Looking for a delicious easy dinner that's one pot and not fuss? Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake is one of those winning recipes your whole family will love.
It’s a delicious combination of cheese, pasta, sauce, and chicken that pairs so well together you’ll wonder why you hadn’t tried it sooner. All the flavors of a traditional Chicken Parmesan made easily in the Instant Pot.
Serving this parmesan pasta with a side of delicious green beans, a side salad or a nice loaf of garlic bread can help to give a filling meal that not only tastes great but is also frugal on the wallet.
Finding a frugal meal that is not only delicious and healthy but also easy to make is like winning the dinner lottery. You can switch out the noodles for high fiber or veggie-based for an even healthier alternative.
How many times do you to to the kitchen and think that you have the stuff on hand to make spaghetti, but you forgot to thaw ground beef?
I can’t be the only one who does this 30 minutes before dinner time right?
This chicken parmesan pasta recipe allows you to use frozen or thawed chicken, making it perfect for those nights when dinner sat on the back burner in your brain too long!
After enjoying your Italian meal, it’ll be time for dessert. I personally believe that chocolate compliments a red pasta meal better than anything else because it’s subtle and doesn’t add to the acidity in your tummy.
It acts as a way to help round out the night, and what better way to do that after an easy meal than with an easy dessert like these chocolate Cake Mix Cookies?
Make them in advance and grab a few after dinner as you get comfy on the couch and put your feet up for the night.
What's in Chicken Parmesan Pasta Recipe
- 6 Frozen Chicken Tenders or 2 Chicken Breasts sliced into 3 pieces
- 8oz Penne Pasta
- 2 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Spaghetti Sauce
- ½ Cup Diced Onions
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh Basil
- 1 Tb Butter or Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese Freshly Grated
- ¼ Cup Mozzarella Cheese Grated
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
How to make Chicken Parmesan Pasta Recipe
- Heat your Pressure Cooker on Saute until it reads hot.
- Add in the butter or olive oil.
- Add in the diced onions and saute for about 3-4 minutes.
- Deglaze your instant pot by adding in the chicken broth and scraping up any stuck bits off the bottom.
- Add in the minced garlic, basil, and pepper.
- Add your pasta and do not stir.
- Pour the spaghetti sauce over the top.
- Place frozen or thawed chicken tenders on top.
- Set to Manual Pressure Cook for 6 minutes with a 4-minute Natural Release.
- Remove the chicken tenders.
- Add some grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese, then stir.
- Add up to another ½ cup of spaghetti sauce, if desired.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
How to deglaze an Instant Pot
Deglazing an Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker for that matter simply means to help get the caramelized solids off of the bottom of a pot. Let me show you how easy it is.
By adding broth to the pot and using a wooden spoon or spatula and scraping the bottom any stuck bits will easily lift off. This is important so you do not get the "Burn" notice when pressure cooking.
How to reheat Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Reheating your chicken parm pasta is pretty easy and there are multiple ways in which you can do this.
Microwave:
Place it in the microwave for a minute, stir and repeat until heated through. This is probably the fastest way to reheat it.
Stove:
Another option is to place it in a pot on the stove with 2 tablespoons of butter and stir constantly over medium heat until it’s warm.
Is Chicken Parmesan Pasta Kid-friendly?
This dish is so kid-friendly that they’ll probably request to eat it often! This dish is a real winner with kids that love chicken, spaghetti, and cheese (which is a majority of the ones that I know!)
What Pasta is Best for Chicken Parm Pasta?
I like to use Penne as shown, but truly make what you love. A Bowtie Pasta is always fun as are spiral noodles. There is no wrong pasta.
Is Chicken Parmesan Pasta Recipe Gluten-Free?
This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by choosing a gluten-free noodle variety.
If you choose a gluten-free noodle (such as rice noodle) it will be gluten-free. If you are GF due to an allergy, it is best to stick with brand names of products that you’re already comfortable with and double-checking ingredient labels for risks and warnings.
Can I make Homemade Marina Sauce?
Although this recipe uses a jarred marinara sauce don't hesitate to make a homemade Marinara Sauce. In the time it takes to get everything ready your sauce will be ready too! Marinara sauce is perfect over pasta but it's also delicious to dip your Easy French Bread or Breadsticks into.
What to serve with Chicken Parm Pasta
Chicken Parmesan Pasta is truly a one pot meal, but that doesn't mean you can add some delicious Oven Roasted Broccoli or Roasted Green Beans on the side. I know I love eating vegetables, it's an acquired tasted I've learned to love.
Kid Friendly Instant Pot / Pressure Cooking Favorites
- Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Teriyaki Meatballs
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Easy Chicken Fajitas
And even MORE Chicken Parm Ideas!
- Chicken Parmesan Sliders
- Easy Chicken Parmesan Croissants (Coming Soon)
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 Frozen Chicken Tenders or 2 Chicken Breasts sliced into 3 pieces
- 8 Oz Penne Pasta
- 2 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Spaghetti Sauce
- ½ Cup Diced Onions
- 2 Cloves Garlic - Minced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Basil
- 1 tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese - Freshly Grated
- ¼ Cup Mozzarella Cheese - Grated
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Heat Pressure Cooker on Saute until it reads hot.
- Add Butter or Olive Oil
- Add diced Onions and saute for 3-4 minutes
- Deglaze Pot by adding Chicken Broth and scraping up any stuck bits off the bottom.
- Add Minced Garlic, Basil and Pepper
- Add Pasta and do not stir
- Add Spaghetti Sauce on top
- Place frozen or thawed Chicken Tender on top
- Set to Manual Pressure Cook for 6 Minutes with a 4 minute Natural Release
- Remove Chicken Tenders
- Add Grated Parmesan Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese and stir.
- Add up to ½ cup more Spaghetti Sauce if desired
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
jo
I made this and followed the recipe exactly, but my chicken didn't fully cook. it was still raw in the middle. i did cut the chicken too. I don't know how it tastes because it wasn't safe to try it.
Devour Dinner
Hi Jo! I'm sorry to hear that your chicken wasn't fully cooked. When slicing the chicken, keep in mind this recipe is for Chicken Tenders. So the slices of Chicken Breast need to be the same approximate size and thickness of a chicken tender to cook in the specified time. It sounds like maybe your slices might have been larger which would account for the problem. Hopefully this helps in the future!
Lois
Easy to put this together and it is delicious. I used thin sliced chicken breasts that came out tender and moist. The pasta was flavorful and tender. I did serve extra sauce with it. I will make this again.
Devour Dinner
Hi Lois!
Thanks for a glowing 5 Star review for Chicken Parmesan Pasta. I love hearing feedback such as this.
Suzanne
Made this last week for the first time and doubled the recipe. Kids ate it, but didn't really comment much. Thought I was going to be finishing off a lot of leftovers.
HOWEVER, every meal after that, they ate it until it was gone. One even ate it for breakfast.
When it was gone, they all asked me to make more.
This is definitely being added to our rotation.
Devour Dinner
Hi Suzanne! Thanks for a glowing 5-Star Review. I'm so tickled to hear how much your family enjoyed this recipe. We love it too! ❤️
Brigid Lyman
Should I increase cook time if using frozen chicken?
Devour Dinner
Hi! You can use Frozen Chicken Tenders and the time would remain the same for this recipe. Large Frozen Chicken Breasts would not work well.
Maggie Reid
Made this tonight and I doubled the recipe! It was delicious. I did get the burn notice but just released the pressure and it was done. So easy great for a working Mom’s dinner
Devour Dinner
So glad you enjoyed and love the recipe!
Mary H
Love this EASY recipe. I subbed-in 1 TBSP dehydrated minced onion and 1 tsp dried basil to make it even easier. Note to self: separate tenderloins to freeze them individually. If they are frozen together in a clump-you may have to cook chicken a bit longer.
Devour Dinner
Hi Mary! Great tip, it's best when using frozen meat to make sure it's frozen individually. One large Clump will take longer to cook.
Kristine
I’m new to pressure cooking and have an 8 qt. Pot. Would love to try this recipe, will this recipe work in that size? Also, my cooker has an option for low, normal, or high pressure. Which option would I choose for this recipe? Thanks!
Devour Dinner
Hi Kristine, yes this recipe would work just fine in an 8qt. Typically when you set your Instant Pot you will press "Pressure Cook" which will set at High.
Sugarmags
Do you bread and cook the chicken separately or use it with a parm pour over? How do you recommend, using this recipe?
Devour Dinner
I do not bread the chicken, you can use breaded chicken tenders if you wish for this recipe. It's delicious!
Mara Robin Gabriel
Made this tonight. The only modification is I breaded the chicken and lightly browned it.
Easy to follow recipe and absolutely delicious. Thanks Rebecca.
Mara
IP101FAMILY
Renee
If I'm doubling the recipe do I need to double the broth and sauce??
Devour Dinner
Hi Renee, if you double the recipe you would need to double all the ingredients including the broth and sauce. The broth will be absorbed in the pasta and of course you will want the yummy sauce for the pasta!