Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
Slow cooker chicken pasta is an easy dinner with tender chicken, penne, and a creamy marinara sauce.
The first part of this recipe is basically dump-and-go, then you’ll come back near the end to shred the chicken and add the pasta and cream. It’s mostly hands-off which is why I love it on busy nights.
The marinara and heavy cream come together to make a rich tomato cream sauce similar to the one in our creamy penne pasta. Everything cooks in the same slow cooker, including the dry pasta. I have some tips on that below!
It’s an easy family dinner, and the leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day.
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Things to Know Before You Start
✓ Ready in about 4 to 5 hours
✓ Pasta cooks in the sauce
✓ Reheats well
✓ Best for busy weeknights
Kim’s Tips for the Best Chicken Pasta
The water is the part readers ask about most. Use the full jar of water when you’re adding uncooked penne to the slow cooker. The sauce will look loose before the pasta goes in, but the noodles absorb a lot of that liquid as they cook.
Regular penne noodles work the best and hold up well after being slow cooked. I usually use Barilla for slow cooker pasta recipes. Chickpea pasta and other specialty noodles absorb liquid differently and may leave the sauce too thin or the pasta too soft. I definitely recommend sticking to penne if possible.
This recipe was developed for a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker. Add the pasta only after the chicken is cooked, start checking it at 45 minutes, and turn off the heat as soon as the noodles are tender. They can go from firm to too soft pretty quickly. If your crockpot runs hot, start checking them sooner.
Serve this pasta with my Caesar salad, cheesy garlic bread, or oven-roasted broccoli. For the same creamy tomato flavor with a different cooking method, try my Instant Pot creamy tomato pasta.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
Season the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Place them in an even layer in the bottom of a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker.
Add the sauce and water: Pour the marinara over the chicken. Fill the empty sauce jar with water, close the lid, and shake it to loosen the sauce left in the jar. Pour the water into the slow cooker.
Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. The chicken should be cooked through and easy to pull apart with two forks. Remove it from the slow cooker, shred or cube it, then return it to the sauce.
Add the pasta and cream: Stir in the uncooked penne and heavy cream. Press the pasta down so most of it sits below the liquid.
Finish and serve: Turn the slow cooker to low, cover, and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir once or twice so the pasta cooks evenly, and begin checking it at 45 minutes. Serve when the penne is tender and the sauce has thickened.
More Delicious Slow Cooker Pasta Recipes
- Crockpot Italian Chicken Pasta
- Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
- Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pasta
- Easy Crockpot Chicken Marinara Alfredo Pasta
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, (optional)
- 24.5 ounces marinara sauce, jarred or homemade
- 24.5 ounces water
- 16 ounces uncooked penne pasta, or other short pasta noodle
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, . Place them in an even layer in the bottom of a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker, then pour in marinara sauce.1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts1 teaspoon Italian seasoning1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Fill the empty marinara sauce jar with water, close the lid, and give it a shake. Pour the water into the slow cooker.24.5 ounces marinara sauce24.5 ounces water
- Add the lid, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. After that time, remove the chicken and either shred it or cut it into cubes.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker along with the pasta noodles and heavy cream. Press the noodles down to ensure they are submerged in the liquid.16 ounces uncooked penne pasta1 cup heavy cream
- Close the lid, adjust the setting to low heat, and cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how firm you like the noodles cooked. Stir occasionally to make sure the noodles are evenly cooked.
- Serve hot with a side salad and garlic bread.
Notes
-
- Use standard penne for the most reliable results. Specialty and legume-based pasta may require different amounts of liquid and cooking time.
- The full jar of water is needed when the uncooked pasta goes into the slow cooker. Don’t use the water if you plan to boil the pasta separately.
- The noodles can go from firm to soft quickly, so begin checking them after 45 minutes or sooner if your slow cooker runs hot.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
*Post updated 1/28/26 with new text only. The recipe was not changed.
*Post updated 7/28/26 to remove filler and make the info easier to follow.
Very yummy and super easy!!
Thanks so much, Kayla! We appreciate it. 🙂
It was easy to prepare & make. Using the crock pot for all ingredients is so convenient.
Thank you so much, Roberta! Have a wonderful day 🙂
I think the people saying don’t add water are cooking their pasta first instead of putting the dry pasta in the pot and letting it absorb the extra water. good recipe
Hi Craig,
That’s definitely a possibility. Thank you so much for your comment and for rating the recipe. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂
This was amazing!! I had to use dairy free heavy cream for my daughter but that did not take away from the deliciousness!! Very easy and quick. Added to our family meal list. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the compliments, Star! Kim and I are thrilled everyone enjoyed the pasta. Have a wonderful day!
Great recipe but don’t use banza chickpea penne, go with traditional wheat pasta.
I made this dish and the banza pasta turned it into soup. Fun fact, chickpea pasta when cooked releases more starch than traditional wheat pastas. The increase in liquid starch made it impossible to “dry out”. Lesson learned.
Thank your for sharing your experience with the pasta! Kim and I don’t use chickpea pastas, so thank you for adding that extra tip. We’re glad you liked the dish and appreciate you rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Used chickpea pasta but cut the time down and used cream cheese instead of heavy cream. Delicious!!
Awesome, thank you for sharing, Kelly! We appreciate the comment! Kim and I hope you have a wonderful day 🙂
thank you for this recipe! ! I added some Mozzarella cheese, and it was absolutely delicious 👌the whole family loved it, and I have a few picky eaters, that loved it as well 🥰
Thank you Lisa! Kim and I are glad everyone enjoyed the pasta. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Delicious and easy. This will be on of my favorite crock pot dinners!
Thank you! Kim and I are glad you enjoyed the pasta. Have a lovely day 🙂
do not put the water. it will be a soup if you do.
Good morning Ryan, huh, that’s weird. We’ve had one other person say something similar. Well, if you decide to make it again, you know to leave out the water. Our slow cooker needed the extra liquid. It seems other slow cookers don’t require it. Thanks for your comment and have a nice day.
I added about half a stick of butter and doubled the spices…I also only cooked the chicken for 3 hours and the pasta for half an hour in a 4 qt crock pot. Très Magnifique! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Thank you Mrs. E! Those sound like awesome changes to the pasta. I imagine lowering the cook time helps to keep the chicken moist and keeps the noodles from getting too soft. Thank you again for sharing your comments and rating the recipe! Have a lovely day 🙂
7 quart can fit just under 2.5x of this recipe so it works great for family meal and great leftovers.
very creamy and soo simple to make , highly recommend
Thank you Carlos! That’s a awesome tip. We appreciate your comments and rating the recipe. Have a great day!
I doubled the spices and stirred in 4 oz cream cheese at the end of cooking time instead of using heavy cream. I did have to monitor the liquid levels carefully for the pasta due to my substitution, but the dish turned out wonderfully! Even better, all picky diners at my table had happy plates. Such an easy, hearty meal.
Good Morning Nathalie, that sounds awesome! Extra spices and using cream cheese probably added a ton of flavor. Thank you so much for commenting and rating the recipe card. Have a lovely day 🙂
Thanks for the added post on a subscription for the heavy cream. I wanted to throw something together with ingredients I already have but of course I didn’t have any heavy cream. It also helps that we love cream cheese!!! I am about to get started now. Looking forward to this amazing dish!!! Thanks again
I did it with 5 skinless thighs and it turnout great! Other than using thighs, I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great.
Thank you Susan! That’s wonderful to hear. Kim and I are glad you enjoyed the chicken pasta using chicken thighs. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Can I use frozen chicken breast?
Hi Torry!
Yes, frozen chicken breasts should work. Just double check to make sure that they’re cooked all the way through before shredding them and adding the pasta. Have a great day! 🙂
My family loves this recipe! We tend to use whole grain penne, and never have a problem. We also add frozen peas.
Thank you Aggie reader! Whole grain penne and peas sound like great additions to the recipe. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe card. Have a lovely day 🙂
Great recipe! I always add a few extra spices or cheese to add a little more flavor to it. Has anyone tried substituting milk for the cream?
Thank you Spencer! Extra spices or cheese is always an awesome addition. I’m sure someone has used milk in place of the cream. Hopefully, they’ll answer your question soon. Have a great day!
Help! I’ve made this twice and both times the pasta was really starchy and chewy, way overdone. I tried farfalla the first time and penne the second time. I also played with the timing once I added the pasta. My slow cooker is only 3.5 qt but I’ve done the full recipe. Other than the consistency of the pasta, I really like this recipe and would love to put it in my dinner rotation. But what am I doing wrong with the pasta?
Hi Christine!
I’m so sorry this one is giving you trouble. I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. Crockpot pasta recipes can be a bit finicky. 🙂 We try to stick with Barilla brand pasta for the slow cooker recipes. I’m not sure what brand you used, but that may be a starting point. I’d try it with penne again and adjust your slow cooker to the lowest setting when adding the pasta. It may help to take the lid off at that point as well just to keep an eye on it more closely. Also, try stirring it a couple of times to make sure that all the pasta is heating evenly. Depending on the slow cooker, it may take significantly less time to cook the pasta than stated in the recipe. Hope that helps! 🙂
@Kimberly, oh thank you, that’s super helpful! I’ve been using Trader Joe’s pasta but I’ll definitely try Barilla. I’ll also use your other suggestions next time I make it. I’m new to slow cookers in general and this is one of the first recipes I’ve tried. Thank you so much for your response with the great suggestions. I’m looking forward to trying this one again!
You’re welcome! If all else fails, try cooking the pasta on the stove top and stirring it into the slow cooker at the very end just to mix the ingredients. You’ll want to reduce the water, though by quite a bit (maybe use 1/4 to 1/2 a cup), since you aren’t using it to cook the pasta. If you go that route, I’d just cook the chicken in a little water or broth then add the marinara and heavy later near the end of the cook time just long enough to heat them. Cook the pasta on the stove and stir it in last. 🙂
Really enjoyed this. But it seems like it’s missing something I can’t figure out what. My family enjoyed it though.
Hi Christine!
If you make it again, consider adding red pepper flakes, a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce (this would make it a bit spicy), jarred garlic, or a pinch more salt. Start with a very small amount and work up from there, because any of those will begin to alter the taste in a negative way if a lot gets added. Hopefully that will help with the flavor. 🙂
Could I use cheese sauce instead of cream?
Hi Stacey!
We haven’t tested the recipe with cheese sauce. The heavy cream is part of the liquid that cooks the noodles, so I’m not sure the cheese sauce would work in this recipe.
I made this, with a few tweaks. I added some sliced mushrooms and green onions we needed to use up. I used homemade chicken stock instead of water. And it was fabulous!
Thank you Peggy! Those sound like great additions. Have a lovely day 🙂
@Penny, that sounds good. I’m gonna try it next time thank you
would it be ok to use a longer pasta like angel hair??
Hi Lizzie!
We haven’t tried angel hair, but it should work. The time it will take to cook angel hair is less than penne. The cook time once the pasta gets added is listed on step #5, but you’ll probably want to reduce it so the noodles don’t overcook. Another thing to mention is the sauce may seem a little heavier since angel hair is a more delicate pasta. 🙂
Can you use vodka sauce instead of the marinara and cream? Or will the cream in the sauce curdle? I have a jar of homemade vodka sauce I wanted to use.
Hi Jillian!
I haven’t tried this recipe with a cream based sauce, but I have made other slow cooker recipes with heavy cream and/or a cream sauce. Those have curdled or separated, so my guess is that vodka sauce would probably do the same. I’d hate for you to lose dinner and a great jar of homemade vodka sauce if it doesn’t work out.
Hey I was just wondering can I double this recipe?
Hi James!
We haven’t tried to double this recipe. However, it should be okay as long as the slow cooker will hold the volume of food required for the recipe. Our 7-quart crock pot was about halfway full after everything was cooked. Hope that helps. Have a great week!
@Kimberly,
It turned out great! Perfect size for my big crock pot! (I started it before you responded, thought I’d take a chance!)
Good deal! I’m so glad it worked out. Thanks so much for coming back to let us know!
It was tasty but honestly less flavourful then I was expecting for some reason. Also the sauce-water to pasta ratio was way off and it ended up being more of a stew consistency.. but it was still yummy hence the four stars
How long do you think the chicken would take to cook on low? I was hoping I could start it and leave for work while it was cooking
Hi Rachel!
Usually about 4-6 hours depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks. Have a great evening! 🙂
I made this tonight for my husband and our friends and it was such a hit!!! Very good and will be making this again. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks so much, Melanie! We’re glad everyone enjoyed the pasta. We hope you have a wonderful week! 🙂
@Kimberly, would I be able to cook the pasta separate and add it at the end?
Hi Daniela!
I think that would work fine, and I’d add the heavy cream just before adding the pasta. Just put the heavy cream in long enough to warm it a bit, since you aren’t cooking the pasta in the slow cooker. Have a great evening! 🙂
@Daniela,
Would you still add the water to the crockpot?