Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
This Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is an easy, creamy pasta dish that has so much flavor using only 5 ingredients! It’s one of our go-to recipes for a busy weeknight that the whole family will love (and tastes restaurant-quality too).
A funny story for you, my husband Simon is not a fan of most pasta dishes, and this Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is one of the few that he loves. It’s a pasta recipe that we make probably once a week in our house since my kids also think it’s so delicious. They even tell me it tastes better than the restaurant, which is the best compliment I could ever receive.
I love that it only uses 5 ingredients making shopping on the store quick and easy. When it comes to assembling the pasta, I can add everything to the crockpot in the morning and it’s ready in time for dinner. The only other step is boiling the noodles right before serving (if you cook them in the slow cooker they become mushy).
If you love a crockpot meal, be sure to also try my Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken as well as Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese. These are two recipes that our readers love!
Watch How To Make Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: The protein for the recipe. You don’t need to cook the chicken in advance, the slow cooker will do it for you.
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing: Zesty and full of flavor to give this sauce a rich flavor.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Some will go in the sauce and some will go on top to garnish. It adds nice cheesy flavor and also a saltiness that elevates all of the flavors.
- Ground black pepper: I love adding extra black pepper to pair with the cream sauce of this pasta.
- Cream cheese: Responsible for adding that silky, smooth quality to the sauce and rich flavor.
- Penne pasta: Our pasta noodle of choice, you can use whatever short-shaped noodle you have at home.
- Parsley: Totally optional, but we love the bright color and fresh flavor it adds to the recipe.
How to Make Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
1. Spray a 6-quart crock pot with non-stick spray and add the chicken breasts.
2. Pour Italian dressing over the top of chicken.
3. Sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and black pepper over chicken.
4. Place cubed cream cheese on top and cook on high for four hours or low 5-6 hours.
5. When cooking time is up on the crock pot, remove chicken breasts and shred with two forks before adding back to the crock pot.
6. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
7. Add cooked pasta to the crock pot and stir.
8. Garnish with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Video Tutorial
Ways to Serve Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Crockpot: I used my favorite 6-quart crockpot from Walmart, which is at a great price! It also has a cute 2-quart option for smaller meals and an 8-quart option for larger meals.
Chopping Boards: I use boards all the time for both prep and serving. Some of my other favorites are this white striped wooden board from Kirklands, this mango wood board from Target, and this marble and wood rectangular tray from JC Penney. I also used my go-to MacKenzie Childs checkered chopping board!
Serving Bowls: There is something for everyone, no matter your personal style! Walmart has these dreamy gray stoneware bowls with silver rims for a great price. I also love these MacKenzie-Childs serving bowls, this black-and-white coordinating set, or this colorful terracotta Spanish style.
Expert Tips
- Choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are a similar size. This will help them to cook evenly and at the same rate in the slow cooker.
- Make sure the chicken breasts are fully covered by the liquid in the slow cooker. This will help them to stay moist when cooking for the most delicious bite after they are shredded.
- Boil the pasta separately from the Olive Garden Chicken Pasta sauce. This will guarantee that it is al dente and not mushy when it’s stirred into the sauce.
- Finding the Olive Garden Italian dressing is key to making this pasta correctly. It’s tangy and a little creamy with lots of cheesy flavor. It’s easy to order online to keep in your pantry.
- Serve this crockpot chicken pasta with a Caesar Salad on the side or Garlic Bread for a complete restaurant-quality meal!
Storage
If you have any Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta leftover, store in a airtight container in the refrigerator, where it should stay fresh for about 3 days. You can also store in a zip top bag in the fridge!
Reheat the pasta in the microwave or on the stovetop for a couple of minutes until just warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water when reheating until it’s the right consistency.
You can definitely cook the pasta in advance to save time, but this recipe is so tasty when you serve warm right out of the slow cooker. However, the leftovers are just as delicious, so if you need to prep this a day before and then reheat, go for it!
FAQs
Yes, that is the best way to cook this Olive Garden chicken pasta. The low heat and longer amount of time will cook the chicken until nice and tender so it’s moist and not dry.
No, we recommend boiling the noodles right before serving so you can cook them to al dente and not risk them being mushy.
While you can, we don’t suggest it. Frozen chicken will take much longer to cook and can also make the sauce watery. Defrost the chicken before adding.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 16 ounces Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- Parsley for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart crock pot with non-stick spray and add the chicken breasts.
- Pour Italian dressing over the top of chicken.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and black pepper over chicken.
- Place cubed cream cheese on top and cook on high for four hours or low 5-6 hours.
- When cooking time is up on the crock pot, remove chicken breasts and shred with two forks before adding back to the crock pot.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions.
- Add cooked pasta to the crock pot and stir.
- Garnish with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- Choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are a similar size. This will help them to cook evenly and at the same rate in the slow cooker.
- Make sure the chicken breasts are fully covered by the liquid in the slow cooker. This will help them to stay moist when cooking for the most delicious bite after they are shredded.
- Boil the pasta separately from the Olive Garden Chicken Pasta sauce. This will guarantee that it is al dente and not mushy when it’s stirred into the sauce.
- Finding the Olive Garden Italian dressing is key to making this pasta correctly. It’s tangy and a little creamy with lots of cheesy flavor. It’s easy to order online to keep in your pantry.
- Serve this crockpot chicken pasta with a Caesar Salad on the side or Garlic Bread for a complete restaurant-quality meal!
