Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta
This slow cooker chicken pasta is a creamy marinara one-pot dinner with penne and tender chicken. It’s great for busy weeknights.
Some days call for simple dump-and-go dinner recipes. This slow cooker chicken pasta checks all the boxes with tender chicken, creamy marinara sauce, and plenty of penne all cooked in one pot.
Everything cooks right in the slow cooker. Seasoned chicken simmers in tomato sauce, then the pasta and cream go in at the end so the noodles cook perfectly and the sauce gets silky and rich.
Leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day, too!
If this chicken pasta sounds good, you may also like my penne alla vodka and Instant Pot creamy tomato pasta recipes!
What you’ll need
To make this easy crockpot chicken recipe you’ll need a few pantry staples. The full recipe with ingredient amounts is further down the page.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Jar of marinara sauce + same jar filled with water.
- Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Short pasta like penne (or other small pasta).
- Heavy cream.
How to make slow cooker chicken pasta
Here’s how I make this recipe in a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker:
Season the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Place the chicken in an even layer in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the marinara sauce over the top so the chicken is covered.
Fill the empty sauce jar with water, twist on the lid, and give it a good shake to loosen any leftover sauce. Pour the water into the slow cooker around the chicken and sauce.
Add the lid and cook on HIGH for about 3 to 4 hours. The chicken should be cooked through and easy to shred with two forks.
Remove the chicken, shred or cube it, then return it to the slow cooker. Stir in the uncooked penne and the heavy cream. Press the pasta down into the liquid so it’s mostly submerged.
Turn the slow cooker to LOW. Cover and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring a couple of times while it cooks. The pasta should be tender but not mushy and the sauce thick and creamy.
Spoon the chicken pasta into bowls and serve hot.
Tips for the best chicken pasta
Want a meatless version? Skip the chicken and make it a simple slow cooker pasta with marinara and cream. Cook on low for about 45 minutes instead of the full 3 to 4 hours.
Homemade pasta sauce works great in this slow cooker chicken pasta. Just be sure you still add about 24 ounces of extra liquid. Water is fine, or use chicken broth or vegetable broth for more flavor.
Keep an eye on the noodles. About 45 minutes on low is a good starting point, but every slow cooker is different. Check the pasta every 15 minutes and turn off the heat once it reaches the texture you like. That keeps this creamy marinara pasta from turning mushy.
You can also cook the pasta on the stovetop and stir it in at the end. If you go that route, skip the jar of water and watch the marinara sauce so it doesn’t burn. This works well if you want firmer pasta in your crockpot chicken pasta.
What to serve with slow cooker chicken pasta
This creamy chicken pasta is a full meal on its own, but a few simple sides really round it out:
- A green salad with your favorite dressing.
- Garlic bread, breadsticks, or a sliced baguette.
- Roasted vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus.
For dessert, slow cookers can handle more than just dinner. A batch of chocolate crockpot candy is an easy sweet treat that uses the same appliance and works well for holidays, parties, or snack plates.
Storage
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you like this dish, you may also love one of these:
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.
How to Store Leftovers
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
*Post updated 1/28/26 with new text only. The recipe was not changed.
Meet Kimberly
Hi, I’m Kimberly Vargo! Comfort food is at the heart of everything I make like easy dinners and sides to desserts, cocktails, and condiments. A lot of my inspiration comes from old family recipes, personal favorites, and vintage cookbooks.
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?