Cheesy Chicken Pesto Tortellini Casserole (Printable)

Comforting slow-cooked tortellini with cheesy chicken, pesto cream, spinach, and cherry tomatoes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats & Protein

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), cubed
02 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 7 oz)
03 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1.8 oz)

→ Pasta

04 - 21 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables

05 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauces & Dairy

09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 3/4 cup basil pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade
11 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

12 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Lightly grease the inside of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray or a thin coating of oil.
02 - Spread the cubed chicken breasts evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker and season with salt and black pepper.
03 - Scatter the finely chopped onion and minced garlic over the seasoned chicken.
04 - Layer the halved cherry tomatoes and roughly chopped baby spinach over the aromatics.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, low-sodium chicken broth, and basil pesto sauce until smooth and well blended.
06 - Pour the pesto cream mixture evenly over the layered ingredients in the slow cooker.
07 - Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the sauce layer.
08 - Stir gently to combine all ingredients, then cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours.
09 - After 3 hours, gently fold the refrigerated cheese tortellini into the slow cooker mixture.
10 - Re-cover and continue cooking on LOW for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the tortellini are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
11 - Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan, cover, and let the cheese melt for 5 minutes before serving.
12 - Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil leaves if desired, then serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You literally layer ingredients, press a button, and walk away while the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting.
  • The pesto cream sauce tastes like something you would order at a restaurant, but it comes together with pantry staples and zero technique.
02 -
  • Add the tortellini at the 3 hour mark, not earlier, or it will dissolve into mush by the time everything else is done.
  • Do not skip greasing the slow cooker because cheese and cream create a stubborn layer that takes real effort to scrub off later.
03 -
  • Taste the sauce before adding the tortellini and adjust the salt, because pesto brands vary wildly in saltiness and you cannot fix it once the pasta is in.
  • Shred your own cheese from a block instead of using pre-shredded bags, because the anti-caking powder on bagged cheese prevents it from melting into that smooth, gorgeous blanket you want.

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