Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
1,849 CommentsUpdated Jan 18, 2026
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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
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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.
Was good but too salty!
Wish I’d read the reviews first. Yes- the whole body of dressing is overpowering. I cut it with some water and it made it much better. Next time I’ll reduce the dressing and cut cream cheese down too.
So good!!
This dish made the way it’s presented is so strong with the amount of vinegar used. Made it for guests. So disappointed. I’ll never make it again.
Easy, tangy and yummy! All the kids liked it.
I have made this dish several times. I’ve made it for my family and friends. Everytime gets rave reviews!! I do however add BACON pieces to mine, because we all know bacon makes everything better
I forgot add… the 1st time I did make it in the slow cooker. However I now make it on the stove (for time).
Cook my pasta, once drained and still hot I add the cream cheese and stir it in until it melts, add the parm cheese and then mix in the bacon and I use rotisserie chicken (super easy) place all in a 9×11 dish and warm in the oven until it’s ready to serve
My husband and I did not like this dish. The Italian dressing was too overpowering.
Cut the dressing in half. The first time I made it, I thought the same thing! It was extremely rich and overpowering but my husband loved it. So the next time I made it I used half of the called for dressing. Turned out so much better!!
Haha we both love Olive Garden dressing so it is just perfect
I loved this! So so delicious. I will be making this again and again.
I was so excited to try this, but my husband and I were both very disappointed in it! The italian dressing taste was too strong. We did eat a meal’s worth, but when it came to the leftovers (which there were a lot), we first avoided them, and then we took other reviewers’ suggestions and added some spaghetti sauce to it. The spaghetti sauce improved it, but it was still disappointing. The rest of the leftovers went down the garbage disposal. We will not make this again.
What if I have a 4 qt slow cooker
Most likely won’t fit, though you can cook your noodles and keep them separate. Serve the sauce and chicken over the noodles.