Scatter the dry cavatelli pasta evenly around and over the chicken, letting it settle into the spaces between the pieces of chicken. The pasta should be uncooked at this point.
Dry cavatelli and chicken layered in slow cooker
Dry cavatelli and chicken layered in slow cooker
In a medium mixing bowl, make the 1 mixture: add the crumbled goat cheese, chicken broth, white wine, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato oil (if using), fresh thyme leaves, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir well until the goat cheese is mostly smooth and the liquid is evenly combined with the herbs and tomatoes. It will look a bit lumpy but pourable.
Holding the bowl over the slow cooker, slowly pour this 1 mixture over the raw chicken and cavatelli, making sure to cover the pasta as much as possible so it can cook evenly in the sauce.
Goat cheese sauce being poured into slow cooker
Goat cheese sauce being poured into slow cooker
Use the back of a spoon to gently press any exposed pasta down into the liquid, but do not stir everything together; keep the chicken mostly on the bottom so it cooks through properly.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through (reaching 165°F in the center) and the cavatelli is tender. Check once around the 3-hour mark; if some pasta is sitting dry on top, gently push it into the sauce and replace the lid.
When cooking is finished, use two forks to shred the chicken right in the slow cooker or slice it into thick pieces if you prefer larger bites. Stir everything together so the chicken, cavatelli, and creamy goat cheese sauce are well combined.
Finished creamy chicken cavatelli in slow cooker
Finished creamy chicken cavatelli in slow cooker
Taste and adjust seasoning with a little more salt or pepper if needed. If the sauce seems too thick, you can stir in a splash more warm chicken broth or hot water until it reaches your preferred creaminess.
Serve the creamy goat cheese chicken cavatelli hot, sprinkled with extra fresh thyme and a little grated Parmesan cheese if you like.
Variations & Tips
For a heartier farmhouse feel, stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms or a handful of baby spinach during the last 30 minutes of cooking; they’ll soften into the sauce without watering it down too much.
If you don’t cook with wine, simply replace the white wine with extra chicken broth and add a squeeze of lemon at the end for brightness. You can swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if that’s what you keep in the freezer—just trim excess fat and cook on LOW for about the same time, checking for tenderness.
Creamy cavatelli served with green beans and bread
Creamy cavatelli served with green beans and bread
If cavatelli is hard to find, small sturdy pastas like penne, rotini, or shells will work; just keep the total amount to about 8 ounces and make sure they’re mostly submerged in the mixture. For a milder flavor, use half goat cheese and half cream cheese, which keeps the sauce creamy but softens the tang.
This recipe also holds well on the warm setting for about an hour after cooking; if it thickens while it sits, loosen it with a splash of broth or milk before serving.
