Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta
433 CommentsUpdated Jan 18, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta recipe is a perfect, easy dish that cooks itself while you’re busy with other things. It’s made in the slow cooker and it takes less than five minutes to assemble before you leave for work. You’ll come home to dinner waiting!
If you love this recipe you may also want to try my Crockpot Chicken Alfredo Recipe.
This meal is a perfect, easy dish that cooks itself while you’re busy with other things. It’s made in the crockpot and it takes less than five minutes to assemble before you leave for work. Cook the chicken, pesto, and lemon while you are away, then cook pasta and mozzarella cheese, which are added before serving.
The Ingredients
Not many ingredients and very little prep. Find the full recipe in the recipe card below the images.
This recipe starts with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned generously with salt and pepper for flavor. A full jar of Classico Traditional Basil Pesto (about one cup) adds rich, herby depth, while sliced salted butter and the juice of half a fresh lemon bring richness and brightness. Once the chicken is cooked, rotini pasta—cooked al dente and well-drained—is stirred in with grated parmesan to coat everything in the buttery pesto sauce. Shredded mozzarella is sprinkled over the top to melt, and a touch of dried basil finishes it off for a simple but satisfying meal.
How to Make Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta
This comes together quickly in the slow cooker, see how I do it.
Step 1 – Place the chicken in the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Spread the pesto over the top, then layer on the sliced butter and squeeze fresh lemon juice over everything.
Step 2 – Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours without lifting the lid. Once done, use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.
Step 3 – Add the cooked and drained rotini pasta along with the parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine.
Step 4 – Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, cover again, and let it melt for about 15 minutes before serving.
Tips and Serving Suggestions
Use a jar of sun-dried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto for a change
Add sliced mushrooms for added texture.
Change the pasta shape; you can use any hearty pasta shape such as bow-tie pasta or penne.
This meal is great on it’s own, but also great if you add a salad or garlic bread.
Featured Comment
“This is now in my regular rotation! I do add a bit of pasta water at the end to loosen it up though. About a coffee cup full (1/2 -1 cup) before I top it with the mozzarella cheese.“
– Andrea
Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Pasta
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, (1.5-2 pounds works fine, 3 chicken breasts)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 8.1 oz. jarred pesto, I used Classico (be sure to look at the ingredients if you have anyone allergic to nuts)
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 lemon
These items don’t get added until the end
- 1 lb. dried rotini pasta , (cooked and drained, see directions for more info)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan, (I use the powdery shake bottle type)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil to garnish
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread over the pesto, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Cut the butter into slices and lay over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Near the end of the cooking time, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Add the cooked pasta and the parmesan cheese, stir everything until the pasta is coated with the buttery pesto sauce and the chicken is evenly dispersed throughout the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese over the pasta. Cover for about 15 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Pasta Recipes
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta and Olive Garden Chicken Pasta are creamy, comforting favorites loaded with flavor and easy to prep. My Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is very popular and serves a crowd!
Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta pairs rich, buttery sauce with tender chicken for a simple yet satisfying dinner.
Try Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce or Zucchini Bolognese for a slow-cooked twist on classic Italian flavors.
Slow Cooker Shrimp Scampi and Crockpot Million Dollar Spaghetti are perfect for when you want something a little indulgent but still easy to make.
Shredded parmesan cheese or grated Parmesan cheese?
Can you use a smaller crock pot?
Hi Abbey. You could cook the Chicken but all the pasta won’t fit at the end.
It looks like you used thawed chicken . Could you start with frozen chicken ?
I have not tried but I think it would do fine.
This looks so amazingly good 🙂 Glad your daughter ate it too! Does she not usually like basil or does she associate green with spinach? One of my daughter’s will try anything and if it she likes it then she likes it, regardless of what is in it. My other daughter will suddenly not like something if there is something she doesn’t like in it – even if she found out while eating it. I make meatloaf with mushrooms (have for quite a while) and all of a sudden at dinner one night her sister said “Mom is this a mushroom?” Well the room was silent for a minute until I said yes it is. Well that was it, my one daughter suddenly was full and didn’t want anymore. She raved about it until then. Glad she isn’t too picky tho or dinner would have been a nightmare over the years haha!
OMG! Soooo good. I used creamy pesto sauce and it came out really good. Definitely try it.
So freaking good!! I’ve been trying new recipes and this was a total hit my boyfriend ate so much I had to put it up before he finished off the whole thing. I made a few a changes like I added cherry tomatoes and a few sundried as well. I also cooked it on high for 2 hours then low for 3
Thanks for letting me know!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it several times for my family and it’s a hit every time. I have followed the recipe exactly and it’s turned out great but I have made some changes to cater to my family’s tastes as well as to experiment.
If you experience clumping, I would recommend making sure the chicken is completely shredded before adding the pasta. You may also consider taking it easy on the Parmesan as sometimes that can clump it up too. For dryness, I recommend using frozen chicken and extending the cook time by an hour or cooking on high. As it cooks, the water released from the thawing chicken adds moisture. You also can increase the amount of lemon juice (I use a whole lemon instead of half) or increase the amount of pesto. One of my favorite alterations was adding fresh mushrooms!!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! We love it!!!
9.5/10!!! I read the comments saying that this was dish was a bit dry, so to stay on the cautious side, I added a little extra butter (about 1/8 cup) and a bit of Alfredo (roughly 1/4 cup). It was soo delicious but just a tiny bit too cheesy for my personal liking. If I made it again, I would probably add a little more Alfredo and less mozzarella.
Anyone try in an instant pot?
I just made it. Turned out perfect. Was worried after reading all the comments. But I think the chicken gets dried out if it over cooks. I’ve learned from my crockpot (newer model) that chicken cooked on low for 4 hrs will come out moist and delicious. Any longer it gets dried out.