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A ladle scooping out of serving of Italian chicken pasta.
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Olive Garden Chicken Pasta (with Dressing Marinade)

This CrockPot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is rich, creamy, and full of flavor. Made with zesty Italian dressing, tender chicken, and a cheesy, comforting sauce. This easy slow cooker meal is a family favorite and perfect for busy weeknights.
Author: Nikki Lee
Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1.5 to 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 16 ounces Olive Garden Italian Dressing
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 ounces block cream cheese, cubed
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half and half

Instructions

  • Prep Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker insert. Then pour the entire bottle of Italian dressing over the chicken. Sprinkle black pepper, garlic powder, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the chicken.
  • Place the cubed cream cheese around the chicken in the dressing.
  • Cook: Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours or on high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender (the internal temperature should read 165°F at the thickest part of the chicken breast).
  • Boil Pasta: About 15 minutes before the chicken is done, cook penne according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  • Shred Chicken: Once the chicken is done, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks.
    Tip: Don’t over-shred the chicken. You want there to be pieces of chicken with your pasta, so be careful not to shred the chicken so much that it is stringy and disappears into the sauce.
  • Make Sauce: In the slow cooker, whisk the melted cream cheese into the sauce until smooth. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and heavy cream.
  • Combine: Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Add cooked pasta and gently stir to combine. Serve warm.

Notes

Storage: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce.
Freezer (Make-Ahead): Combine all ingredients (except pasta) in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Freezer (Leftovers): Once completely cooled, freeze cooked pasta and sauce for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat gently with added liquid to refresh the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 612IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg

Find it online:

www.soulfullymade.com/olive-garden-chicken-pasta/