That creamy sauce clinging to every noodle? That’s what dinner dreams are made of.
Tender shredded chicken, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and low-carb pasta all tossed in a garlicky parmesan cream sauce. The best part? You literally dump it in the crockpot and walk away. Six hours later, you’ve got restaurant-quality comfort food with zero effort.
This is the kind of meal that makes you feel like you have your life together, even when you absolutely don’t.
What You’ll Need
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped + 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy whipping cream + 8 oz cream cheese, softened + ½ cup chicken broth
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 package keto-friendly pasta (shirataki, hearts of palm, or low-carb rotini)
½ cup grated parmesan + ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning + ½ tsp red pepper flakes + salt & pepper
How to Make It
1. Layer the slow cooker
Toss the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in the bottom. Place the chicken on top and season with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
2. Slow cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
3. Shred and cream
Pull the chicken out, shred it with two forks, and toss it back in. Stir in the softened cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth.
Make sure that cream cheese is actually room temperature. Cold cream cheese = lumpy sauce. Nobody wants that.
4. Add greens
Stir in the spinach and let it wilt for 2-3 minutes.
5. Prep the “pasta”
While the chicken cooks, prepare your keto pasta according to the package. Drain it well—especially if you’re using shirataki noodles.
Shirataki hack: Rinse them thoroughly, then dry-fry in a pan for 5 minutes before adding. It removes that weird smell and makes the texture so much better.
6. Combine
Toss the cooked pasta into the slow cooker and coat everything in that glorious sauce.
If it looks too thick, splash in a little broth or cream. You want it silky, not gloopy.
7. Finish and serve
Stir in the parmesan and fresh basil. Serve immediately with extra parmesan on top.
Add the basil at the very end. It keeps that bright, peppery flavor intact. Dried basil can go in earlier, but fresh is best.
The Real Keys
Don’t skip the sun-dried tomatoes. They add an umami depth that fresh tomatoes just can’t match. Use the oil-packed kind for maximum flavor.
This reheats beautifully. Store leftovers in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Perfect for grab-and-go lunches that actually satisfy.
