Creamy Tuscan Chicken Bow Ties

This creamy Tuscan chicken pasta was another dinner born out of our week without a working stove. I started pulling things out of the fridge… chicken, bacon, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and somehow ended up with a creamy chicken pasta that everyone actually wanted to eat.

I shredded the chicken, tossed everything with bow ties, and used Monterey Jack when I realized I didn’t have nearly enough Parmesan. Sometimes the unplanned dinners end up being the ones worth writing down.

And please note: it wasn’t super photogenic. Once that sauce thickened up, I definitely should have grabbed another photo.

An Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

This is one of those dinners that looks like it took more effort than it actually did. The chicken cooks right in the pressure cooker with bacon, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, then heavy cream and cheese turn everything into a rich, creamy sauce.

I used bow ties because that’s what we had, but just about any pasta shape that holds onto a creamy sauce would work here.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Bow Ties

Creamy bow tie pasta with tender shredded chicken, bacon, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. An easy pressure cooker dinner finished with a rich, cheesy cream sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: italian-inspired

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 slices bacon chopped
• 8 oz mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Parmesan rind optional
• 1 lb bow tie pasta cooked and drained
• Salt to taste

Equipment

• 1 Instant Pot

Method

 

1. Set the pressure cooker to Sauté. Add the chopped bacon and cook until browned and beginning to crisp.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits.
4. Add the chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, onion powder and black pepper.
5. Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.
6. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure.
7. Remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and shred it with two forks.
8. Set the pressure cooker to Sauté on Low. Stir the heavy cream into the cooking liquid.
9. Add the Monterey Jack, Parmesan and Parmesan rind, if using. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
10. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to coat it in the sauce.
11. Add the cooked bow tie pasta and gently stir until everything is evenly coated.
12. Let the pasta sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

The Parmesan rind is optional, but it’s a great way to add extra flavor to the sauce. Remove any remaining piece of rind before serving.

The sauce will look thinner while it’s hot and will thicken considerably as it sits.

You can substitute Monterey Jack for all Parmesan if you’d like.

You can adjust the mushrooms, bacon and sun-dried tomatoes based on what you have on hand.