Begin by rinsing the boneless, skinless chicken breasts under cold water, then pat them dry. Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and season liberally with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.

In a slow cooker, place the minced fresh garlic at the bottom. Next, carefully add the seasoned chicken chunks, creating a layer. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream gently, ensuring the chicken remains submerged.

Gently nestle the dry penne pasta on top of the chicken mixture without stirring it in.

Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours. During this time, the chicken should become tender and the pasta will absorb the creamy broth.

Once cooking is done, remove the chicken from the slow cooker using tongs and shred it into bite-sized pieces.

Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir in the grated parmesan cheese. Let it sit for another 5 to 10 minutes on low to meld the flavors, then serve garnished with fresh parsley or basil.