Winter is prime time for me to break out my slow cooker. When the days are shorter and motivation is fading, I love the idea of a ‘set it and forget it’ meal that I can throw together and enjoy piping hot at dinner time. This Creamy Tomato Crockpot Pasta is a STAPLE for me during the colder months. It’s super comforting – creamy, cheesy, and indulgent. It’s also super high in protein and a great recipe if you follow WW, coming in at 4 points per serving. This is also a great make ahead meal that you can easily reheat for lunches/dinners all week!
Making Creamy Tomato Crockpot Pasta
To make this recipe, you’ll first set your chicken to cook and let it go for a few hours. Once it’s done, you’ll shred it, add in a few ore ingredients, mix it all together, and add cooked pasta. Then just garnish and serve!
For the chicken, you’ll need:
- Boneless skinless chicken breast, thawed if using frozen
- Crushed tomatoes – I get the ones already flavored with garlic basil and oregano. If you get plain ones, you’ll want to add about 1.5 tbsp of Italian seasoning to this.
- Fresh garlic
- Tomato sauce
- Salt/pepper to taste
- Low sodium chicken broth
Combine everything in the slow cooker, ensuring chicken is covered in liquid. Cook on high for 3.5 hours, until chicken reaches 165F internal temp (I always cook with a meat thermometer handy). When it’s almost done, cook pasta according to package instructions. I used Dreamfields Rotini, which is a lower carb pasta. I’ve found it in my local store, but this Fiber Gourmet Pasta can be bought on Amazon and is a great alternative too. You can also swap in a gluten free pasta!
Once chicken is cooked, shred it with a fork or use a hand mixer. If using a hand mixer, transfer chicken into a very large bowl (and try to cover with a towel to avoid a mess) and use the mixer to quickly break up and shred the chicken. Then, you’ll add shredded parmesan, greek yogurt, light cream cheese, and spinach into the crockpot and mix. Let cook for another 15 or so minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is creamy and uniform. Add in pasta and stir together.
Makes 8 servings of approx 1 heaping cup each. Serve warm and top with 1 tsp of basil pesto and some fresh grated parmesan. Enjoy!
Storing leftovers
To store this pasta if you’re making it ahead (or just have leftovers), you’ll first want to let it cool to room temperature. Once we’re done eating, I turn off the crock pot and remove the insert so there’s no additional heat source. Then, transfer into a glass storage dish (the tomato will stain plastic) and once it’s reached room temp, store in the fridge. Ensure it’s airtight and it can be stored for up to 4 days. To reheat, just microwave for 1 minute or so and stir!
Creamy Tomato Crockpot Pasta
Equipment
- Large pot
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes with garlic basil oregano or add your own spices
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 2 cups low carb pasta dry, cooked according to package instructions
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded, extra for garnish if desired
- 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup light cream cheese
- 4 oz spinach
- 8 tsp pesto to garnish – 1 tsp per serving
Instructions
- Add chicken into slow cooker and cover with tomato sauce, crushed tomato, salt, pepper, garlic, and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3-3.5 hours, until chicken has an internal temp of 165 and is fork tender.
- When chicken is almost done, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Once chicken is done, shred with two forks (or transfer to a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to quickly shred, just cover well to avoid any mess). Put back into crockpot.
- Add greek yogurt, parmesan, light cream cheese, and spinach and mix well. Let cook on high for another 15-20 minutes or so, until spinach is wilted and you have a uniform, creamy sauce. Add pasta in and stir. Adjust salt/pepper to your liking and serve! Garnish with 1 tsp basil pesto and some fresh parmesan. Enjoy!
- Let leftovers fully cool to room temp before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
