Instant Pot Dump and Start Alfredo made completely from scratch in under 20 minutes! This rich, creamy & dreamy meal is picky eater and kid friendly- making this meal a no-brainer!
Watch how easy it is to make Alfredo in your Instant Pot in this video!
Alfredo. Do you know what is better than alfredo? Alfredo made from scratch in under 20 minutes..with only 5 (okay, 7 if you count salt & pepper) ingredients? Yeah, I went there.
We eat this for dinner probably once a week because it is seriously SO delicious! I try to save it for a day of the week where I know I will be short on time, but let’s be honest, it’s so good that I will make it even when I’ve got all the time in the world.
This is a fool-proof recipe- great for newbies, seasoned Instant Potters, and totally kid approved!
Okay, let’s do this thang.
Chicken broth, heavy cream, minced garlic, salt, pepper & noodles broken in half go into the pot. Make sure that all of the noodles are covered in liquid.
Manual high pressure for 6 minutes. (I like my noodles with a little bite to them, if you like yours softer I’d recommend cooking for a minute or two longer.) Let it naturally release the pressure for 6 minutes. The display will read L0:06 and then you can quick release.
It will be very liquidy when you take the lid off. That is a-okay and totally normal. Let it sit and cool for about a minute or so (very important!!) and then add in some parmesan cheese. You’ll want the real thing. None of that powdered stuff.
Gradually stir in the cheese. The cheese will melt into the sauce and thicken it.
Aaaand then, serve it up and say Bon Appetit! Serve alongside some Oven Roasted Broccoli!
Want something a little lighter? Try my Skinny Alfredo!
Don’t want to use heavy cream? Check out the Skinny version of this recipe!
Try These Other Great Recipes:
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Italian Chicken Pasta
- Five Cheese Ziti
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Florentine Pasta
- One Pot Chicken Lo Mein
- Tomato Basil Pasta
- Instant Pot Stir Fry
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
- Alfredo Sauce
- All Pasta Recipes
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Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo
Perfectly delicious alfredo in under 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp minced garlic, dried
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 lb dry linguine noodles, broken in half
- 3/4-1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Add the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. DO NOT STIR, but make sure all noodles are covered. If you need to move some noodles around, thats okay.
- Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 6 minutes (I like my noodles with a little bite to them, if you like yours softer I'd recommend cooking for a minute or two longer) and then let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 6 minutes then quick release.
- Let the noodles and sauce sit for a minute or so. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Your cheese will not melt into the sauce if it doesn't cool for a minute or two.
- Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese.
- It's ready to eat, Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled!
Leftovers are best when you add a splash of milk in after it is reheated.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 511Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 700mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 14g
Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo
(Printable Recipe Below)
Perfectly delicious alfredo in under 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp minced garlic dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb dry linguine noodles broken in half
- 3/4-1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. DO NOT STIR, but make sure all noodles are covered. If you need to move some noodles around, thats okay.
- Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 6 minutes (I like my noodles with a little bite to them, if you like yours softer I’d recommend cooking for a minute or two longer) and then let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 6 minutes then quick release.
- Let the noodles and sauce sit for a minute or so. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Your cheese will not melt into the sauce if it doesn’t cool for a minute or two.
- Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese.
- It’s ready to eat, Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled!
Leftovers are best when you add a splash of milk in after it is reheated.
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Becca says
Hello! Can this recipe be adjusted for an instant pot mini? Unfortunately, I’m only cooking for myself, and I don’t own the 6qt pot – just the 3 qt.
Karli Bitner says
Yes! You should be able to make it exactly as written, actually. 🙂 Just watch while you are releasing the pressure after the NPR, the mini tends to get a little spitty when releasing the pressure, especially with starchy foods like pasta. If it does start to spit, just close the valve and let everything chill out inside for another minute or so before releasing the pressure again.
audrey says
Can I use a cup of milk instead of 1 1/2 cups cream?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Audrey, in the post I go into greater detail, but the short answer is no. The milk will curdle. If you do’t have heavy cream on hand, I would suggest looking at my Skinny Alfredo recipe and following that method. Hopefully this helps!
Shay says
How would I adjust this to add chicken?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Shay- You can just toss frozen Chicken Tenderloins on top of the pasta and cook everything together at the same time. No need to change the cook time.
Elaine Brown says
If I added non frozen chicken breasts do I need to adjust the cook time?
Karli Bitner says
Just cut your chicken into strips and then you should be good to go!
Neeka says
I would highly recommend doubling up this as it only fed my 2 teens. I had to scramble to figure out something for the adults!
Karli Bitner says
Hi Neck! Great feedback. Teens can be ravenous sometimes. 😉 The servings here are suggested the same as on the package of pasta, 2 oz per serving. So it is great to note that if your family usually needs an entire package of pasta to double the recipe. 🙂
Liz says
Hi there! Could I substitute half and half for heavy cream? I saw that you can’t use milk but curious is half and half is thick enough to not curdle.
Karli Bitner says
Hi Liz- half and half may curdle and I don’t recommend using half and half with this method. If you’d like to to use half and half, I would recommend using my Skinny Alfredo Recipe method.
Linda says
Liz, if you’re trying to cut fat and calories, I’ve used fat-free evaporated milk every time with Karli’s Skinny Alfredo recipe and it is fantastic. https://cookingwithkarli.com/instant-pot-skinny-alfredo/
Mikki says
This meal tasted amazing!!!! Next time I want to double the recipe so we will have leftovers. When I double the recipe, do I need to adjust the time or anything? This was our first instant pot recipe so we are brand new to how instant pots work. Thank you 😁
Karli Bitner says
No need to double the cook time when doubling recipes in the Instant Pot. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and it was a successful first use of your Instant Pot!
Mikki Pazman says
Thank you very much!
Sheryl Chacko says
This is my first successful Insta pot recipe. It was a big hit for my two teenage sons. I doubled the recipe and added chicken and broccoli to get some veggies in too!
Karli Bitner says
I’m happy to hear it was a big hit!! Keep enjoying your new Instant Pot,
Sheryl!
Brandy H says
This was so good, it was easy and full of flavor! I’ll be making this again, and again. Thank you!!!
Denise Gilmore says
Can I use gluten-free noodles?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Denise- yes you can, I would try cooking for a little less time, though, because gluten free noodles tend to cook rather quickly.
Natasha O says
Can I use water instead of chicken broth? I’ve made mac and cheese with chicken broth and I did not like the taste it gave. Just wondering how it would change the taste.
Karli Bitner says
Hi Natasha!The dish would still work with water instead of chicken broth, however you will need to add a considerable amount of salt to the dish to make up for the lack of salt in the water. Hope this helps!!
Jane says
Can I use whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Jane! Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream is actually the same thing so you should be golden!
Sam says
I’m excited to try this! Do you think I could add in some sliced bell peppers and cook in the same way? Think that’d turn out ok?
Karli Bitner says
Hi Sam! You could definitely add them, all they would do is add a subtle flavor of the bell pepper to the dish. They would be really soft with the long cook time. If you are looking for the flavor but still the crunch of the bell pepper, I would sauté the bell peppers on the stovetop while the Instant Pot is doing it’s thing and then add them at the end with the cheese. I hope this helps!
Vida says
Just made this delectable dish. I ADORE this dish. So quick. I used to make my own sauce but now I can dump and cook. I added shrimp, remarkable! Thank you.
Karli Bitner says
Hi Vida! I am so pleased that you enjoy this dish so much! Thank you for taking time out of your day to share you kind words with me. 🙂
Dorothy says
The last two times I made his mine doesn’t thicken, not sure what I am doing wrong…as the first time it came out perfect … I waited 2 min to add the cheese, runny…so I waited little longer this time still runny… I use heavy cream and broth… hmmmm the taste is great just hasn’t thicken for me the last couple times
Karli Bitner says
Hi Dorothy- is the parmesan cheese you are using fresh? Also, sometimes the pre-shredded cheese has a hard time melting because there are anti-caking additives so the cheese won’t stick together in the package. I have also found that using tongs to twist the cheese into the sauce helps thicken it and the cheese won’t fall to the bottom and not thicken things. Hopefully this helps a bit!!
Danielle says
Can this be tripled or quadrupled? I am having a large party and hoping to make this. Thanks!
Karli Bitner says
Hi Danielle! I have doubled this, but haven’t ever tripled or quadrupled it. My two suggestions would be to either make two double batches or make it in a large pot on the stovetop. I will link my stovetop version, it is the exact same as the Instant Pot version, just with stovetop instructions. You would be able to triple or quadruple that easily if you have a large enough pot. https://cookingwithkarli.com/fettuccine-alfredo/
Jamie O’Brien says
Just made this. Flavor is good but time is WAY off. I doubled recipe but it says same cook time. She did say she likes her noodles less done n if u like more done add 1-2 minutes.
I did that, did the 6 min NPR, released pressure, opened, let rest 2 minutes. Added cheese n stirred. Noodles not even halfway done.
Added some more broth n cream, put lid back on n set manual for 3 minutes. Let sit on 6 min NPR. Opened, let sit 2 min. Still mot done. But now the noodles were sticking on the bottom n starting to brown. Added more cream, a 1/4 cup water. Left on warm. Its been 35 more minutes n noodles are still very al dente
Karli Bitner says
Hi Jamie- It sounds like something may have gone wrong here. Are you sure you were cooking at high pressure and not low pressure on accident?
angela says
hey there! would using penne or ziti instead of linguine change anything in this recipe?
Karli Bitner says
Yes, you could substitute either of those pastas in this recipe! Hope you enjoy it, Angela!
cha says
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. If I just want to cook the Alfredo sauce ( without meat and pasta) what changes do I need to do? And also if I want to triple the recipe? Thanks.
Karli Bitner says
Hi There! Here is my Alfredo Sauce recipe without the meat and pasta! 🙂 https://cookingwithkarli.com/alfredo-sauce-recipe-fast-easy/
Barbara Simpson says
Instead of linguine noodles, can I use Alfredo noodles?
Karli Bitner says
Are you asking but fettuccine noodles? You can, you’ll want to adjust the cook time to 8 minutes with a 6 minute NPR.