Warm up with a hearty bowl of Creamy Tortellini Chicken Pasta. This filling and flavorful, creamy pasta recipe makes the perfect weeknight dinner. Pan-seared chicken, 4 cheese tortellini, fresh veggies and a creamy tortellini sauce make this an unforgettable dish.
When it gets cold out, I love nothing more than a warm, comforting dish to fill me up. This Creamy Tortellini Chicken Pasta comes packed with fresh vegetables, chicken, and filling tortellini. I love the creamy sauce that covers the cheesy tortellini!
WHAT IS TORTELLINI?
Tortellini is a ring shaped pasta that can be stuffed with different fillings such as meat, cheese, or pestos. This Italian style pasta is also referred to as "belly button" pasta because it looks kind of like a belly button. It makes an excellent weeknight dinner ingredient because they cook quickly and are super filling.
The different kinds of tortellini determine where you can find it in the store. Dried tortellini will be on the pasta aisle with the other traditional style pastas while refrigerated tortellini will be in the refrigerated foods section. I used refrigerated tortellini in this recipe but either can work perfectly!
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE TORTELLINI CHICKEN PASTA
4 Cheese Tortellini- These soft pasta rings are stuffed with delicious gooey cheese.
Chicken- Cube or slice chicken tenders into 1 inch pieces for bite sized eating.
Olive Oil- For cooking the chicken and the vegetables to perfection.
Vegetables- Sliced mushrooms, diced onions and garlic, fresh spinach, and halved cherry tomatoes provide a flavor packed nutrition to this creamy pasta recipe.
Creamy Tortellini Sauce- A dreamy, creamy sauce made up of parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomato pesto, cream cheese, half and half, and reserved pasta water smothers this delicious tortellini chicken pasta.
Garnish- Finish this creamy tortellini dish with fresh chopped basil, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY TORTELLINI CHICKEN PASTA
To begin making this Creamy Tortellini Chicken Pasta, cook the 4 cheese tortellini according to the package directions. Carefully save 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce, then drain the tortellini and set aside.
While the tortellini cooks, cube the chicken into 1 inch pieces, dice the onions, slice the mushrooms and cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Also, mince the garlic and chop the basil.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and pan sear the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper while they cook. Once the chicken obtains a golden color, remove it from the skillet and set aside in a bowl until later.
Using the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add in the diced onions and allow them to caramelize just a bit. Next, add sliced mushrooms and diced garlic to the skillet. Mix together and cook until tender.
Make the Creamy Tortellini Sauce
To make this flavorful sauce, add in the half and half, cream cheese, water, black pepper, salt, pesto, and tomatoes. Mix together, cover, and cook on low for about 2-3 minutes. Then, return the chicken to the skillet and add the parmesan cheese and spinach. Mix these with the sauce, cover, and cook again for a couple more minutes.
At this point, add the cooked cheese tortellini into the skillet and mix everything together. Make sure you coat the tortellini with the creamy sauce. Then, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to really let the flavors marry.
Garnish this filling creamy pasta recipe with some basil leaves or parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Your family will just love the fresh and flavorful meal and you will love only spending about 30 minutes to get it on the table!
Why we love this dish!
This Creamy Tortellini Chicken Pasta recipe is an all in one meal. You have protein, veggies, and carbs in this tasty recipe meaning no extra meal prep! You make this one creamy pasta recipe and serve a balanced meal everyone will enjoy!
Also, weeknight dinners should be easy! This recipe takes 30 minutes to make and keeps everyone full and happy! Win-win!
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OTHER CREAMY PASTA RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE
Creamy Tortellini Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 20 oz. Cheese Tortellini refrigerated
- 1.5 lbs. Chicken Tenders cubed or sliced
- 4 Tbsp. Olive Oil split in two
- 4 oz. Mushroom
- 1 Onion small
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 c. Fresh Spinach
- 1 c. Cherry Tomatoes halved
- ½ c. Parmesan Cheese
- ⅓ c. Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
- 3 oz. Cream Cheese
- 1 c. Half and Half milk
- 1 c. Pasta water reserved from cooking the pasta
- ¼ c. Fresh Chopped Basil
- 1 Tbsp. Black Pepper split in two
- 1 tsp. Salt
Instructions
- Cook tortellini according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cube the chicken into 1 inch pieces, dice the onion, slice the mushroom, halve the tomatoes, mice the garlic, and chop the basil.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet and pan sear the chicken. Salt and pepper them while they cook. Once the chicken obtains a golden color, remove and set aside in a bowl.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil and bring to heat. Add the onions and allow them to caramelize just a bit.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic. Mix them together and cook until tender.
- Add the half and half, cream cheese, pasta water, black pepper, salt, pesto, and tomato halves. Mix and cover to cook on low for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add in the chicken, parmesan cheese, and spinach. Mix and cover to cook again for a couple more minutes.
- Finally, add in the cooked tortellini and mix everything together to coat the tortellini with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then remove to serve.
- Garnish with some basil leaves or parmesan cheese.
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