Pat chicken breasts dry and season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Heat olive oil over high heat and quickly sear chicken breasts on both sides.
Add chicken breasts, heavy cream, chicken broth, butter, garlic cloves and one teaspoon of kosher salt and several turns of freshly ground black pepper to slow cooker.
Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for 2-3 hours, until chicken has reached 165 degrees.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and set aside to cool and slice.
Stir in 1 cup of hot water and uncooked penne pasta, cover and cook on high for about 30 minutes. Just until pasta is tender.