Instant pot chicken ziti

My instant pot chicken ziti is probably the best-tasting dump and go recipe you will ever try. Perfect for when you're in a hurry for something tasty.

All ready from start to finish in less than 30 minutes. That's quicker than ordering a take out!

If only I had discovered this recipe earlier. All my family loved it and there are so many easy variations that are still dump and go.

How to make instant pot ziti

This is one of the easiest set of instructions I've ever had to write.

Simply add all of the ingredients to the instant pot in the order listed except the cheese.

Push the pasta down into the liquid. DO NOT STIR otherwise there is a chance of getting the dreaded burn notice. Now put the lid on and set on high pressure for 6 minutes. Leave under pressure for a further 6 minutes and then do a quick release. Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid.

Stir through the cheese and put the lid back on loosely until it has melted. This should take around 2 minutes. Take the lid back off and stir everything together. Now serve and enjoy.

There you have it - dump and go perfection and all ready in around 30 minutes start to finish.

What are the ingredients for chicken ziti?

This is a simple list of readily available ingredients. There are loads of swaps available as well so no excuse not to make this amazing meal.

1. Garlic
2. Chicken stock
3. Double (heavy cream)
4. Salt and pepper
5. Dried ziti pasta
6. Spinach
7. Passata
8. Dried basil
9. Dried oregano
10. Parmesan cheese (grated)
11. Mozzarella cheese

A nice easily sourced list of ingredients which should be available at most stores making this such a great mid-week recipe.

Are there any substitutions available if I don't have all the ingredients?

The simple answer is yes. My instant pot chicken ziti is probably one of the most easily changed recipe's I have ever written. It can be turned into completely different meals by changing the meat and can even be made vegetarian with a few easy tweaks.

• You could use garlic salt or garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Don't like garlic - then leave it out!
• Chicken stock could be swapped to vegetable stock or even just water.
• If you want to make the meal lower in calories, use single cream (half and half) instead of full fat cream.
• For chicken breasts, you could substitute pork or turkey. Chorizo would also be good as would most types of sausage. Alternatively, the recipe is still very tasty with no meat added.
• Ziti pasta is not easily found in the UK, but most pasta shapes will work with this recipe. Fusilli, macaroni and penne are all easily sourced alternatives.
• Spinach does not need to be used if you don't like it or don't have any (in the video below I did not have any).
• Pasta sauce or tinned tomatoes would work well instead of passata.
• Dried oregano and basil could be changed to fresh.
• Most cheeses will work instead of parmesan and mozzarella. I have made this recipe with cheddar and it was just as good.

I'm sure you will agree that this really is one of the most flexible recipes to make on a regular basis.

With all the alternatives above, I would recommend leaving the cooking time the same.

Can instant pot ziti be made vegetarian?

Yes it can. Simply leave out the chicken, use vegetable stock instead of water and use a vegetarian parmesan and you will have a really tasty vegetarian alternative.

Is instant pot chicken ziti healthy?

With its list of natural ingredients and no added artificial ingredients my instant pot ziti will make a great addition to a well balanced diet.

Is it possible to scale the recipe up or down?

The recipe will fit in well to all instant pot sizes as it is, and will also half well for all pots especially the 3l (3qt). You could double the recipe in the 6l (6qt), 8l (8qt) and 10l (10qt). Whichever you do, all timings would remain the same.

If you have any leftovers, instant pot chicken ziti is really tasty when reheated. It should keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge and will freeze for around 6 months. I usually reheat in a frying pan, but you could also use a microwave or the instant pot on sauté mode.

For some interesting information about ziti pasta, please look at this link.

I hope you have enjoyed my recipe for instant pot chicken ziti. Please check out some of my other pasta and chicken recipes:

• Instant pot lemon chicken pasta
• Instant pot chicken dopiaza
• Quick easy instant pot spaghetti
• Instant pot chicken jalfrezi
• Instant pot macaroni and cheese

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please leave them in the box below and I would be delighted to help.