Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printable)

Juicy chicken and cheesy tortellini in a velvety garlic cream sauce with wilted spinach.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

→ Pasta

02 - 18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables

03 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy & Pantry

06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Additional Parmesan cheese (optional)
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - While the tortellini cooks, season the diced chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Reduce heat to medium and add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir continuously until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
05 - Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir gently until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet along with the cooked tortellini. Gently toss everything together until evenly coated in the creamy sauce. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, so every golden bit of flavor gets folded right back into the finished dish.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a cozy trattoria, but you made it in your sweatpants standing at your own stove.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully the next day, if you even have any left.
02 -
  • Do not rush the chicken sear by crowding the pan, because steamed chicken will never give you those caramelized edges that make this dish special.
  • Grate your own Parmesan from a block rather than using pre shredded, which contains anti caking agents that make the sauce grainy instead of smooth.
03 -
  • Let the cream sauce bubble for a full three minutes before adding the spinach, because patience here is the difference between a thin watery sauce and one that clings to every tortellini.
  • Reserve a quarter cup of the tortellini cooking water before you drain it, and stir a splash into the finished dish if the sauce feels too thick, because the starchy water brings everything together like magic.

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