Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printable)

Chicken and cheese tortellini in a luscious garlic cream sauce with fresh spinach. Ready in 40 minutes.

# What You 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, to taste (optional)
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# How-To:

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.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
04 - 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.
05 - Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium.
06 - Add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
07 - Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir gently until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
08 - Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Add the drained tortellini and gently toss everything together until evenly coated in the creamy sauce. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
09 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, so every golden bit of flavor gets swept right into the cream.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a cozy Italian restaurant, but it takes barely forty minutes from cutting board to plate.
02 -
  • Do not let the cream sauce boil vigorously or it will break and separate into oily curds, so keep the heat at a gentle simmer.
  • Adding the Parmesan off the heat or at very low heat prevents it from clumping into stubborn strings that refuse to melt.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken completely dry before seasoning it, because moisture is the enemy of a good golden sear.
  • Reserve a quarter cup of the tortellini cooking water before you drain it, and stir it into the sauce if it gets too thick.

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