Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printable)

Chicken and cheese tortellini in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce with fresh spinach, ready in 40 minutes.

# What You 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 (1.8 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese

→ Pantry

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 Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the cheese tortellini according to the package directions until tender. Drain well using 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 chicken pieces and season with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs if using. Sauté until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, roughly 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and add the cream cheese and grated Parmesan. Stir continuously and simmer gently until the cheeses are fully melted and the sauce is smooth and velvety, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring gently, just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
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 if needed.
07 - Serve immediately in warm bowls, garnished with extra grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, so every bit of flavor gets locked into the final dish without extra effort.
  • Fresh tortellini cooks in minutes, which means this entire meal lands on the table in under forty minutes even on your most chaotic nights.
02 -
  • Do not crank the heat when melting the cream sauce because high heat will cause the cream to separate and turn grainy instead of smooth.
  • Cooking the chicken in the same pan you build the sauce in is the secret weapon here since all those caramelized bits on the bottom dissolve right into the cream.
03 -
  • Grate your own Parmesan from a wedge rather than using the green can because the texture and melt are completely different and worth the extra sixty seconds.
  • Serve this immediately because the sauce is at its peak silkiness right off the heat and thickens as it sits.

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