Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

5 from 2 votes

Our slow cooker Olive Garden chicken pasta is a creamy Alfredo pasta dish that comes together quickly and is packed with so much flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4 15

Total Time4 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 811kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken breasts, 3 to 4 pieces boneless skinless
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided in half
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided in half
0.7 ounces dry Italian dressing mix
1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
16 ounces penne pasta
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, grated
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 cups half & half
1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

Instructions

In the insert of your slow cooker/crockpot, place your boneless skinless chicken breasts. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ black pepper evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the entire contents of the dry Italian dressing mix evenly over the chicken as well.
Pour the chicken broth into the crockpot with the chicken and spices. Cover with the lid and turn on HIGH for 4 hours.
Once your chicken is done, remove it and shred it using 2 forks to pull it apart into bite-sized pieces.
Pour out all but 1 cup of the excess liquid that is remaining in the pot. Return the shredded chicken back to the crockpot insert and add back the reserved 1 cup of the seasoned cooking liquid.
Turn your crockpot to WARM while you cook your pasta and make your sauce.
Cook your pasta according to package directions (8 to 10 minutes) and drain when done.
In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, melt your butter. Once your butter is melted, whisk in the flour making sure there are no lumps.
Add your grated garlic, dried parsley, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Whisk to combine. Slowly add the half & half and heavy cream, making sure that you are whisking the entire time. This is very important to avoid any lumps in your final alfredo sauce.
Cook your cream mixture for 5 to 6 minutes, whisking often, until it starts to bubble and thicken. Once your cream mixture has thickened, turn off the heat and add your grated parmesan cheese. Stir to completely combine.
Add your cooked and drained pasta to your shredded chicken, then pour your Alfredo sauce on top. Stir to combine. You can top your slow cooker Olive Garden chicken Alfredo pasta with fresh chopped parsley at this time if desired.

Notes

Heat the butter and cream to bubbling so that the cheese melts better when added.
To help make your sauce extra creamy, allow your cheese to come to room temperature before adding it to the sauce.
Alfredo sauce thickens while standing and thickens even more when added to the cooked pasta. If it seems too thin, resist the urge to thicken it as it will thicken once mixed with your pasta.
You can keep your crockpot on warm for 30 minutes before the pasta gets too soft and absorbs excess moisture.

Nutrition