How to make slow cooker chicken & mushroom pasta with garlic butter (video)

Garlic and butter are a match made in heaven. Anytime I’m looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is also deeply comforting, I reach for these two ingredients. Add chicken, mushrooms and pasta for the easiest, most delicious dinner you could imagine. Your family will be begging you to make this on a weekly basis!

I’m a huge fan of chicken thighs. They are more flavorful than chicken breast, and they tend to stay juicier and tender without drying out. They’re just as easy to cook as the breast, and they’re less expensive, so what’s not to love? If you have an aversion to dark meat, feel free to make this recipe with chicken breasts instead.

Why this recipe works: Savory mushrooms, aromatic thyme, tender and juicy chicken and a deeply satisfying garlic-butter sauce to coat the noodles. This meal is comforting and nourishing in every way.

Cooktop Cove

Slow Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Pasta with Garlic Butter

6-8

15 minutes

7 hours

7 hours, 15 minutes

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup diced cremini mushrooms

½ cup sliced butter

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch red chili flakes (optional)

1½ cups chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

1 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta

Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken, garlic, onions, cremini mushrooms, butter, thyme, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, chicken broth and white wine.

Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Remove the chicken and allow to cool slightly. Shred using two forks and return to the slow cooker.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente.

Turn the slow cooker to high and add the cooked pasta, allowing the pasta to simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Pro tip: Any pasta can be substituted for the farfalle, such as penne or shells. Feel free to substitute frozen peas for the mushrooms, adding the peas with the pasta in step 5.