Instant Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta

This Marry Me Chicken Pasta is loaded with basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, & sun-dried tomatoes - made in the Instant Pot in under 30 minutes!

scooping a spoon of marry me chicken pasta.

Paid links used in this post. Read more about my link usage policies.

❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Full of flavor - get a creamy, flavorful sun-dried tomato and basil sauce with perfectly seasoned chicken.
Quick and simple - this is an under-30-minute recipe that's perfect for busy nights!
One-pot wonder - Make your whole meal in one pot, making clean-up a breeze.

🍲 Why Use the Instant Pot?

I don't know about you, but I'm all about knocking out the number of dishes I have to dirty for a recipe. The great thing about making this in the Instant Pot is that you only dirty one dish. One!

With the Instant Pot, you'll brown the chicken, garlic, & onions, cook the pasta, and make the sauce in one pot. This is also a massive time saver. We're going to have this recipe on the table in under 30 minutes by using this magic device.

Let me show you how to do it!

🍝 Ingredients & Variations

8.5oz jarred sun-dried tomatoes - I like to use the julienned variety. If you grab the ones that are still whole, give them a rough chop before adding to the sauce. You will drain the oil from the tomatoes before making the sauce, but we're going to use that oil too - it's full of flavor!
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts - you could also use chicken thighs for a little bit of extra flavor. These should be chopped into 1" (bite-sized) pieces.
seasonings - We'll use 2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes for our chicken.
½ of a finely-diced large onion - Make sure to finely dice your onion...nobody wants a big chunk of onion in their sauce!
2 cloves of garlic, minced - If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, about a teaspoon of garlic powder will work too.
12oz penne pasta - Any pasta you'd like to use is fine! I like penne because it soaks up that creamy sun-dried tomato sauce beautifully.
3 cups chicken broth - Chicken stock is also amazing to use if you have it.
creams & cheeses - You'll need 4oz cream cheese, 1 cup heavy cream, and 1 cup shredded parmesan for this recipe. I recommend shredding your own parmesan; it will make your sauce much smoother.
2 cups fresh spinach & ½ cup fresh basil - We will wilt both the basil and the spinach towards the end of cooking. That way, they still have a little bit of a bite without being too soggy.

Additions & Substitutions

Use a different protein - this dish can also be made with steak or even shrimp. To avoid over-cooking the shrimp, saute them separately and add to the sauce at the end. 🥩
Add 3oz of tomato paste for a more tomato-based sauce. 🍅
Love spice? Add more red pepper flakes until you reach your desired heat level! 🔥

Try more Instant Pot pasta recipes: my go-to easy spaghetti with meat sauce recipe and this spicy Trader Joe's Chili Crunch Pasta. 🍝

🍽️ How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta

chicken, onion, and garlic cooking in an instant pot.

mixing parmesan cheese, cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes in an instant pot.

marry me chicken pasta in an instant pot.

Step 1: Saute Seasoned chicken & aromatics.

Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Once it's hot, add about 2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, 1.5 lbs chopped chicken breasts, and seasonings (2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon red pepper) to the pot.

Allow chicken to brown for 5-6 minutes. Then, add ½ finely-chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook until slightly browned and fragrant (2-3 minutes).

Step 2: Pressure Cook Pasta.

Add 12oz uncooked penne pasta and 3 cups of chicken broth to the Instant Pot. Lock on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, 4 minutes. Once the cook cycle is over and pressure is released, stir the contents of the Instant Pot well.

Step 3: Make creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.

After the pasta is cooked (it should be al dente), add the 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 4oz cream cheese, 1 cup heavy cream, and 8.5oz drained sun-dried tomatoes to the pasta. Stir until blended.

Step 4: Finishing touches.

Wait until about 5 minutes before serving to add 2 cups of spinach & ½ cup of chopped basil, allowing them to wilt slightly in the sauce.

🥡 Leftovers & Storage

FRIDGE: This one needs to be stored in an airtight container - it has lots of big flavors that will seep into your other foods if not sealed. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days of cooking.

REHEAT: microwave single servings for about a minute, stirring well and adding 30 seconds if needed.

FREEZER: I don't recommend freezing pasta recipes. That consistency just never comes out well. It's really better to cook all of this together to let those flavors blend, so just make this one fresh.

If you love this recipe, you'll want to check out the soup version: Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup!

💡 More Helpful Tips & Tricks

Once the cooking cycle is over, make sure to turn the Instant Pot off if you're leaving extra pasta in the pot. It will continue cooking slightly, making your pasta mushy.
The sauce might be slightly thin at first; it will thicken as the pasta soaks it up.

🙋‍♀️ FAQs

The basic idea is that if you make it for someone, they'll marry you because it's so good!

This one is a meal all on its own, so there's no real need for a side dish. If you'd like to add something, a spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette or garlic bread are both great options.

Sure! It just takes a little bit longer. Cook chicken in a hot skillet as directed in step 1 above, then skip to step 3 to make the sauce. Add cooked pasta to this mixture and serve.

More Easy Instant Pot Dinners

I can't wait to see how much you love this one - it's a keeper! If you give it a try, make sure to rate and review the recipe in the comments below.

Instant Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta

❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

🍲 Why Use the Instant Pot?