Creamy Chicken Tortellini

4.82 from 43 votes

Serve this Creamy Chicken Tortellini with tender chicken, four-cheese tortellini, mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cream sauce for a flavorful weeknight meal ready in 30 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

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

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.

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