This Olive Garden Chicken Pasta crock pot recipe will transport your taste buds to Olive Garden without you ever leaving the house. The creamy blend of Olive Garden Italian dressing with tender chicken and gooey cream cheese is a bold and flavorful meal that's perfect for any occasion.
Pasta dishes are extremely versatile because some of them are quick and easy for weeknight meals, while others are more labor-intensive and better suited for a dinner party or date night.
This Italian chicken pasta crock pot recipe is the best of both worlds because it is easy to make, but tastes like you spent hours at the stove. Whether you make it for your family for dinner or as part of a special date night at-home meal, everyone will love how melt-in-your-mouth delicious it is.
If you like this Olive Garden-inspired pasta dish, you will love my crock pot angel chicken and creamy chicken gnocchi soup!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Olive Garden Flavor, At Home: My family loves Olive Garden, but a trip there for dinner whenever a craving hits isn't always an option. This recipe brings all of the flavor of Olive Garden home.
- Only 5 Ingredients: This Olive Garden crock pot chicken only requires five ingredients, including the Olive Garden dressing. It's a low-effort and budget-friendly meal that the whole family will love.
- Minimal Work Required: This recipe is a true dump-and-go meal! Simply add the ingredients to your crock pot and come home to flavorful chicken in a rich sauce. All you need to do is boil the pasta and serve it!
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are best for this Olive Garden crock pot chicken pasta because they are easiest to shred once cooked.
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing: Bring the distinct taste of Olive Garden's famous Italian dressing home with a bottle from the grocery store. This is what gives the dish its "Olive Garden" flavor.
- Cheese: As the cream cheese melts into the dressing, it creates a thick and creamy sauce that's perfect for pasta. While, no Olive Garden chicken recipe is complete without Parmesan cheese.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Skip the Cream Cheese: If you want a thinner sauce that is less tangy, use heavy cream instead of cream cheese. You'll want to wait to add the cream until the last 30 minutes of cooking time so it doesn't curdle.
- Add Vegetables: Pasta dishes are a great vessel for sneaking veggies into dinner. This pasta dish tastes amazing with broccoli, asparagus, peas, spinach, or mushrooms. Add as many vegetables as you want in the last 30 to 60 minutes of cooking time.
- Make It Spicy: Make your pasta spicy with crushed red chili flakes or green chiles.
How to Make Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
This Olive Garden dressing chicken and pasta is such a simple dinner recipe. It's perfect for a busy weeknight or to serve a large group on short notice.
- Step 1: Add the Ingredients. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot and pour the Olive Garden dressing over the chicken. Add the garlic and Parmesan cheese, then place the cream cheese on top of the chicken.
- Step 2: Cover and Cook. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on high for 2½-3 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
- Step 3: Make the Pasta. Thirty minutes before the cooking time is done, prepare the pasta. Follow the cooking directions for the pasta of your choice, then drain it and set it aside.
- Step 4: Shred the Chicken. After the chicken finishes cooking, use two forks to shred it directly in the crock pot. Pour the cooked pasta into the slow cooker and stir until it is covered in sauce. Serve and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
Rolls, garlic bread, and focaccia in the slow cooker go well with this dish, so you can soak up all of the cheesy sauce!
Expert Tips
- Taste Test the Dressing: Bottled dressings are sometimes more salty or tangy than you may prefer. I'd recommend tasting the dressing before making this recipe so you don't waste ingredients if you don't like it. You can use a light version of the dressing or use half the dressing with a little bit of low-sodium chicken broth to achieve a flavor you like.
- Make Shredding Chicken a Breeze: Save yourself some time and effort and shred the chicken using your stand mixer. Add the cooked chicken to the mixing bowl and mix on low using the paddle attachment until it is shredded into large pieces.
- Cook the Pasta Al Dente: Be sure to cook the pasta so it is still a little firm because it will continue to cook when you add it to the sauce in the crock pot. You don't want the noodles to break down and fall apart in the sauce.
- Experiment with Different Pastas: Try this crockpot chicken with Olive Garden dressing with a variety of noodles. Penne, rotini, cavatappi, and fusilli are great options because the ridges and spirals hold a lot of sauce.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 6 weeks.
- Reheating: Reheat the Olive Garden Italian chicken pasta in the microwave in 60-second intervals until it is heated through or reheat it in a pan on the stove over medium heat. You can add a little broth if the pasta looks dry. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers for 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Make this easy chicken pasta recipe for your family on a busy weeknight or for a special family dinner. The low-effort preparation and rich flavor make it a perfect dish for either occasion! Flavorful and creamy pasta meals are also ideal for dinner parties, holidays, or date-night at home.
- To make this a true Olive Garden at-home meal, serve it with breadsticks and a salad topped with Olive Garden dressing.
- This rich sauce tastes amazing served over slow cooker white rice or mashed potatoes with cream cheese instead of pasta.
- I'm a sucker for some crock pot apple crisp for dessert after a large Italian meal!
FAQ
Sure thing! Make this dish in the oven by combining the ingredients in a baking dish and baking for 35-45 minutes at 350° F until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Then, cook the pasta, shred the chicken, and stir it all into the sauce.
This recipe is perfect if you have leftover chicken from the night before or if you want to use shredded rotisserie chicken. You can make it in the crock pot and cook it on high for 1-2 hours until the cream cheese melts.
If your sauce is too thick, try adding a bit of chicken broth or heavy cream to thin it out. If the sauce is too thin, create a slurry of cornstarch and water and add it to the sauce to thicken it up.
More Delicious Italian Chicken Pasta Crock Pot Recipes
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Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 16 ounces Olive Garden Italian dressing
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Add After Chicken Cook Time Is Complete
- 16 ounce cooked penne pasta
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the bottom of a 6-quart Crock Pot.
- Cover the chicken with Olive Garden Italian dressing, onion powder, black pepper, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Then place the cream cheese on top.
- Put the lid on the Crock-pot. Cook on high for 2½-3 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
- Thirty minutes before cooking time is done. Cook the penne pasta as directed on the package and drain.
- Shred the chicken in the Crock-pot with two forks and then add the cooked pasta in. Stir until well combined.
- Serve while hot and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Taste the dressing before making this recipe so you don't waste ingredients if you don't like it. Some people find bottled dressings too tangy or salty and since this recipe uses an entire bottle of Olive Garden dressing, be sure you like it before you cook with it.
- Use a stand mixer to shred the chicken. Use the paddle attachment on low until the chicken is shredded into large pieces.
- Cook the pasta so it is still a little firm, so it doesn't break down and fall apart as it cooks more in the sauce.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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