Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
This Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is a creamy dish that combines tender chicken, penne pasta, parmesan cheese, and Olive Garden dressing to create an irresistible flavor combination. Prepare it in your crockpot for an effortless meal that the whole family will love!
We are huge fans of a great pasta dinner that’s flavorful and super easy to prepare. It’s even better when that dinner is something the entire family enjoys.
This easy pasta dish is just that! It combines boneless skinless chicken breasts, Italian salad dressing, parmesan cheese and cooked penne pasta to create a creamy and flavorful meal!
Plus, it’s made in the crockpot so you can enjoy all of those amazing flavors without having to spend hours in the kitchen. Serve it up with some of our cheese stuffed breadsticks, bruschetta, or rosemary focaccia bread for a full meal.
Tips and Variations
- Use a different cut of chicken: We prefer boneless chicken breasts for this chicken pasta, but you also use chicken thighs. Make sure to adjust the cooking time if needed.
- Try milk or heavy cream in place of half and half. We like the creaminess that half and half gives this pasta, but milk or heavy cream will work. Milk thins out the pasta while heavy cream makes it thicker.
- Use another type of cheese. Instead of grated parmesan, try mozzarella, an Italian blend or Monterey jack cheese.
How to Store Leftover Chicken Pasta
Refrigerator: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Add a splash or two of milk or half and half if the pasta appears dry.
Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing this pasta, because after it’s thawed and reheated the texture is grainy and unappetizing.
Can you use frozen chicken?
Yes, you can. Just be aware that it will likely take longer to cook than thawed chicken, and it may water down the dressing as it cooks.
We recommend cooking frozen chicken on LOW so the outside doesn’t dry out and leave the inside undercooked.
Can you use a different type of pasta instead of the recommended penne pasta?
Sure! Since the pasta is cooked on the stovetop, use your favorite. We recommend a short pasta like rotini, ziti, or rigatoni.
Can you add vegetables to Olive Garden Chicken Pasta?
Yes, you can add vegetables to this pasta recipe! Veggies such as bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach pair well with this creamy pasta dish.
Vegetables like spinach can be stirred into the pasta along with the noodles and half and half. To prevent the pasta from becoming watery, it’s recommended to saute other vegetables such as bell peppers or mushrooms before adding them.
What does Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken Pasta taste like?
This delicious pasta has a creamy texture with hints of parmesan cheese, Italian dressing, and tender chicken breasts. It’s a hearty, filling, and plenty for several servings.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 16 ounces Olive Garden Italian Dressing, or your favorite brand of Italian dressing
- 8 ounces block-style cream cheese, cubed
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated off the block, plus more for serving
- ½ cup half and half, or more to thin out the pasta
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Spray the crockpot with cooking spray then add the chicken breasts. Arrange them in a single layer so they cook evenly.1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Pour in the salad dressing then add the cream cheese. Place a lid on the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours. It takes about 3 ½ hours on high in my crockpot. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F at its thickest point when it's finished cooking.16 ounces Olive Garden Italian Dressing8 ounces block-style cream cheese
- When the chicken is almost finished cooking, cook the pasta on the stovetop and drain the starchy water.16 ounces penne pasta
- Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken. Stir the contents of the slow cooker then add the parmesan cheese. Stir until it melts completely.½ cup Parmesan cheese
- Pour in the half and half and stir to combine then add the cooked pasta.½ cup half and half
- Top with additional shredded parmesan cheese, freshly chopped parsley, or basil. Serve immediately!
- Scroll up and see the post for tips, storage options, and FAQs.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe requires only a handful of ingredients. Find the exact amounts with the instructions in the recipe card further down the page.
- Chicken: We use 1 ½ to 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts for this crockpot chicken pasta.
- Italian Dressing: Since this is an Olive Garden chicken pasta, we use a bottle of Olive Garden dressing. If you can’t find Olive Garden Italian dressing or like a different brand of Italian dressing, use it instead.
- Cream Cheese: You’ll need an 8 ounce block of cream cheese to make this pasta rich and creamy.
- Cheese: We use ½ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese in the pasta plus extra for garnish.
- Half and Half: About ½ cup of half and half or heavy cream works great to make this pasta dish extra creamy.
- Pasta: Penne cooked on the stovetop is our pick for this recipe. Feel free to swap this out with your favorite pasta variety.
How to Make Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
This crockpot Olive Garden chicken pasta is very simple to prepare. There’s minimal prep time and a few minutes of stovetop cooking time, but the rest is completely hands off!
- Spray the crockpot with cooking spray then add the chicken breasts. Arrange them in a single layer so they cook evenly.
- Pour the salad dressing on top of the chicken breasts then add the cream cheese. Place a lid on the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F at its thickest point when it’s finished cooking.
- When the chicken is almost finished cooking, cook the pasta on the stovetop and drain the starchy water.
- Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken then give it, the dressing, and cream cheese a stir. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until it melts completely.
- Pour in the half and half and stir to combine then add the cooked pasta.
- Top with additional shredded parmesan cheese, freshly chopped parsley, or basil. Serve immediately!
Has anyone ever browned and no shredding?? Few members don’t like shredded
Hey Christina!
We haven’t tried that, but one of our other readers may have. I’ve approved your comment/question so maybe someone will chime in. You may be able to carefully remove the chicken once it’s cooked and cube it or cut it into strips. Not sure if that would work for everyone or not. Searing it ahead of time (before putting it into the slow cooker) is another idea. 😊
All you need to know is that I made this for my mother-in-law and she loved it! (Shredding the chicken in in a stand mixer with paddle attachment makes things very easy.)
Thank you for commenting and rating the recipe Cara! Have a lovely day 🙂