protein.

You can change the pasta shape to rigatoni, rotini, or farfalle, but stick with sturdy shapes that hold up to pressure cooking. For the sauce, you can use diced tomatoes instead of crushed for a chunkier texture, or add a tablespoon of tomato paste for deeper flavor.

Another favorite twist of ours is adding anchovies with the onions for a more umami-rich flavor. For a different but equally delicious flavor, add sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and a few capers. For spice lovers, use more red pepper flakes, or even better, try Calabrian chile flakes. You can make this dish lighter by substituting half-and-half for heavy cream, though the sauce won't be quite as rich.

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