Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is a rich and zesty chicken and pasta dish made in a slow cooker, letting it do all the work! It is a comforting and satisfying meal with a creamy, Italian-inspired twist. If you don’t have Olive Garden’s signature dressing, use homemade Italian Dressing! This is SO easy and so delicious!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cooked in the slow cooker before being shredded. Chicken thighs would also be delicious.
Italian Dressing: If you have ever been to Olive Garden, you have probably tasted their signature dressing. It is a little sweet, zesty, and delicious on their salad, for sure! But, if you don’t have any on hand, make your own Italian dressing.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese is best. It will be added to the slow cooker and used for garnish.
Chicken Broth: Chicken broth helps keeps the chicken moist and adds flavor to the dish. You could also use chicken stock.
Pasta: Penne pasta, a tubular pasta, holds up well in the thick, creamy sauce. However, you could use your favorite pasta noodles, or make your own homemade-shaped pasta!
Cream Cheese: To add creaminess and richness, cream cheese is added in the final 30 minutes of cooking time.
What To Serve With Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
To round out this rich and creamy main dish, try serving it with a few of these delicious side dishes:
- Garlic Bread or Garlic Knots
- Wedge Salad
- Roasted Vegetables like carrots, green beans, asparagus, or shredded Brussels sprouts
How To Store Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
If you have any leftovers, store the Olive Garden Chicken Pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bottle (16 ounces) Olive Garden Signature Italian dressing (can use copycat dressings or knock-off brands)
- ¼ cup (25 g) parmesan cheese, finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup (240 g) chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- parmesan cheese, grated for garnish
- parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- To the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker, add chicken breasts, dressing, parmesan cheese, pepper, chicken broth, and water.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 5-6 hours. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- When ready, remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it with two forks.
- To the bowl of the slow cooker, add the uncooked pasta, cream cheese, and shredded chicken, stirring to combine. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Serve garnished with parmesan cheese and parsley.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
I love a good slow-cooker meal. They are perfect for those days when you just want to open the door to the smell of an already-prepared dinner. This one is simple and tangy, and oh-so delicious! Even picky eaters will like this one.
Elizabeth
I was pleasantly surprised at the sweetness of this dish. At first glance, it looked like it would be super rich, like an Alfredo sauce. But, there was a tanginess in each bite. And, it's all cooked in a slow cooker, so that is a huge plus!
Bella
Yum! This pasta is creamy and it has a hint of tanginess! I was actually pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the pasta. This is so easy to prepare and it is tasty!
Annabelle
This dish is a great combination of tangy, sweet, and savory! Easy to throw together, and definitely worth it.
Rachael
This was so good! I already love Olive Garden's dressing and it was really delicious in this dish! Very easy to throw together in the crockpot. I was skeptical at first, too, but it's very tasty!
Selena
Super quick and easy to throw together. I liked that I didn't have to prepare much at all! Just throw it in, let it cook and enjoy. I enjoyed the flavor the dressing brought to it and the creaminess from the cream cheese!
If I am using frozen chicken breast will the time on low be longer?
Thanks!!
MCC
Hi! Yes, increase the cooking time by about 2 hours. You’ll want to test it before adding the pasta. Also, Frozen chicken can release more liquid as it cooks. You might need to reduce the amount of added liquid slightly or be prepared to thicken the sauce if it becomes too watery.
Simple and so, so good! Even my picky husband liked it.
Hello!
If I want to add Broccoli at the end rather than cooking noodles in it, should I still keep the same amount of water/broth in the recipe? Thank you, looking forward to trying it today!
Husband and kid approved! Thumbs up! Per the rating of my five year old, “all fingers and toes up!!!”
I did add some garlic powder and some heavy whipping cream, about 1/4cup on a double batch.
Really liked that it was easy to make and in crock pot!
Not a fan. Kind of disappointed that I made the whole dish. It was too lemony or something.
Overwhelming with vinegar taste.
The only place you would get that flavor is from the dressing. Which is a major ingredient in this recipe. So I’m not sure why it would be a surprise that you can taste the dressing.
Looks delicious & so simple !
What temperature should you use when you put in pasta?
The same temperature as before they go in.
Beyond awful. Strong taste of salad dressing. The entire family hated it.
I’m curious, out of this list of ingredients, what you expected the flavor to be? It’s just so odd that a recipe that has been around for many years with thousands of online reviews and feedback is only hated by you and your family. Did you leave out every ingredient but the chicken and dressing?
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
▢1 bottle (16 ounces) Olive Garden Signature Italian dressing (can use copycat dressings or knock-off brands)
▢¼ cup (25 g) parmesan cheese, finely grated
▢¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢1 cup (240 g) chicken broth
▢2 cups water
▢16 ounces penne pasta
▢8 ounces cream cheese
▢parmesan cheese, grated for garnish
▢parsley, for garnish
How many does this serve?
The recipe says 8 servings.
Don’t like your nutrition information. I’m on a salt free diet and there is no nutritional information other than calories!
If your diet and salt intake is important to you, I highly recommend you enter the recipes into an independent app to get accurate results.
Just ordered your cookbook.. can’t wait to get it!
Thank you so much, Diane!
Soumds delish but is there anything I can substitute for the chicken broth. I cannot eat most due to the high sodium msg/natural flavors. Thanks
You could use low-sodium broth or water.
Do you think you can use a dairy free cream cheese with this ?
Just tried a cheat version of this recipe. Cooked it in a pan because I didn’t have a slow cooker, and used heavy cream instead of cream cheese. I absolutely loved how it came out. I was a perfect one pot meal, that got ready in literally 15 minutes. Perfect for weeknight dinners!! Thank you, Amanda! 🖤
In the final step is the slow cooker on high or low? PS I love all your recipes!
Hi Gail! Whatever you cooked it on is the temp that will ramain. If you cooked it on high, it should stay on high. If you cooked it on low, it should stay on low. No need to change any temperature settings when you add in the noodles. Hope that helps!
Can this be frozen? How well will it reheat?
I haven’t tried freezing this particular recipe, however, cream cheese tends to separate and become less than appealing when warmed back up. That along with the additional Dairy Products, I personally don’t think it would be the best choice to freeze it.
If anyone DOES try it, please let us know the outcome!
I hope this helps, Happy Cooking!
Thank you for this one. Love all the recipes you post!
Thank you, I like your recipes