Prepare the chicken and aromatics. Dice the chicken into bite-sized chunks, about 2cm across. You want them uniform so they cook evenly. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, minced garlic, and dried herbs. Toss the chicken cubes in this mixture until they are glossy and fragrant. At this stage, the raw chicken will have a pale, slick sheen from the oil and the garlic smell will be pungent.

Layer the base. Scatter the diced onion evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker. This creates a flavour bed and prevents the pasta from sticking. The onions will look like a pile of translucent white cubes, ready to soften.

Add the chicken and stock. Place the seasoned chicken pieces on top of the onions. Pour the chicken stock around the chicken, not directly over it, to avoid washing off the seasoning. The stock should just about reach the top of the chicken. You’ll hear a gentle slosh as you pour.

Cook the chicken first. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. After this time, the chicken will be opaque and firm to the touch, and the stock will be steaming hot. The aroma of herbs and garlic will fill your kitchen. This step ensures the chicken is cooked through before we add the pasta.

Add the pasta and cream. Uncover the slow cooker. Pour in the dried pasta, the double cream, and the cream cheese (broken into a few spoonfuls). Stir everything together gently. The sauce will look thin and milky at this point, and the cream cheese will be visible as white lumps. Don’t worry, it will melt. Stir in the frozen peas now, too. They will look like little green jewels scattered through the mixture.

The final slow cook. Cover again and cook on high for a further 1½ to 2 hours. After 1 hour, stir once. You want the pasta to be tender but not mushy. The sauce will transform from a thin liquid into a thick, glossy cream that clings to the pasta. You’ll see it bubble lazily around the edges. The smell will shift to a rich, cheesy, creamy scent.

Finish with cheese and rest. Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the slow cooker. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the top and stir it through. The residual heat will melt it into a silky, stringy sauce. Let it sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes. This allows the sauce to thicken further as it cools slightly. The final texture should be thick, creamy, and coating every piece of pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving, if you like.