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Cheese Tortellini with Chicken Recipe

4 from 1 vote
one comment
July 17, 2024
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Craving a comforting, creamy pasta dish? This Cheese Tortellini with Chicken recipe is just what you need. Loaded with tender cheese tortellini, juicy shredded chicken, and a flavorful cream sauce, it’s the perfect quick dinner for busy weeknights. Plus, it’s packed with spinach and sundried tomatoes, making it a delicious meal that the whole family will love. Ready in under 30 minutes, this is sure to become a new favorite in your dinner rotation.

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Why You’ll Love This Tortellini Recipe

This Cheese Tortellini with Chicken recipe is a true crowd-pleaser. It combines the rich flavors of a creamy sauce with the hearty goodness of cheese tortellini and shredded chicken. The sundried tomatoes add a burst of flavor, while the spinach keeps things fresh and healthy. Whether you’re feeding picky eaters or looking for a quick and easy meal, this dish delivers. The best part? It’s all made in one pan, so cleanup is a breeze. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll be making it on repeat.

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Ingredients Needed for Cheese Tortellini with Chicken

Made with simple ingredients, here is everything you’ll need to make this easy tortellini dish!

  • Cheese Tortellini: Perfectly cheesy and tender. I get the fresh tortellini found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store.
  • Sundried Tomato Oil or Olive Oil + Butter: to sauté the garlic.
  • Garlic: Freshly minced is best.
  • Flour: Helps thicken the sauce.
  • Dry White Wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio works well. Chicken broth works great in place of white wine too.
  • Chicken Broth: Adds flavor to the sauce. Low-sodium chicken broth is fine.
  • Spinach: Fresh, baby spinach, chopped.
  • Salt & Black Pepper: To taste.
  • Italian Seasoning: Adds a nice herby touch.
  • Sundried Tomatoes: Sliced for a burst of flavor.
  • Heavy Cream: Makes the sauce creamy and luscious.
  • Pine Nuts: Toasted for a bit of crunch.
  • Shredded Chicken: I like to use a rotisserie chicken from Costco, but chicken breasts or thighs cooked and shredded work great too.
  • Basil: Fresh, chiffonade, for garnish.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Get the good stuff and grate it yourself, if possible,

Variations

  • No Wine: Substitute with more chicken broth if you prefer.
  • Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and add extra veggies like mushrooms or bell peppers.
  • Different Greens: Swap spinach for kale or arugula.
  • Nuts: Use toasted almonds or walnuts instead of pine nuts.
  • Extra Cheesy: Add some mozzarella cheese for extra cheesiness.
  • Different Pasta: Fresh spinach tortellini, dried boxed tortellini or any stuffed pasta works well. Regular pasta is also an option, but it won’t be quite the same.
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How to Make Cheese Tortellini with Chicken

This 30 minute meal is a huge hit at my house! For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are my step by step instructions for making this easy cheese tortellini dish:

1. Cook Tortellini

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt and cook tortellini according to package directions for al dente (cooking times vary). Drain the pasta water, rinse with cold water and set drained tortellini aside. 

A close-up of yellow tortellini being poured from a pot into a black pan filled with boiling water.
Cooked tortellini draining in a metal colander set over a glass bowl, with a gray checkered kitchen towel in the background.

2. Saute Garlic

In a deep, large skillet, over medium-high heat, add oil and butter. Once butter has melted add in garlic and saute for a couple of minutes or until soft and fragrant, being careful not to burn. 

Two cubes of butter melting in a black non-stick frying pan.
A frying pan with chopped garlic sizzling in melted butter.

3. Make a Roux

Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes to make a roux. 

A frying pan with butter and flour. Small bowls of pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes, and a wooden board with stuffed pasta are nearby.
A pan with remnants of a yellow sauce sits on a kitchen counter. Nearby are dishes of pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and uncooked tortellini on a wooden board.

4. Deglaze the Pan

Turn off heat and pour in white wine and chicken broth, whisking constantly to deglaze the pan and create a thick lump-free sauce. Turn heat back on to a medium-low heat. 

A person pours liquid from a green jug into a pan with cooking batter on a stovetop.
A saucepan containing a creamy white sauce being whisked, with bowls of ingredients and a cutting board in the background.

5. Add Spinach

Add in spinach, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir and simmer until spinach is wilted. 

A pan filled with creamy mixture topped with a generous amount of chopped fresh spinach leaves.
A pan containing chopped spinach, salt, and various spices being prepared, presumably before being cooked.

6. Add Remaining Sauce Ingredients

Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts. Simmer until warmed through and cheese is melted. 

A skillet with a creamy sauce containing chopped greens, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, and grated cheese. A wooden spoon rests in the skillet.
Close-up of a pan containing a creamy spinach dish being stirred with a wooden spoon. The creamy mixture is simmering on a stovetop.

7. Add Chicken + Tortellini

Stir in shredded chicken and cooked tortellini and simmer JUST until warmed through so you don’t dry out the chicken. 

A pan filled with a creamy sauce containing chopped spinach is topped with shredded cooked chicken.
A pan filled with cooked tortellini pasta.
A skillet filled with creamy tortellini pasta mixed with shredded chicken, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, with a wooden spoon resting in the dish.

Garnish with fresh basil and more parmesan cheese (if desired), serve and enjoy!

Storage + Make Ahead Directions

Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.

To Freeze

Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or on the stovetop.

Make Ahead

Prepare the dish up to the point of adding tortellini and chicken. Store separately, then combine and reheat just before serving.

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What to Serve with Cheese Tortellini with Chicken

Wondering what to serve alongside your delicious Cheese Tortellini with Chicken? Here are some great options that will complement the flavors and make this family favorite meal complete.

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More Chicken Pasta Dinner Dishes to Try!

This Cheese Tortellini with Chicken recipe is the perfect solution for busy weeknights when you want a delicious meal without a ton of effort. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

A skillet filled with creamy tortellini mixed with spinach and shredded chicken, with a wooden spoon inside and a small wooden board with additional tortellini and spinach in the background.
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4 from 1 vote

Cheese Tortellini with Chicken Recipe

This Cheese Tortellini with Chicken Recipe with its Tuscan flavors will knock your socks off! Using shortcuts like store-bought tortellini and shredded chicken, dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes!
servings 6
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 20 oz cheese tortellni refrigerated
  • 2 tablespoons sundried tomato oil or olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine* sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, etc.
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 3 cups spinach fresh, baby, chopped
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes sliced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated + more for serving (if desired)
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts toasted
  • 3 cups shredded chicken think: rotisserie!
  • 1/4 cup basil fresh, chiffonade, for garnish

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt and cook tortellini according to package directions for al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
    A close-up of yellow tortellini being poured from a pot into a black pan filled with boiling water.
  • In a large deep skillet, over medium heat, add oil and butter. Once butter has melted add in garlic and saute for a couple of minutes or until soft and fragrant, being careful not to burn.
    A frying pan with chopped garlic sizzling in melted butter.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.
    A frying pan with butter and flour. Small bowls of pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes, and a wooden board with stuffed pasta are nearby.
  • Turn off heat and pour in white wine and chicken broth, whisking constantly to deglaze the pan and create a thick lump-free sauce. Turn heat back on to a medium-low.
    A saucepan containing a creamy white sauce being whisked, with bowls of ingredients and a cutting board in the background.
  • Add in spinach, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir and simmer until spinach is wilted.
    A pan containing chopped spinach, salt, and various spices being prepared, presumably before being cooked.
  • Stir in sundried tomatoes, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. Simmer until warmed through and cheese is melted.
    A skillet with a creamy sauce containing chopped greens, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, and grated cheese. A wooden spoon rests in the skillet.
  • Stir in shredded chicken and cooked tortellini and simmer JUST until warmed through so you don't dry out the chicken.
    A skillet filled with creamy tortellini pasta mixed with shredded chicken, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, with a wooden spoon resting in the dish.
  • Garnish with fresh basil and more parmesan cheese (if desired), serve and enjoy!
    A plate of pasta topped with grated cheese and fresh herbs, placed on a table with a bowl of greens, wooden cutting board, and gold cutlery set on a gray napkin in the background.

Video

Notes

*If you don’t have or don’t want to use white wine, simply substitute with more chicken broth. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 591mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2.416IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: tortellini
4 from 1 vote

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Katie-Laurens-Latest

Welcome to Lauren's Latest - I'm a professional recipe developer who spends countless hours perfecting recipes so you can know with confidence that what you see is exactly what you’ll get.

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