Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printable)

Chicken and cheese tortellini in a velvety garlic cream sauce with wilted 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 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 Steps:

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. Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs if using. Add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook 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 and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 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 all the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and velvety, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add the chopped spinach to the sauce and stir gently. Cook just until the spinach has wilted and is evenly incorporated, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Return the seared chicken and cooked tortellini to the skillet. Toss everything together gently until the pasta and chicken are thoroughly coated in the creamy garlic sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
07 - Transfer to warm serving plates or bowls immediately. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley if desired. Pair with a crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio for a complete dining experience.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan as the chicken, so every bit of flavor stays right where it belongs.
  • Fresh tortellini does most of the heavy lifting, giving you a dinner that tastes like you spent hours when you barely spent thirty minutes.
02 -
  • If the heat is too high when you add the cream, the sauce can break and look curdled instead of smooth, so keep it at a gentle simmer.
  • The sauce thickens as it sits off the heat, so if it looks a little loose in the pan it will be perfect by the time it reaches the plate.
03 -
  • Dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel before they go into the pan because moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
  • Grate your Parmesan as finely as you can manage so it dissolves seamlessly into the cream without leaving stringy clumps behind.

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