Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printer-friendly)
Chicken and cheese tortellini in a luscious creamy garlic sauce with fresh spinach and Parmesan.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces
→ Pasta
02 - 17.6 oz fresh refrigerated cheese tortellini
→ Vegetables
03 - 3 cups (3.2 oz) fresh spinach, roughly chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
→ Dairy & Cream
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese
→ Pantry
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (optional)
→ Garnish
13 - Extra grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley (optional)
# How to Prepare:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the cheese tortellini according to package directions until tender. Drain through a colander and set aside.
02 - While the tortellini cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs if using. Sear until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream, cream cheese, and grated Parmesan. Stir continuously and simmer gently until the cheeses have fully melted and the sauce is silky smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring gently, just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Return the seared chicken and cooked tortellini to the skillet. Toss everything together gently until evenly coated in the creamy garlic sauce. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy garlic sauce clings to every fold of the tortellini like it was meant to be there, and you will genuinely look forward to the leftovers.
- It comes together in about forty minutes, which means you can pull this off on a random Tuesday without thinking twice.
- Rotisserie chicken works beautifully here, so you can skip cooking raw chicken entirely on nights when standing over the stove feels like too much.
02 -
- Do not let the sauce boil vigorously after adding the cream and cheeses, or it can break and become grainy instead of smooth.
- If you use rotisserie chicken instead of raw, add it at the very end just to warm it through so the meat stays tender and does not dry out.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of water or cream loosened in the pan, but the pasta will absorb sauce overnight in the fridge.
03 -
- Reserve a quarter cup of the pasta cooking water before you drain the tortellini because that starchy liquid can thin out a sauce that got too thick while you were waiting.
- Grate your Parmesan from a block instead of using the pre shredded kind in the green can, because it melts smoother and tastes exponentially better.