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.
If I use chicken thighs with bones, can I cook it the same way, but B4 the pasta take the bones off
I did, but I don’t think I had enough meat. It was too tangy. Next time I’m trying chicken breasts and using less dressing.
Can I use chicken tenders
Yes, chicken tenderloins work great.
Could I put some fresh spinach leaves in it for some kind of veggie?
Yes, that would work great.
I added some sautéed mushrooms to this as my veggie. But did think of the spinach. Great idea. Will do both next time!
This recipe is simple, cheap, and tasty. It fits my budget conscious lifestyle just fine.
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and love the flavor, but the chicken just balls up into a sticky mess after I shred…any tips to avoid this?
Since there is a lot of stirring in this recipe that can happen. Try taking the chicken out after the cooking time is up and cutting it on a cutting board (or shredding). Add the pasta to the sauce and get that mixed well, then gently stir in the chicken.
Made it for myself, husband and brother in law. I made the recipe exactly as written and it turned out great. They liked it. I don’t like pasta or Italian dressing but it tasted good.
like the others have said, something about that dressing doesnt really work well, at least for me. way too ‘noxious’. added in a jar or spag sauce and it was tolerable.
Made like original recipe but taste sour
I add a touch of sugar to get the sour taste from the salad dressing
I made a “skinny” version of this. I used fat free Italian salad dressing, fat-free cream cheese, and fat-free Mozzarella cheese in place of the Parmesan. When all was said and done, only 10% of the total calories come from fat. I also added some Italian seasoning during the cooking. Very flavorful, and very healthy! The perfect combination!
How about using cheddar cheese or Velveeta instead just of cream cheese??
Sounds like a great idea!