Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printable)
Chicken and cheese tortellini in a luscious creamy garlic sauce with wilted 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 (about 1.8 oz)
08 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese
→ Pantry Staples
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 Cook:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the cheese tortellini and cook according to package directions until they float and are tender. Drain through a colander and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken, season generously with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs if using. Sauté until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
03 - Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, roughly 30 seconds, taking care not to brown it.
04 - Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and add the cream cheese and grated Parmesan. Stir continuously over gentle heat until the cheeses have fully melted and the sauce is silky smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add the chopped spinach to the cream sauce and stir gently until just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Avoid overcooking to preserve its vibrant color and texture.
06 - Return the seared chicken and cooked tortellini to the skillet. Toss everything together gently 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 parsley if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, so every bit of flavor stays right where it belongs.
- It tastes like something you would order at a restaurant but honestly takes less effort than loading the dishwasher.
02 -
- Do not let the sauce boil vigorously after adding the cheese or it may break and turn grainy instead of smooth.
- Reserve a splash of the tortellini cooking water before draining, because a spoonful stirred into the sauce can rescue it if it thickens too much.
03 -
- Slice the chicken into pieces slightly larger than the tortellini so every forkful has a balanced ratio of meat to pasta to sauce.
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge while you cook so it is soft when you add it, which prevents stubborn lumps in your sauce.