Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

5 from 5 votes

Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

This Slow Cooker copycat version of Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo Pasta tastes just as creamy, rich, and delicious as the original restaurant recipe, but can easily be made at home. It takes only 15 minutes of prep and the crock pot will do the rest of the work!

Prep Time15

Cook Time4 15

Total Time4 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: (1 cup) servings

Calories: 822kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

2 pounds (3-4 pieces) boneless skinless chicken breasts
16 ounce box penne pasta
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
0.7 ounce packet dry Italian dressing mix
1 tsp kosher salt divided
½ tsp black pepper divided
2 cups half & half
1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups grated parmesan cheese
½ cup all-purpose flour
10 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp grated fresh garlic
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp 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 (8-10 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 5-6 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 the fresh chopped parsley at this time if desired.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: You can store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish since pasta and dairy does not thaw well.
To Reheat: Reheat any leftovers in the microwave or stovetop. You can add a splash of water if it’s too thick.

Tips:

I love using crock pot liners because they make clean-up so easy!
If you want to make this a very easy meal, you can substitute the homemade sauce for a good quality jarred alfredo sauce. I would recommend at least 2 (24-36-ounce) jars for this amount of pasta and chicken.
If you prefer dark meat, you can use 2 pounds of skinless boneless chicken thighs in place of the boneless skinless chicken breasts. It will be equally as easy and delicious.
You can use any short, sturdy pasta for this dish. I do not recommend elbow noodles or spaghetti noodles because they are not sturdy enough to hold up to this rich and creamy sauce.
You can keep your crock pot on warm for 30 minutes before the pasta gets too soft and absorbs excess moisture.
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.
To help make your sauce extra creamy, allow your cheese to come to room temperature before adding it to the sauce.
The cheese will melt better when added to a bubbling cream mixture.
It is very important to whisk the entire time to avoid any lumps in your final Alfredo sauce.

Nutrition