Looking for an answer to the question “what’s for dinner?” Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is the answer! Perfectly tender shredded chicken cooked in Olive Garden Italian Dressing, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and sun dried tomatoes then tossed with penne pasta and fresh basil. This is a flavor-packed dinner the whole family will love!
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
It’s safe to say this Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is a new dinner-time favorite! I like how easy it is to make and this is a dish that everyone asked for often.
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The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the pasta (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the printable recipe card):
- Chicken breast
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing – find this in the salad dressing aisle of your grocery store. There are also great substitutes, such as a similar dressing from Aldi.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – no need to grate fresh cheese; the grated Parmesan in a canister is perfect for this recipe.
- Sun dried tomatoes – you can use the dry sun dried tomatoes or the kind in a jar.
- Black pepper
- Cream cheese
- Penne
- Fresh basil
How to Make Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
- Place the chicken breast in a large slow cooker and pour the whole bottle of Olive Garden dressing over the chicken.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan over the chicken and dressing along with the chopped sun dried tomatoes.
- Place the block of cream cheese on top.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and fork-tender. Shred the chicken with two forks.
- Cook the penne according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the torn basil and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- And the cooked penne and stir well.
- Serve the pasta immediately while hot.
What to Serve with the Olive Garden Pasta
- Tossed salad
- Steamed green beans
- Garlic Bread or breadsticks
How to Store Leftovers
Store the leftover pasta in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.
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Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 bottle (16 ounces) Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4-5 basil leaves torn
- 1 pound penne pasta
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast in a large slow cooker and pour the whole bottle of Olive Garden dressing over the chicken.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan over the chicken and dressing along with the chopped sun dried tomatoes. Place the block of cream cheese on top.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and fork-tender.
- Cook the penne according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Shred the chicken with two forks. Add the torn basil, the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and the cooked penne; stir well.
- Serve the pasta immediately.
Last Step:
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Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
Nutrition
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86 comments on “Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta”
Husband & adult son absolutely loved this❣️Adding to our rotation!
Yay! Thank you Barbara!
Mine turned out a little dry so next time I will cook it on low for 4 hours. Maybe add a different cheese too.
My family loves this!
Thanks Gina!
My son is now allergic to eggs, is there any chance I could use a different Italian dressing since olive garden’s contains eggs?
Hi Kathy. Yes, really any Italian dressing of your preference will work.
I liked it shredded, but you could also cut into cubes! Do not over cook this recipe! We LOVED it! If you are into sun-dried tomatoes, add as many as you like!
Thanks Mandy!
Hi can I cook this in the oven? And what temp for how long? Thank you
Hi Nicole. I don’t think this would do well in the oven as written. You could probably make it on the stove top if you cooked your chicken separately and then added the other ingredients in a large pot but I feel like the slow cooker makes it so much easier.
Delicious, easy, I ended up mixing the crockpot with pasta and spinach (added)in casserole dish 9×13 and topped with little Italian cheeses and baked 15 minutes or to heat through and melt cheeses
Thank you Pamela!
Is it possible to throw the pasta in there and cook it all together?
Hi Deatinee. There really isn’t enough liquid to cook all the pasta consistently so it is best to cook it separately for this recipe.
After I made this once, it became my favorite meal. So yummy.
Thanks Burke!
This dish was delicious!!! I’ll definitely fix it again!!
Thank you Paula!