Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into pieces *Alternatively you can use whole chicken breasts and shred the chicken later, if you prefer
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups uncooked pasta I'm using rotini. You can also use small ziti, ditalini, elbow, or shells
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- Fresh basil for garnish
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Method
- Spray a 6–8 quart slow cooker with nonstick spray. Add chicken breasts, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Cover and cook on Low for 4 1/2 hours or High for 2-3 hours, until chicken is tender.
- Stir in the pasta and Parmesan cheese. Cover and cook on High for 20–30 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Stir in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese until melted.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the breadcrumb topping. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Toast until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. *Alternatively, use garlic croutons for crunch in the soup instead of the breadcrumbs.
- Ladle soup into bowls, top with more shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, a sprinkle of crispy breadcrumbs, and fresh basil and dig in