Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
1,778 Comments May 11, 2020
Updated Mar 01, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Use Olive Garden Italian Dressing to make this Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta! It’s a creamy pasta dish that has so much flavor.
We love easy pasta dishes for the crockpot! Try my Baked Spaghetti, Feta and Tomato Pasta, or Beef Stroganoff recipes too!
I found this recipe in my Facebook group and had to try it out! You can make this Olive Garden Chicken with or without the pasta! Serve over rice or just with green steamed vegetables.
How to make Olive Garden Chicken Pasta in the Crockpot:
- Add chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
- Pour over one 16-ounce jar of Olive Garden Italian Dressing (or any Italian dressing you have on hand.
- Shake over grated parmesan cheese and ground pepper. Add one block of cream cheese.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or low for 5-6.
- Shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker.
- Cook 16 ounces of pasta according to the package directions on the stove-top. I am using penne pasta for this recipe.
- Add the drained pasta to the slow cooker along with the sauce and shredded chicken, stir.
- Sprinkle over more parmesan cheese if desired. I also garnished with a touch of oregano and black pepper.
Can I serve this chicken with something other than pasta?
- Serve over rice.
- Or with steamed vegetables.
Must I use cream cheese?
You can leave it out or add a cup of heavy cream at the end of cooking time is desired. Though the sauce will be thinner.
Does this taste like chicken alfredo?
This Olive Garden Chicken Pasta is thick and creamy like alfredo but has a zesty Italian dressing flavor
What should I serve with olive garden chicken pasta?
Chose one or more of these great dishes to go along with this dish:
- Olive Garden Salad – Recipe by The Cookie Rookie
- Olive Garden Bread Sticks – Recipe by Lil Luna (or buy them premade, I get mine at Safeway)
- Slow Cooker Copycat Gnocchi Soup
- Slow Cooker Copycat Zuppa Toscana
- Slow Cooker Copycat Minestrone – Recipe by Tammilee Tips
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, (1.5-2 pounds works fine)
- 16 oz. Olive Garden Italian dressing, (or any Italian dressing you like) Note- olive garden dressing is high in sodium and can be salty. Choose a lower sodium dressing if desired.
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 8 oz. cream cheese
Add these items after cooking time is up:
- 16 oz. penne pasta, cooked according to package directions and drain well
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
- Pour over the Olive Garden Italian dressing and sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and pepper.
- Place the cream cheese on top.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 5-6 hours.
- When the cooking time is almost done, start cooking the pasta on the stove top as directed on the package.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Drain the pasta and add to the chicken and sauce. Stir. Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
If I cube the chicken instead of using whole breasts, how long should I cook on high?
3.5 hours should work.
How long should I cook if the chicken is cooked?
2 hours?
Can I put this recipe over egg noodles
yes, that will work fine.
To go along with the nutrition info, what is the serving size?
1/8 of the recipe.
Made this last night for dinner! I used 2 very large chicken breasts so I added a tad more dressing to it at the end. Was a hit with my family. Delicious!!!
“Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta”… I finally made this recipe last night. After following recipe and cooking 4 hrs on high, I shredded the chicken, then I added to the crockpot a few extra ingredients of 1/2 tsp extra of black pepper, 1/2 cup light cream (I didn’t have milk or I would have used that), sautéed half a chopped white onion and 8 oz fresh mushrooms. Then I added the cooked penne pasta.
The taste was very good, other than a bit salty. Because of salty taste, next time I will add half the bottle of the Italian dressing (vs all as recipe calls for, as it has a lot of sodium) and replacing the other half bottle with milk or low sodium chicken or veggie broth.
I believe this recipe would be worth keeping with these few adjustments.
In the meantime, I have half the crockpot meal left which is somewhat thick and I will cut it with some no salt liquid of some sort to serve the rest as leftovers. Hoping this will help with the salty taste.
I agree 100%…maybe only half the bottle..I added NO salt and was very salty & alittle bitter because of the vinegar in the dressing..I wouldn’t make again..
Fabulous recipe!! Will become a family favorite at the dinner table!!
Could I sub Parmesan cheese for mozzarella?
Yes, that will work fine.
i love this recipe! So easy and Delicious! We had it with roasted broccoli and it will become a favorite staple for sure!
I used only half of the bottle of the Olive Garden dressing. Then used another block of cream cheese and everyone loved it. Everyone’s taste is different. I tasted it and it was to tangy in the beginning of cooking.