Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Print Version)
Chicken and cheese tortellini smothered in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce with wilted spinach.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (about 12 oz total)
→ Pasta
02 - 18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
→ Vegetables
03 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy and Pantry
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons 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 teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
13 - Additional grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
14 - Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the cheese tortellini and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
02 - While the tortellini cooks, pat the diced chicken breasts dry and season evenly with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without disturbing for 2–3 minutes until golden on the first side. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through, 5–7 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Melt the butter, then add the chopped onion. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to let it brown.
04 - Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the caramelized browned bits from the bottom. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir continuously until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 3 minutes.
05 - Add the fresh baby spinach to the sauce and stir gently until just wilted, about 1–2 minutes.
06 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet along with the drained tortellini. Gently toss everything together until evenly coated in the creamy garlic sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in one skillet and coats every fold of tortellini like it was made for it.
- It tastes like something you would order at a neighborhood Italian spot except it costs a fraction and feeds four easily.
- Spinach wilts right into the cream so even picky eaters will not complain.
02 -
- Do not walk away while the garlic cooks because thirty seconds of distraction turns fragrant into bitter and the whole sauce suffers.
- The sauce will continue thickening off the heat, so pull it from the stove when it looks slightly thinner than you want it.
03 -
- Grate your own Parmesan from a wedge because the stuff in the green canister will turn your sauce grainy and no amount of stirring fixes it.
- Reserve a quarter cup of pasta water before draining the tortellini because that starchy liquid can save a sauce that got too thick.