Preheat the cooker by selecting Saute. Wait 30 seconds and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, sliced peppers and onions. Saute 2-3 minutes, until they soften. Cancel Saute. Remove onions and peppers and keep aside for later.
Add water, 1 teaspoon olive oil and all the spices to the pot. Give it a stir. Add pasta and push it down under the liquid.
Spread the chicken pieces all over the pasta. Spread the salsa over all over the chicken. Don't stir and close the lid.
Pressure cook at high pressure for 4 minutes, followed by a quick pressure release as per your cooker instructions (see notes for pasta cooking and pressure releasing instructions).
Open the lid after the pin drops. Add the sautéed peppers and onions to the pot and give it a stir.
Stir in the cheese. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Chicken Fajita Pasta on the Stovetop:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the peppers and onions for 2-3 minutes. Remove and keep aside for maintaining their shape and crunch.
Add water, remaining olive oil, spices and stir. Bring it to a simmer, add the pasta and push down under the liquid. Note: You may need an additional ½-3/4 cup liquid for the stovetop version in order for the pasta to be fully submerged.
Spread the chicken over the pasta, then pour the salsa over the chicken. Don't stir.
Cover with a tight lid and cook for 10-12 minutes (or as pasta package instructions), stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat. Add the sautéed peppers and onions, stir in the cheese, garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Recipe Tips:
Saute the peppers and onions first, remove from the Instant Pot and then add back in at the end. I don't recommend pressure cooking the peppers and onions with the pasta and chicken as they tend to get mushy. Adding the vegetables in at the end keeps their texture and integrity.
Make sure to keep the chicken pieces similar in size, roughly 1-inch pieces. When the chicken pieces are all the same size, they fully cook at the same time.
Store-bought Taco seasoning is a good substitute for those days when you're short on time. Out of the many brands on supermarket shelves, I really enjoy...
Follow the Rule of Thumb for cooking pasta in the Instant Pot: Take the lowest cooking time of 10 minutes (penne has a cook time of 10-13 minutes), divide in half (5 minutes) = 5 minutes. This will produce a penne that is al dente. For a more al dente pasta, cook for a minute less
Make sure to perform an Intermittent Pressure Release (see Notes above). To do so, simply release the pressure in bursts. Press down (Ultra) or rotate the pressure knob (Duo) gently to release pressure 1-2 seconds at a time, then stop. Repeat this until most of the pressure has released and its intensity has gone down. Then do a full release of pressure. At this point, nothing should squirt out of the knob.
Wash the lid and clean the pressure valve of the Instant Pot after cooking the pasta. Since the pasta starch and scum may have caused a blockage in the Instant Pot, this could affect the next cooking cycle. Make sure to wash it out with warm, soapy water.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.