Fettuccine noodles cook to perfection in a rich, luscious cream sauce in this simple recipe for Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo.

Bowl of Fettuccine Alfredo next to Intstant Pot.

Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo is restaurant-worthy. It is date night worthy. It is you want to impress your boss worthy.

I know those are bold statements but I am not exaggerating. This is a rich, creamy, classic recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo. But instead of needing to prepare the alfredo sauce in one pan and cook up the fettuccine noodles in another pan, everything cooks together in the Instant Pot for the easiest, creamiest, Fettuccine Alfredo.

From the tender noodles to the rich sauce, this pasta dinner cooks up in less than 30 minutes with only a handful of ingredients. It is almost TOO good to be true. Thankfully for you, and for me, it's not!

Whether you prepare Instant Pot Fettuccine on a busy weeknight or pair it with Greek Salad and Garlic Toast and enjoy it with friends, you can't go wrong with this classic.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo Labled on counter.

Fettuccine Noodles: Obviously fettuccine alfredo calls for using fettuccine noodles. The timing of this recipe is developed using dried fettuccine noodles, so I would not recommend subbing them out for another variety of noodles or using fresh noodles.
Broth: Use low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth for this Fettuccine Alfredo. Either store-bought or homemade broth can be used.
Heavy Cream: There is NO substitution for using heavy cream for the alfredo sauce. Using milk or half and half will result in curdled milk.
Parmesan Cheese: I recommend using freshly grated parmesan cheese rather than parmesan cheese out of a canister. The flavor is not comparable.
Butter: The butter adds a nice rich finish to the sauce. I have tested this recipe without using any butter and the results were not as good.

How to Make Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo

This recipe for Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo is so easy. I mean, dump and go kind of easy–just what we all need on busy weeknights.

Pour the broth into the inner pot and season with salt, pepper, and garlic.
Break the fettuccine noodles in half to fit into the inner pot. Layer the fettuccine noodles in the broth in layers, crisscrossing the direction of the noodles for each layer.

The #1 key to the fettuccine cooking correctly and not ending up stuck together or undercooked, is to be sure the noodles are layered in a criss-cross fashion--do not ignore this step!

Dice up the butter into small cubes and then dollop it evenly over the noodles.
Pour the cream into the inner pot.

Fettuccine noodles with cream in inner pot.

Place the lid on the inner pot and seal the vent knob.
Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Dried Fettuccine needs to be boiled for 11-12 minutes, so for pressure cooking, I set it for half the longest cooking time.
After the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for exactly 5 minutes.
To release the pressure, I have found it is best to do a controlled release of pressure so that the heavy cream doesn’t spew out the vent knob. That simply means, to carefully knock the venting knob from the sealed to venting position SLOWLY. I move it a bit, then after 30 seconds or so, knock it a bit further, and repeat 2-3 times until pressure is fully released.
After pressure has been released, open up the inner pot. It will look like a lot of excess liquid, but that is okay. Those noodles will absorb some of the sauce as it sits, plus we don’t want dried-out fettuccine alfredo–the alfredo sauce is the star of this dish!

Cooked fettuccine noodles in the inner pot of the instant pot.

Add in the parmesan cheese and give everything a good stir.
Rest the lid back on the inner pot and let the pasta sit for a minute or two. This will allow the cheese to melt and the sauce to thicken slightly.
Dish out the Fettuccine Alfredo and serve with additional parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.

Cooked Fettuccine Alfredo in electric pressure cooker.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

It is possible to make fettuccine alfredo with chicken, using this recipe, as thin pieces of boneless, skinless chicken will cook in the same amount of time that the fettuccine noodles need.

After pouring the cream into the inner pot, place trimmed chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breasts that have been cut into 2-inch strips on top of the pasta mixture in the inner pot. Sprinkle the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.
Pressure cook as directed with a 5-minute natural pressure release.
Before stirring in the parmesan cheese, remove the chicken to a cutting board. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir back into the pasta, along with the cheese.

More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes

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If you tried out this recipe for Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.

Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettucine noodles cook to perfection in a rich, luscious cream sauce in this simple recipe for Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo.

4.95 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 6

Pressure Build-Up and Release: 15

Total Time: 26

Servings:

Calories: 467kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
▢ 8 ounces fettuccine noodles broken in half
▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small chunks
▢ 1 cup heavy cream NO SUBSTITUTIONS
▢ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Combine the chicken broth, garlic, salt, and pepper in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
Layer the fettuccine noodles in the broth in layers, crisscrossing the direction of the noodles for each layer. This will help prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Place cubes of butter over the noodles. Pour in the heavy cream.
Place the lid on the inner pot and be sure the vent knob is sealed. Set to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes by hitting the manual or pressure cook button and use the +/- buttons to adjust until it reads "6."
Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally on its own for exactly 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, use a long wooden spoon to knock the vent knob from the sealed to the venting position. I find that it is best to do a controlled pressure release, which means to slowly turn the vent knob from the sealed to the venting position to release the steam. This will help prevent starchy liquid from spewing out of the venting knob.
Open up the Instant Pot and stir the noodles into the sauce. It is okay that there is extra liquid, the noodles will absorb as they sit. Stir in the parmesan cheese, pop the lid back on the inner pot, and let the fettuccine alfredo sit for a couple of minutes to allow the cheese to melt into the sauce.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Equipment Needed

Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

Notes

Heavy Cream: Absolutely, NO substitutions.

Parmesan: Use good-quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavor.

Storage: Fettuccine Alfredo is best served immediately after preparation. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You may need to add in a tablespoon or two of broth or cream per serving when reheating the pasta, as the pasta will absorb the sauce as it sits.

Adding Chicken:

After pouring the cream into the inner pot, place trimmed chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breasts that have been cut into 2-inch strips on top of the pasta mixture in the inner pot. Sprinkle the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.
Pressure cook as directed with a 5-minute natural pressure release.
Before stirring in the parmesan cheese, remove the chicken to a cutting board. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir back into the pasta, along with the cheese.

Nutrition

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