Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printable version)

Tender chicken and cheesy tortellini in a luscious creamy garlic sauce with fresh spinach for a comforting meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain well 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. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown 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. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, continuing to stir 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 garlic sauce. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you would order at a little Italian place with candles on the table, but it comes together in under forty minutes with one skillet.
  • The garlic cream sauce coats every plump tortellini like a warm blanket, and the spinach wilts right in so you barely notice you are eating something good for you.
02 -
  • If the sauce looks broken or greasy, your heat was too high when you added the cream, so next time pull the pan off the burner for a minute before pouring it in.
  • Tossing the tortellini in the sauce right before serving rather than letting it sit keeps the pasta from soaking up all the liquid and turning into a starchy mess.
03 -
  • Grate your own Parmesan from a wedge instead of using the pre shredded kind in the green can because the anti caking additives in pre grated cheese will make your sauce gritty.
  • Let the cream sauce simmer just until it coats the back of a spoon and no more, because overcooking dairy is the fastest way to turn velvet into wallpaper paste.

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