Curry Pasta with Chicken (Pasta Tikka Masala)
Servings: 8
Calories: 328 kcal
This curry pasta is a delicious recipe for a quick meal that the whole family is going to love. Cooked all in one pot, this chicken curry pasta recipe has the rich aroma and taste of classic chicken tikka masala.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon paprika optional (for color)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (500 grams) cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (1½ cups for Instant Pot) plus more to deglaze
- 1 cup tomato sauce * (225 grams)
- 2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 teaspoon honey
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 oz. dry penne pasta (225 grams)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or deep pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil and heat until the oil is hot and shimmering.
- Saute onions, minced garlic, and ginger over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and saute until the oil separates. Add a few tablespoons of broth or water to deglaze if it sticks or starts to burn.
- Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, pepper, chili powder, salt, garam masala, and paprika (if using), and stir to coat, for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let the spices burn. Turn off the heat source if necessary.
- Add chicken and stir to coat with the spices, sauteing briefly until it’s no longer fully pink. The chicken doesn't need to cook through.
- Deglaze with a bit of broth to make sure nothing is stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining broth.
- Add tomato sauce, fenugreek, honey, and cream. Add the pasta. Stir to combine, pushing down on the pasta so it's submerged below the level of liquid, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and let the pasta simmer until cooked (15 to 17 minutes for al dente pasta), stirring every 5 to 7 minutes. If you like the pasta to be well done, add a few more minutes of cooking time. (Add more broth or water if you find that there's not enough.)
- The mixture will thicken as it rests. You can also choose to add more cream as needed.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro (if using).
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press 'Saute' and add butter and oil to the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is hot, add onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir until onion is translucent. Add a tablespoon or more of broth to deglaze if needed.
- Press 'Cancel' and cook spices on residual heat. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, pepper, chili powder, salt, garam masala, and paprika (if using), and stir to coat, for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let the spices burn. If the spices stick to the bottom, deglaze with a bit of broth.
- Turn on 'Saute' mode again, add chicken to the inner pot and cook until lightly brown - it doesn't need to be cooked through. If the chicken browns too quickly, press ‘Cancel’ until the Instant Pot cools down a bit, and press the ‘Saute’ button again. Deglaze as needed with a tablespoon or two of broth or water.
- Stir in 1½ cups chicken broth, fenugreek, and honey. Ensure there's nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot - deglaze as needed.
- Add in the pasta, tomato sauce, and tomato paste, in that order. Don't stir but just gently push down to submerge in the liquid. This helps prevent the Burn Message.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure (QR) and open the lid. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods].
- Stir in the cream and heat through in 'Saute' mode to thicken the sauce. The mixture may seem liquidy, but it will thicken after about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro (if using).
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. cut up chicken, chopped onion, etc.
- * Tomato sauce is also known as tomato passata.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 328 kcal | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Cholesterol: 60 mg | Sodium: 351 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 5 g
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