Description
A creamy, comforting slow‑cooked pasta dish that blends tender chicken with rich Italian dressing, cream cheese, and Parmesan for a restaurant‑style flavor at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut into bite‑size pieces
- 1/2 bottle (8 oz) Olive Garden Italian dressing
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 16 oz penne pasta
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup low‑sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sear the chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker.
- Pour the Olive Garden Italian dressing over the chicken and vegetables.
- Drop the softened cream cheese by spoonfuls into the slow cooker and stir gently to combine.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until evenly distributed.
- Add the chicken broth, and if desired, red pepper flakes for a hint of heat.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the penne pasta, ensuring it is submerged in the sauce.
- Continue to cook until the pasta is al dente, about 30–40 minutes on high or 1 hour on low.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
For extra creaminess, blend half of the cream cheese with a splash of milk before adding. You can also substitute rotini or fusilli pasta if preferred.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 375 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
Keywords: slow cooker, chicken, pasta, Italian, comfort food