Home » Instant Pot Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Alfredo with Peas + Weekly Menu

Instant Pot Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Alfredo with Peas + Weekly Menu

I’ve gotten a LOT better about yelling at the kids. A lot better. It’s rare these days, in fact. But the night I made this meal, I lost my ever loving mind on Shea, our oldest.

When my kids were babies and toddlers they ate LITERALLY everything and lots of it. They’ve always been fantastic eaters and the envy of others trying to raise healthy kids and families. But lately, the list of dislikes seems to be growing and the affinity for anything less-than stellar nutritionally tops the list. And I get it, I like Cheetos and candy, too. So much.

Shea has always been a little “off” about anything white and creamy. Of course this preference has loop holes that include anything sweet: whipped cream, ice cream, frosting of any kind, icing, yogurt, etc. But she is a HARD no on ranch, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, queso, etc.

She’s also a bit weird about melted cheese, even going so far as to (sometimes) requesting pizza without cheese. However, she likes burgers with MELTED cheese, mac and cheese, and grilled cheese. But a quesadilla is a no, even though she loves tortillas. It literally makes no sense, NONE OF IT. It’s exhausting and I can’t keep up.

So the night I was making this dish, she saw me pour in the alfredo sauce. She SCREAMED, “NO! DON’T PUT RANCH IN THE DINNER I HAVE TO EAT!” I calmly explained that it was alfredo sauce – a butter, milk, and cheese sauce that I was sure she would love. I mean, it’s not a far cry from mac and cheese. But she just lost it, saying she had had alfredo before and didn’t like it.

And then I lost it. LOST IT-LOST IT.

Dinner time in my house is getting exhausting. I HATE dinner time. It used to be fun to experiment with the girls, now it borders on torture. After losing it on Shea that night, she discovered 2 things, however. The first is that she LOVES peas. The second is that she doesn’t hate alfredo and is now requesting this dinner. In fact, I asked her tonight to name 7 balanced meals that the WHOLE family would eat, most importantly her, and she named this dish. Y’all that’s darn near a miracle, so please consider the gravity of that endorsement.

Instant Pot Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Alfredo with Peas

Instant Pot Chicken and Bowtie Pasta Alfredo with Peas

Yield: 7 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Who doesn't love alfredo?! This all-in-one Instant Pot dinner is a kid-friendly gem!

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lb bowtie pasta
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 (16 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
  • 1 (12 oz) bag frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot with setting on HIGH sauté. Once hot, add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until no longer pink but not cooked through.
  2. Add the pasta and water; stir and secure the lid. Pressure cook on HIGH for 8 minutes; perform a quick release.
  3. Drain any excess water, if needed. Add the alfredo and peas; stir well and replace lid for 4-5 minutes on LOW sauté.
  4. Stir once more before serving topped with grated Parmesan.

Notes

Recipe adapted from A Fun and Frugal Life

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: scant 2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 482Total Fat: 15.7gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 904mgCarbohydrates: 59.1gFiber: 2.7gSugar: 2.7gProtein: 27.1g

Did you make this recipe?

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Weekly Menu: April 24th – 28th

Be well,

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2 Comments

  1. Kathryn
    April 26, 2022 / 10:11 pm

    Do you think it’s really necessary to sauté the chicken first? I know browning = flavor, but I really really like dump and go….. surely the raw chicken would cook in time with such small pieces? (I really have no idea. I still haven’t figured out how to use my IP.)

    • Nicole Morrissey
      Author
      April 27, 2022 / 10:03 am

      Hey lady! Probably not, I just like that bit of texture from the browning since the pressure cooker keeps it from drying out, I use that method. The original recipe called for pre-cooked chicken, but I’m all about the one-and-done meals! 😉

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