Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Lemony bright and loaded with fresh herbs, Instant Pot lemon pasta with ground chicken is absolutely delightful, and it’s an easy one pan meal.
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot, sharp knife, measuring utensils
Servings: 6
Easy Instant Pot Pasta!
Is there a better match than lemon, pasta, and fresh herbs? I hardly think so. And Parmesan cheese, of course! This lemon pasta is so delicious!
What makes it special:
- Only one pan to wash! For most pasta dinners, you’ll use a skillet to cook the sauce, a big pot to cook the pasta, and a colander to drain it. When you use an Instant Pot, you’ll use just one pan: your Instant Pot. Use it to sauté, cook the pasta, and make the sauce. It’s dishwasher safe, too.
- Pressure cooking pasta really works. Your Instant Pot is a great tool for cooking pasta. You’ll use plenty of liquid, enough to fully submerge the dry pasta. The recipe is carefully calibrated so that all the liquid used to cook the pasta is either absorbed into the pasta or it becomes part of the sauce. You won’t need to drain it. It’s a win-win situation!
- A one pan meal. You have everything you need for a complete meal in this recipe, with chicken, pasta, and a green leafy vegetable.
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: Choose a short or small pasta, such as rotini, penne, or ziti. It’s easier to submerge the shorter pasta in the liquid so it cooks evenly.
- Ground Chicken: If you prefer, ground turkey works well, too. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces, are also good.
- Onion, Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes: The two alliums provide plenty of flavor, and red pepper flakes give the dish a zingy tingle.
- Dry White Wine & Chicken Broth: The pasta needs plenty of liquid to cook. Sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio are good choices. Use flavorful chicken broth, low-sodium if possible.
- Baby Spinach: The spinach is added at the end and cooked using residual heat. It only takes a few minutes to wilt.
- Parmesan Cheese: Stir a half cup into the pasta and pass more around for serving.
- Lemon Zest: A tablespoon of lemon zest adds lots of lemony flavor.
- Fresh Parsley, Basil, and Chives: This fresh herb trio (raid your herb garden!) is a powerhouse of fresh flavor. Don’t skimp on the herbs.
- Butter: A couple tablespoons of butter gives the sauce a velvety texture without being creamy and heavy.
How To Make Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
Scroll down for the complete recipe, including measurements! This is just an overview, with some helpful tips and substitution ideas.
Sauté. Begin by browning the chicken and sautéing the onions in the Instant Pot, using the Sauté function. Add a little salt and pepper for seasoning. Throw in the garlic and red pepper flakes, and briefly cook, stirring, until they release a flood of fragrance.
Deglaze the pan. When you add wine to the pot, the fragrance really blooms! Let the wine simmer and cook while you scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. (You may want to have a little sip of wine right now.)
Add pasta and broth. Turn off the Instant Pot. Add the uncooked pasta and chicken broth. Make sure the pasta is completely covered by the broth. Push it in there if it’s sticking out
Pressure cook. Cover the pot and lock the lid. Select pressure cook and set the timer for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 additional minutes to come to pressure. When the timer goes off, turn the valve to quick release the pressure and carefully remove the lid. (I’m always amazed when I open the lid and see the perfectly cooked pasta. And there’s no need to drain it. It’s so cool!)
Cooking Tip
Sometimes, the pasta needs a little extra time to fully absorb the liquid. When you remove the lid, if the sauce still looks too juicy or runny, loosely cover the pot and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. When it looks perfect to you, stir in the spinach and continue as instructed.
Prep the finishing touches. While the Instant Pot is cooking the pasta, get the spinach washed and ready, grate the cheese, zest a lemon, and chop the herbs. Be quick about it because you only have fifteen minutes. Chop, chop!
Add spinach. Once the pasta is cooked, leave the Instant Pot on warm. If the pasta still looks too juicy, loosely cover the pan and let the pasta sit for 5 to 10 minutes to let it absorb more of the liquid. Then stir in the spinach. Put the lid on loosely, and let the residual heat wilt the spinach. It will take two or three minutes. Give it a couple little stirs to help it along.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients. This is when all the deliciousness comes on the stage: Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, parsley, basil, chives, and butter. Bravo! Let’s eat dinner.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this one pan pasta with crusty bread like this Dutch oven bread, and garlic and oil dipping sauce, just like restaurants serve. Ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced and topped with a drizzle of lemon basil vinaigrette or balsamic reduction make an easy and fabulous side. A simple arugula salad with a lemony vinaigrette also goes well with the pasta, and you already have a bottle of white wine open, perfect to serve with dinner.
Recipe Variations
- Try a different vegetable. Instead of spinach, stir in peas, asparagus, broccoli, or chopped Swiss chard. (If you’re not a fan of spinach, maybe you’d like to try my creamy chicken and asparagus pasta recipe.)
- Choose another protein. Substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, for the ground chicken, or try ground turkey or sausage.
- Make this recipe on the stove. Use a large skillet with a cover, or a Dutch oven. Brown the meat and veggies as directed, add the wine to deglaze the pan, and then add the pasta and broth. Make sure the pasta is submerged, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure there’s plenty of liquid. Continue with the recipe as written.
Get a head start. Shred the Parmesan cheese and chop the chives and parsley ahead of time. Basil discolors if you chop it too far in advance so I’d recommend waiting on that. The onion can be prepped as well. Store everything you prepared in the fridge until you’re ready to start cooking.
Refrigerate: This pasta is really best if you eat it right away; however, if you have leftover pasta, store it in the fridge in a tightly covered container. It will keep for up to 4 days.
Reheat: If the pasta seems dry when you reheat it, add a little extra broth or a squeeze of lemon juice. Pasta tends to keep absorbing liquid even after it’s cooked. Reheat on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave in 30-second increments until heated through.
More One Pot Pasta Recipes
Instant Pot Lemon Pasta with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken (or ground turkey)
- 1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if desired)
- ½ cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)
- 16 ounces dry pasta (rotini, penne, or ziti work well)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (additional for serving)
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Select sauté mode on your Instant Pot. Add oil, ground chicken, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up chicken into small pieces, until chicken is no longer pink and onions are translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound ground chicken, 1 cup diced onion, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, or until garlic is fragrant.2 cloves garlic, minced, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until wine is slightly reduced, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.½ cup dry white wine
- Add pasta and chicken broth. Stir to combine and make sure pasta is completely submerged in liquid.16 ounces dry pasta, 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Cover and set Instant Pot to pressure cook for 5 minutes, turning valve to seal. When the timer goes off, turn valve to quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid (see note).
- Keep Instant Pot on warm, add spinach and place cover on loosely (don’t turn to latch). Let wilt for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring as needed to help it along.5 ounces baby spinach
- Stir in Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, parsley, basil, chives, and butter, until butter is melted. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Notes
- Cooking the pasta: Sometimes the pasta needs a little extra time to fully absorb the liquid. When you remove the lid, if the sauce still looks too juicy or runny, loosely cover the pot and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. When it looks perfect to you, stir in the spinach and continue as instructed.
- Veggie variations: If desired, substitute peas, asparagus, broccoli, or chopped Swiss chard for the spinach.
- Meat variations: Try boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces instead of ground chicken. Ground turkey, bacon, or sausage are more alternatives.
- Stovetop instructions: You can make this meal on the stove in a large skillet with a cover, or a Dutch oven. Brown the meat and veggies as directed, add the wine to deglaze the pan, and then add the pasta and broth. Make sure the pasta is submerged, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure there’s plenty of liquid. Continue with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
If I have dried lemon zest can I use that? And how much?
I don’t have much experience with dried lemon zest, but it should work, I would use the same amount. Add more to taste.
I did this on the stovetop & it was delicious! Mine also came out quite soupy but I ended up draining and blending the broth with some cottage cheese + lemon and adding it back in with pasta and chicken. Creamy, lemony, sooo good. Thanks!
So glad you liked it! Thank you for leaving a comment and your feedback!
I made this exactly as directed and opened my Instapot after cooking the noodles to find a soup instead of a pasta.
If it’s a bit runny, it will thicken up if you let it set for a few minutes. Did it improve at all? Did you use the Parmesan cheese? That thickens it up as well.