Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

 

It’s a hearty comfort dish that makes 6-8 servings. Serve it warm with breadsticks or garlic bread and a fresh, green salad.

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray
• 1-1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
• 1 16-ounce bottle Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling on the finished dish
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 16 ounces cavatappi pasta
• Optional: Toasted breadcrumbs and minced fresh parsley

Nancy’s Tip: Use fresh Parmesan cheese instead of shelf-stable shake cheese for this dish. It melts smoothly into the sauce.

 

Directions

Step 1: Start with the chicken

 

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in the bottom.

Step 2: Add the next ingredients

 

Pour all of the Olive Garden dressing over the chicken breasts. Place the brick of cream cheese on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the grated fresh Parmesan over everything, along with the black pepper.

Step 3: Cook the chicken

Set the slow cooker to high, cover and cook everything for about 4 hours until the chicken is done. (It should have an internal temperature of 165°F.) You can also cook it on the low setting for about 6-7 hours.

Step 4: Cook the pasta

 

Shortly before the slow cooker is done, cook the cavatappi pasta according to the package directions and then drain.

Step 5: Blend the sauce

 

Use tongs or two forks to move the chicken to a plate or cutting board. Then, use a stick blender to blend the sauce inside the slow cooker for 2-3 minutes until it’s smooth and creamy. If you don’t have a stick blender, use a hand whisk.

Nancy’s Tip: Blending the sauce at this stage before other ingredients are added is the easiest way to get a smooth and creamy sauce with no lumps or oily spots.

Step 6: Shred the chicken

 

Use two forks to pull the cooked chicken breast apart into shreds. You can do this on a cutting board or place the chicken back in the slow cooker and shred it there. The chicken should be very tender and pull apart easily. Place the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker.

Step 7: Add the pasta

 

Add the cooked cavatappi pasta to the slow cooker. Gently stir everything together so that the pasta and chicken are coated with the sauce.

Step 8: Serve

 Spoon the Olive Garden chicken pasta onto plates. Top each dish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, and finely diced parsley and toasted breadcrumbs for color and a little crunch.