Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo

Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo (with Chicken). A one-pot meal of Instant Pot chicken fettuccine Alfredo, ready in minutes thanks to pressure cooking

My kids kept asking for Fettuccine Alfredo. I pictured a fancy Italian recipe, but then I looked into homemade alfredo sauce. I realized it's an Italian variation on my mac and cheese recipe, where I cook pasta in my Instant Pot and substitute evaporated milk for the flour-based heavy cream sauce. (It may be a different pasta and cheese, but the basic technique is the same.)

If you're looking for other Instant Pot pasta recipes, try my Pressure Cooker Penne with Sausage and Peppers, Instant Pot Chickpea Puttanesca with Orecchiette, or Instant Pot Pasta con Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas).

A digression about spelling

The first trick I had to figure out was how to spell fettuccine. It's one of those words that I can't spell correctly. Spell check keeps underlining all my attempts. I can never get the correct number of t's (two), c's (two), or n's (one). I think I have them all fixed, but I apologize for any spelling slip-ups.

Ingredients

• Fettuccine Egg Noodle Nests
• Red pepper flakes
• Butter
• Chicken broth
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts ("Stir Fry" cut or tenders)
• Evaporated milk
• Shredded Parmesan cheese
• Dried Italian seasoning
• Fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
  See the recipe card for quantities.

How to make Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo

 Noodles, Broth, and Chicken in the Pot: Put the fettuccine nests in an Instant Pot. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, add the butter, and pour in the chicken broth. Break up the fettuccine nests to help them settle in the water, then set the chicken breast strips on top.

 Pressure Cook for 1 Minute With a 5 Minute Natural Release: Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 1 minute at high pressure. Let the pressure come down naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.

Stir in the Evaporated Milk and Cheese: Open the lid, pour in the evaporated milk, then stir in the cheese, breaking up any clumps of chicken or noodles that are stuck together. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, and keep stirring until the cheese melts. Serve.

Top Tip: Fettuccine Egg Noodle Nests

Fitting a long pasta, like fettuccine, into my Instant Pot is a trick. I get around this by buying fettuccine nests, egg noodles pre-rolled into neat bundles that are easy to fit in the pot.
Now, fettuccine egg noodles cook very quickly. I get the best results with 1 minute at high pressure, then a 5 minute rest for the pressure to come down naturally, then a quick release. (Instant Pot fettuccine does not lend itself to al dente pasta, but it's not overcooked either.) That doesn't leave much time for the chicken to cook, so I cheat and buy thin-sliced packs of "stir fry chicken" from my grocery store. The chicken is already cut into roughly ½-inch thick strips for me. (If I have to cut it myself, I do.)

Can I use regular Fettuccine noodles in this recipe?

Yes, but it changes things a little bit. You must break the noodles to fit them in the pot and keep them in the liquid while cooking. (Breaking them in half is enough to get them to fit). Also, regular fettuccine noodles are thicker than the egg noodle version, so they take longer. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, with a 5 minute natural release. These noodles will also stick together more, so I have to work a bit at pulling them apart before stirring in the cheese.

Substitutions

Skip the chicken

Are you looking for a vegetarian version? Skip the chicken and use vegetable broth; everything else cooks the same.

Cut the heat

I like a hint of heat in this recipe, so I add some red pepper flakes, then pass more at the table. If you don't want the heat, go ahead and skip them.

Fresh Herbs

If you have fresh basil, rosemary, and/or thyme, mince them up and swap them for the dried Italian seasoning.

Different pasta

If you don't want to use fettuccine pasta, you can substitute penne pasta. Increase the cooking time to 4 minutes at high pressure, with the same 5 minute natural release before quick releasing the rest of the pressure.

Equipment

A 6-quart pressure cooker

Scaling

This recipe doubles easily, but you need an 8-quart pressure cooker for it to fit. Cut all the ingredients in half, and this recipe will fit in a 3-quart pressure cooker. The cooking time does not change; it takes the same time to cook each piece of pasta and chicken, no matter how many pieces you have in the pot.

Serving Suggestions

This is a one-pot meal, so it doesn't need much else. I serve Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo with a loaf of crusty bread and a salad.

Storing Leftovers

Leftovers last for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Or, package the fettuccine alfredo in 2-cup containers and freeze for a few months.