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This filling and flavorful, Creamy Chicken Tortellini 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.
This pasta comes packed with fresh vegetables, chicken, and filling tortellini. I love the creamy sauce that covers the cheesy tortellini!
If you’re looking for other delicious pasta recipes, why not also try my Simple Pesto Tomato Pasta!
Why you’ll love this Creamy Chicken Tortellini
- A well balanced meal. This Creamy Chicken Tortellini 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!
- An easy pasta recipe. Weeknight dinners should be easy! This recipe takes 30 minutes to make and keeps everyone full and happy! Win-win!
- Creamy! This recipe is lusciously creamy, made with cream cheese and half and half – rich, flavorful and super hearty.
Ingredients you’ll need
- 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 this Creamy Chicken Tortellini
- Cook the pasta – Cook tortellini according to package directions.
- Pan sear the chicken – Heat olive oil in a large skillet, then season and pan sear the chicken. Set aside.
- Cook the sauce – In the skillet, add the veggies, garlic and sauce ingredients, mix and cook for 2-3 mins.
- Cook together – To the skillet, add the chicken, cheese, basil and cook for a few mins. Finally add in the pasta and mix together, cook for 1-2 mins.
- Garnish, serve and enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
- Immediately stir the pasta after you drop it in the water. This prevents it from sticking.
- Make sure to reserve some pasta water for the sauce, this makes sure the sauce is nice and robust.
- Cube the chicken into bite sized chunks.
- Use refrigerated tortellini rather than frozen so it cooks more quickly.
- You can sub chicken tenders for cubed boneless chicken breast or thighs.
- If you don’t have a large skillet, you can use a large pot or wok.
- Garnish this filling creamy pasta recipe with some basil leaves or Parmesan cheese.
- Feel free to mix up your veggies!
- For a vegetarian meal, try swapping the chicken out for white beans.
FAQ’s
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!
Do I have to use tortellini?
If tortellini isn’t your bag, or you don’t have any to hand, you can totally make this with any type of pasta you like. Simply cook the pasta al dente and add it right into the recipe as you would the tortellini. Pasta like penne or fusilli is great, as they have all those nook and crannies to grab that lovely cream pasta sauce!
Can I use other proteins?
You can easily swap in a different protein to change the flavor. Ground chicken or turkey is an obvious choice, as well as sliced chicken or turkey sausage. To make life super duper easy you can even use rotisserie chicken.
This creamy pasta recipe also works well with seafood, try it with shrimp or salmon! Just keep in mind shrimp cooks quick, so adjust cooking time slightly.
Can I make this Creamy Chicken Tortellini ahead of time?
You can prep this pasta recipe in advance and then reheat it when ready. Be sure to cook the pasta al dente, as you’ll be reheating it, you don’t want it to become a mush! Reheat it in a pan as it could get rubbery in the microwave.
Other creamy pasta recipes
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Creamy Chicken Tortellini
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tortellini
- 20 oz. cheese tortellini, refrigerated, stuffed with cheese
- 1.5 lbs. chicken tenders, cubed or sliced
- 4 Tbsps. olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp. black pepper, divided
- 1 tsp. salt, divided
For the Creamy Sauce
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- 4 oz. cream cheese, full-fat
- 2 cups half-and-half, or substitute with ½ heavy cream and ½ milk
- 1 cup pasta water, reserved from cooking the pasta
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped and packed
Instructions
Prepare the Tortellini and Chicken
- Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water for later.
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, dice the onion, slice the mushrooms, halve the tomatoes, mince the garlic, and chop the basil.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper, then pan-sear until fully cooked and golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and cover to preserve moisture.
Make the Creamy Chicken Tortellini
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until tender and translucent.
- Stir in the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic, then sauté until tender.
- Pour in the half-and-half, then add the cream cheese, reserved pasta water, black pepper, salt, pesto, and tomatoes. Mix until the cream cheese melts and the sauce comes together. Cover and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and fresh spinach. Mix well, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked tortellini to the creamy chicken sauce. Gently mix until the tortellini is evenly coated. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Garnish the creamy chicken tortellini with basil leaves and shaved Parmesan cheese, then serve.
Video
Notes and Recipe Tips
- Stir the tortellini immediately after adding it to the boiling water to help prevent it from sticking together.
- If you don’t have a large skillet, use a large pot or wok with enough room for the sauce, chicken, vegetables, and tortellini.
Super easy and quick. I didn’t think it would really just take 30 minutes, but it did! I seasoned the cubed chicken well with italian seasoning, used lots of spinach, roasted garlic paste, and 8 oz of shredded parmesan cheese instead of grated and it was absolutely phenomenal! I will definitely be making this again.
Can this be made in a crock pot?
I never tried but I am sure you can.
Just made it for supper today very delicious
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review.
This dish is absolutely incredible. Easily one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had.
This dish is now a household staple and I’m going to keep coming back for more of Mima’s recipes.
Thank you very much!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for leaving a review.
It was delicious, My husband and all four boys kept coming back for more! Looks like an addition to our recipes! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Mrs. Marin,
Glad to hear you all enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for leaving a review.
Delicious! Thank you will make again and again.😁
Thanks for leaving a review Bev! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
My second time to make this dish. We love it.
Hi Helen,
Happy to hear you are enjoying this recipe. Thanks for the review.
I have a question, what if I do not have half-and-half or heavy cream? What can I substitute instead?
You may add 1-1.5 tbsps of flour to the pan after step 5 and saute the mixture for about a minute before going to the next step. You will use milk instead of the heavy cream or half and half. The flour will allow the sauce to thicken up since the milk doesnt thicken up like heavy cream. You can also add to the quantity of parmesan cheese for a more rich flavor.
This was amazing!!!! Soooo good!! Wasnt hard to make and my family loved it !! I will make this again
Hi Holly!
Thanks for leaving a review. Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
This was amazing!!!! Soooo good!!