Instant Pot Best Fettuccine Alfredo

The fact that it took me this long to share a recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo with you in unforgivable. But once you try this I have a feeling you’ll give me a pinch on the cheeks.

In true Instant Pot fashion, this one is just about as unconventional as it gets (with NO straining the cooked pasta), but I can assure you that you’ve never EVER had an Alfredo as rich, cheesy, creamy or spectacular.

This ridiculously easy and quick recipe is beyond your wildest comfort food-eating dreams and, without question, takes Fettuccine Alfredo to the next level. 

Here’s How I Made It! (scroll to the bottom for the fully-written recipe): 

Pour a broth of your choice into the Instant Pot. 

Then, grab some fettuccine. 

In batches, break it in half (sacrilegious to some, but necessary so it fits in the pot and cooks evenly. PLUS, it creates more portions!)… 

…and place in the pot. 

As you break the next batch… 

…layer it in a criss-cross fashion on top of the previous batch of noodles. 

Once all the noodles are added, DO NOT STIR. Simply press them down so they’re mostly submerged in the broth (it’s fine if some peaks above). 

Top it off with butter, secure the lid and cook at high pressure. 

When done, it’s gonna look like this – with most of the broth absorbed by the pasta. 

Give it a stir to loosen it up and any noodles that may have stuck to each other should easily separate as you stir. 

Now, add in some MORE butter (this IS one of the most decadent dishes ever, after all)…. 

…and stir until melted into the noodles. 

And now it’s time to make this a dairy paradise! Pour in some cream…  

…Boursin (or any spreadable herb cheese. If you can’t find Boursin, cream cheese will do)… 

…grated Parmesan… 

…and pepper and garlic powder. 

Give it all a good stir until all the dairy combines and melds into a the ultimate Alfredo sauce! 

Let the sauce rest for two minutes to come together before serving and then do so immediately (see the yellow “Jeffrey Sez” section). 

Plate some of this heaven up… 

…and just look at how beautiful it is! 

Feel free to top with some freshly cracked black pepper, more Parmesan or fresh oregano before serving. 

Now give that fettuccine a twirl ’round the fork… 

…and bring it to your mouth. 

WARNING: Your brain may need take a few seconds to process what’s just happened. For you’ve just made it have to RE-FAMILIARIZE itself with what a Fettuccine Alfredo should now taste like moving forward. 

This is some serious stuff here, folks. 

PRAISE ALFREDO! And don’t forget to serve with some crusty garlic bread.

Instant Pot Best Fettuccine Alfredo
Yield: 6

Instant Pot Best Fettuccine Alfredo

Instant Pot Best Fettuccine Alfredo

Perhaps the creamiest, cheesiest sauce ever, Alfredo is a gift from the Roman God named Alfredo. Okay, I made that last part up. Nevertheless, this is probably the most decadent one you'll ever have. Why? Find out.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3-4 cups garlic or chicken broth (e.g. 3-4 teaspoons Garlic Better Than Bouillon + 3-4 cups water - see Jeffrey’s Tips)
  • 1 pound (whole box) fettuccine
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, divided in half
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups heavy cream (preferred) or half & half (see yellow “Jeffrey Sez” section)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 5.2 ounce package Boursin herb cheese (any flavor) or 4 ounces of a brick of cream cheese

Instructions

  1. Add the broth to the Instant Pot. In batches, break the fettuccine in half so it fits in the pot and layer in a criss-cross fashion between batches. (NOTE: Sorry, nonnas! I’m aware that breaking pasta in half is an Italian sin, but I assure you the noodles will still feel plenty long. Besides, this also ensures even cooking and creates more portions!). DO NOT STIR the noodles, but rather just press down on them until they’re mostly submerged in the broth (it’s okay if some of the noodles stick above the broth). Top with half the stick of butter.
  2. Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, and hit Manual or Pressure Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes. Quick release when done.
  3. When the lid comes off, give everything a stir (NOTE: If any noodles seem slightly fused together, keep stirring and lightly separating with the spatula.The noodles should separate easily.)
  4. Add the remaining half stick of butter and stir everything in the pot with a wooden spatula until the butter’s melted. 
  5. Lastly, add in the cream, Parmesan, garlic powder, pepper and Boursin. Stir until totally melded, about 1 minute and let rest for 5 minutes to fully come together.
  6. Serve immediately and top with freshly cracked black pepper, if desired. Goes great with garlic bread!

Jeffrey's Tips

I’m giving you a range to use either 3 or 4 cups of broth. If you use 3, it will be a much thicker sauce shortly after adding the dairy in Step 5. If you want a slightly thinner sauce that will thicken a bit more slowly, use 4 cups. Even if it seems a bit thin at first, it WILL thicken significantly within 20 minutes of resting. Just remember that a rich dairy sauce such as this will continue to absorb into a pasta as it rests, meaning the less broth added, the thicker and lesser of the sauce as it cools. But you can always add more cream to thin it out and reconstitute it should you wish.

If you’d rather use linguine, which is slightly thinner than fettuccine, pressure cook for only 6 minutes instead of 7. Everything else remains the same.

Use up to 2 cups cream or half & half to make it even creamier and a slightly thinner sauce.

Want chicken added? Before Step 1, simply add hit Sauté on High/More and add in 1/4 cup of butter to the pot. Once melted, add in 1 pound of chicken breast that’s diced into bite-sized pieces. From there, continue with Step 1 but only top the noodles with 1/4 stick of butter instead of half a stick before pressure cooking so we have the same amount.

Want peas or diced ham added? Stir them in just after Step 5. 

IMPORTANT: Due to all the dairy in the sauce, this dish is best eaten immediately after making it. When a dish of this nature begins to just sit in the pot for a while the sauce is prone to separate. SO if you have leftovers, store in the fridge immediately after serving. When reheating in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, add a little more cream to revive and stir halfway through. Then, stir in more Parmesan as desired to thicken.



Reader Interactions

Comments

      • Jessica

        Can you please suggest how to include veggies and keep it to one pot? Mushrooms and baby chard and frozen peas? (Sauté mushrooms at start and leave them in, add greens and peas after cooking and stir?

        • Lee

          I sauteed cremins mushrooms in half of the butter and after cooking the pasta I threw in frozen broccoli and frozen peas and pressure cooked 1 minute. I mixed everything up and then added the cream, parmesan etc. Amazing!

  1. Lindsey

    SO YUMMY! It was my first instant pot meal, just got it for my birthday. The only problem I had was that a lot of my fettuccine noodles were stuck together even after mixing it, and consequently the ones that were clumped were also not cooked all the way through. I followed all of the instructions and put the half stick of butter on top before pressure cooking. However, the only thing I forgot was to criss-cross the clumps of pasta – do you think this has anything to do with them sticking together? OR maybe I’m just too much of a newbie!

    • Jeffrey

      So glad you enjoyed it and happy birthday! And yes! Crisscrossing longer noodles like fettuccine and spaghetti is essential as it helps prevent them from clumping and sticking together 😉

      • Kerry

        I can’t stop eating this d*** it! LoL. I used garlic Better Than Bullion, 1.5 cups of heavy cream and cream cheese since I didn’t have Boursin on hand. It was soupy, but reheats so well that way. The taste is slightly different than a traditional Alfredo sauce and I’m hooked. Even my picky kids loved this.

    • Michele

      What I do, Lindsey is slice the butter into pieces and place it in the garlic stock. I then criss-cross the fettuccine over the top of the liquid. It forces the butter up thru the noodles, so they don’t stick, just a tip! 😉

  2. Donna

    Hi. Thank you so much for posting this. I have a question, though, that I can’t seem to find the answer to anywhere. I know the instant pot is good for cooking frozen meat without it having to be thawed first. If you want to add chicken to this recipe, but your chicken is still frozen, how would you do this? Are you able to pressure cook the frozen chicken and the noodles at the same time, or do they have to be prepared separately and then put together at the very end? Thanks so much for your reply.

    • Jeffrey

      You can use chicken but I’d use thawed as it should be cut into bite-size pieces before pressure cooking to ensure it cooks evenly. 😉

    • Peggy Sue Ross

      I cooked my frozen breasts first in the InstaPot with broth, Italian seasoning and garlic salt. When it was done I removed everything and sautéed the chicken to brown as described a bit after cutting into chunks for a few minutes. Added back the broth from the chicken and topped off with more then proceeded. I didn’t have fettuccine so I used pappardelle. It’s very good and I have a little bit of chicken left to shred into chicken salad or something else.

  3. Judy

    Jeffrey, my sister and I are ripping through your recipes like a monkey on a cupcake. I can’t even begin to tell you how many we have made! Every recipe has been delicious and EASY! What a great combo. This recipe looks to be our next adventure. Love your vlogs on YouTube. Keep doing you. I’m a fan!

  4. Michele

    This alfredo is simply delizioso! I buy quality fettuccine imported from Italy and recommend you do the same. You will not be disappointed; use Boursin!

  5. Scott J Kleinschmidt

    I had a recipe for Cajun alfredo. But, I wanted to use my pressure cooker. So, I basically used your recipe, but added some Tony Chachere, along with chicken and broccoli. It was so good!

  6. Cindy

    First time making this it was delicious and quite simple. Shared leftovers with friends and family. Now I get requests to make it all the time. Making it again today for a co-worker because she cannot get enough…

  7. Sarah

    I normally never leave reviews, but this was worthy of one! I received our Instant Pot over the summer for our wedding and still don’t feel like I got the hang of it. This recipe was so easy and delicious. Made me feel like I had the hang of it! Such a delicious plate of pasta- my husband loved it too!

  8. Laura

    I love the taste of this and the smell is out if this world. However, mine was too wat watery. I followed the instructions but used chicken. Should you reduce the amount of broth when chicken? I also used the 10qt Instant Pot. Either way my family loves everything you make Jeffery!

    • Jeffrey

      Thanks for the kind words but adding chicken is why it was watery. The recipes does not call for it and when you add and pressure cook chicken, it releases a LOT of juices. Next time, try adding pre-cooked chicken at the end.

      • Markella

        I also love this recipe. It was the first thing I made in the instant pot. A friend sent it to me when she found out I bought one. It was so easy! But I love chicken and broccoli in mine as well. And I do get the precooked chicken and cut it into bite size pieces. I also chop the broccoli real small. Once I add in everything from your recipe, I stir in the chicken and broccoli. It just takes a few minutes for the chicken to heat up and the broccoli to begin to soften and get hot. I make it at least once every few weeks. I would prefer more often but it’s not the most waist friendly meal. But worth the sacrifice. 🙂

  9. Kweilin

    I am a nursing home administrator and do a cooking activity with our residents every other Friday. One of our residents suggested Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo, which is not a dish I do not usually make. I used your recipe and added cooked shrimp at the end. I RECEIVED RAVE REVIEWS!!! Thank you, this was perfect.

  10. Susan Buskell

    I made this tonight,it was awesome,added some chicken at the end. This was going to be make it or break it with my instant pots,haven’t had much luck in the dishes I’ve made, I think I’m just going to stick to your receipes. Thank you!!

    • Erica

      This was perfect for my picky eaters. It will now be a permanent in our home. I am wondering if there is a way to just make your alfredo sauce? I have a friend who has requested chicken and ricotta stuffed shells with a white sauce and I think this is absolutely the best sauce for this dish.

  11. Deb

    I halved this since there is just two of us. Added cooked shrimp in just before serving. Loved the taste but was a bit runny. Should I have used less broth when cutting the recipe in half?

  12. Emilie

    I halved the recipe and made it in the 3 quart mini. It was great! A little watery at first, but thickened up. I wanted to know if you left the “keep warm” on while you mixed in the cheese, cream and spices or was your pot off? I will definitely be making this again!

  13. Joe

    Hi,
    I made this and it turned out well. However, it appeared that my 4 cups of garlic broth was at least a 1/2 inch over the noodles. When I finished towards the end, I dumped out about a 1/2 cup of broth mixture (post pressure cooking) before adding the butter and all the other ingredients. I was worried the sauce would be to watery. Luckly it turned out well. thanks
    Joe

    • Jeffrey

      Glad you found it yummy! Remember, pasta continues to absorb when done pressure cooking. Let it rest a moment once all the dairy melds and the sauce should thicken perfectly.

  14. Jon

    This was a fantastic fettuccine Alfredo! It was super easy following these instructions and tasted great! We added in some broccoli after cooking (bought pre cut in a bag that could be steamed in the microwave as is to make it even easier) as well as some spinach. These veggies added a great touch to the pasta.

    • Samantha D

      If adding chicken should it be cooked with 1/4 stick of butter instead of 1/4 cup? 1/4 cup is 4 tablespoons = 1/2 stick. Making this tonight and didn’t realize it until after I had melted half the stick to cook the chicken. Am I overthinking this? Haha. I’m sure it’ll still turn out delicious!

  15. Jenny

    I would like to make this with shrimp and scallops. I suppose I just saute my seafood separately then add after the fettuccine is completely done? Otherwise I thought the seafood would be overcooked.

  16. Todd

    Any recommendations on when and how to add shrimp to this? I know thawed raw peeled shrimp cook very quickly, but would you recommend tossing them in at the same time as step 3? I would like to avoid the pasta sitting around too long in the instant pot while waiting for the shrimp to get done. Thank you for all you do!

  17. Doug

    In a separate pan I cooked bacon nice and crispy, and then cooked scallops & shrimp in the bacon grease. Then added the crumbled the bacon, scallops & shrimp. It truly was outstanding!!

  18. Todd

    So I made this tonight, with some leftover rotisserie chicken added in before the broth and pasta. Didn’t come out wonderful, I’m sorry to say. Not sure why but by the time I got the quick-release done, it was on the dry side. Noticeable burning on the bottom of the pot as well, where the chicken was in direct contact with the bottom of the pot, and there was not enough liquid to keep things on the up-and-up. I added everything else called out in the recipe, plus an extra few big dollops of cream cheese I had available to try to save this, but overall this better emulated a chicken noodle casserole than a creamy/decadent alfredo. My wife liked it, but I need to go back to drawing board and see where the liquid shortfall happened. 🙁

    • Jeffrey

      Adding in the leftover rotisserie chicken before pressure cooking is what did it. Since the chicken is already cooked, you’d want to add it at the end with the dairy after the pasta is pressure cooked.

  19. Elaine

    I made this as an Insta Pot experiment. It was delicious. I’ve never made alfredo before and this was so easy. Used the boursin cheese for the first time. It was very good and melted easily. This recipe has moved from experimental stage to a keeper. Thank you for sharing.

  20. Christy

    This recipe is fabulous!! I am not a big fan of Fettuccine Alfredo, but I do like this recipe. Thank you Jeffrey Eisner!!

  21. Beverly

    This is the BEST FETTUCCINE ALFREDO I have ever eaten.
    My friend works at Olive Garden, I told her this beats Olive Garden any day of the week.

  22. Donna C

    When a recipe calls for grated Parmesan cheese, are you talking about the stuff in the green can (:::gasp:::) or fresh grated Parmesan? I’m assuming as with most ingredients, fresh is best.

  23. Sharon

    This is the 5th recipe I’ve made of yours and everything comes out to perfection, thank you. I’ve never made fettuccine before and I made it exactly as you listed it but used cream cheese and it turned out perfect and was super easy. I used almost 2 cups of half and half.

  24. Cody Gerlach

    I never make comments/reviews for recipes, but this is a must. Such an incredible meal and so simple to make!!! I added grilled chicken and it was perfect. By far the best creation my Instant Pot has dished out!

  25. Barb

    This was excellent! Made exactly as per the recipe except used cream cheese. I can always tell a meal is a success when the dinner table is quiet. You could only hear forks while eating this. Thank you for sharing!

  26. monda holleger

    could you use chopped fresh garlic in the broth if you don’t have garlic powder? or when you saute the chicken (if you use)??

  27. Sandy

    If you use fresh grated Parmesan, would you still use same amount? I thought that I should use more since is not as dense as the dried Parmesan. Thank you! Looking forward to trying this recipe.

  28. Louise Samson

    Can one use grated or finely chopped garlic instead of garlic powder (which I find tastes a bit chemical), please?
    Thank you!

  29. Ruth Ann Laviolette

    Hi Jeffrey! I’m new to the Instapot community (I was one of those people who was gifted an Instapot then was afraid to use it for a year. 🤦‍♀️) Gotta say…I really enjoy reading your recipies. I also enjoy all your tips at the end of your recipies. ❤ May I ask…how is it that you don’t have a show on The Food Network? I wouldn’t miss a single episode! Cheers to you, Jeffrey!

  30. Shirley

    I read on another recipe site to cook all pasta 2 minutes or 3 (depending on the thickness) & let natural release 10 minutes. Supposed to work every time. So far, I’ve found it to be true.

  31. Lloyd Richey

    Jefferey, Ive did this recipe many times but the last two times the noodles aren’t cooked thoroughly, should I bump the pressure time to 9 minutes? I have a few picky eaters, lol, they love when I cook this one but the noodles have to be cooked

    • Jeffrey

      Hmmm. I wonder if it’s the brand of noodle you used. You can indeed add some more time but just remember the longer the finished noodles set after cooking and the final sauce thickens, the noodles will continue to cook and soften/absorb.

    • Danielle

      Lloyd, this has happened to me a few times as well. I have made this recipe a lot and I noticed that it is not the cooking times that is the issue, it is the brand of noodles you are using. I have used so many different brands and some cook better than others. Gluten free seems to take an absolute eternity to cook. Maybe try some different brands for a better outcome. Another tip I do is when pressure cooking is done and noodles are still a little tough I will add a little more liquid, hit the saute button and boil until done. Turn off the pot let sit for a few minutes then add other ingredients. 🙂

  32. Tammie Pollard

    I made this tonight. I followed the recipe exactly with these slight variations: I added 1 1/2 cup half and half instead of cream, and I sautéed some shrimp separately and added it when I added the Boursin. The flavor was amazing, but the sauce was thinner than I expected. Next time, I think I will take some of the excess liquid out before adding the dairy.

    • Jeffrey

      So glad you tried it! But be mindful that after the add all the final touches and stir, the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce and therefore thicken it. Next time, after adding all the dairy, let it sit for 10 minutes on the “keep warm” setting

  33. Jenny

    Omg this is so funny! I was looking for this in your lighter cookbook (got it for Christmas), couldn’t find it and your recipe here is the first one that popped up when i searched instant pot fettuccine Alfredo!!! Can’t wait to try this!!

  34. Todd

    Hey, Jeff, love this amazing dish. Is there any way to add some fresh spinach to this dish? Would adding it before pressure cooking over do the spinach?

  35. Danielle

    I have made this several times for the family with all kinds of added things. I found the best thing to add to this is seared king salmon and spinach with a few cloves of coarsely chopped garlic. Serve with some lightly toasted french bread and a salad. OMG its to die for. Best fettuccine on the planet!! A little hint to keep leftovers from separating. Use 1 cup lactose free milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Lactose free milk is so much creamier than regular milk and it will help to keep the sauce from separating 🙂

  36. Beth

    Thank you, this looks great! Any idea how long to pressure cook if I’m using freshly made fettuccine? Or should I just not?

  37. Bonnie Ser

    Jeffrey, I made this on Saturday and absolutely love it! Is there any way to cut it in half because there’s only one of me to eat it?

  38. Lynnr

    Can you do this recipe without using the Instant Pot. If so, is there any modifications I should do? Thank you.

  39. Susan

    What adjustment would you make using gluten free pasta? Somewhere I read for gluten free pasta in the pressure cooker to half the recommended cooking time and subtract another two minutes…but I don’t want to try doing that without checking with the guru first. Don’t want an epic fail (more angry than a mosquito in a mannequin factory). Would rather be delighted (happier than a possum with pointed teeth).
    Side note— made your s’mores cake for my son’s birthday and it was an epic success and I don’t really like s’mores, so thank you!

  40. Rebecca

    This was one of the best instant pot pasta dishes I made for date night thank you so much! I added some italian sausages….but OMG so GOOD!

  41. Tori

    Hi I’ve made this recipe before and it is the best! Well tonight my husband asked me to make a double batch so we could have leftovers and now I have way too much! Have you ever froze the leftovers?

    • Julie

      I’m sorry I can’t answer your freezing question, but I’m hoping you can answer my doubling question! When you doubled, did you double all the ingredients and still cook for the same amount of time? Did you have any issues with the pasta sticking together with that much pasta?
      I normally make the single batch in my 6 qt, so I’m hoping a doubled batch will fit in my 8qt!

  42. Corey

    Dude,
    This is fire! I normally use the traditional stove top method of making it home made, and this makes my life so much easier. I also add frozen precooked chicken on top of the noodles before turning them on and it heats up and is super tender when I goto add all the cheese and sauce to it.

  43. Stephanie

    Hi Jeffrey! Like everyone else my family LOVES this recipe. It’s so nice to finally get this right every time! I’m going to make with Penne today. Do you suggest a 6 minute pressure?

  44. Kimberlee Holland

    This is in the menu for this week! Can’t wait to try it!
    (Jeffrey, instruction 2 has a typo – it says vale instead of valve. Sorry, English teacher here.)

  45. judy york

    I made this tonight for my grandkids , I added the chicken breast pieces as instructed and broccoli at the end . It is absolutely amazing! The best , and easiest fettuccine recipe . I’m hooked . Can’t wait to try with shrimp. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

  46. Julie

    BEST Alfredo on earth!! I have made this recipe so many times now, and I’ll never use another one again! I recently started using shell pasta instead of fettuccine, and let me tell you…..an added layer of goodness! The shells act like tiny bowls to hold even more of the saucy deliciousness!

  47. Virginia

    This is a real winner, Jeffrey! I sort kinda use this recipe not only for fettucine, but for penne with chicken and spinach. The steps are basically the same, but I use penne instead of fettucine, half and half instead of heavy cream, and I add shredded chicken (leftover rotisserie or chicken I’ve cooked and shredded) and fresh baby spinach. So easy and so very good!

  48. Conni

    Hi Jeffery, I just love so many of your recipes as well as your books. I was wondering if there is a way to incorporate bacon and bacon fat? Also do you prefer adding 3 or 4 cups of broth? Thanks so much and have a great day!

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