Creamy Garlic Chicken Tortellini (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken and cheesy tortellini in a luscious creamy garlic sauce with fresh spinach, ready in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

→ Pasta

02 - 18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables

03 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy & Pantry

06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Additional grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the cheese tortellini and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
02 - While the tortellini cooks, season the diced chicken breasts generously with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken in a single layer and cook for 5–7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Continue stirring for about 3 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Add the fresh baby spinach to the skillet and gently stir into the sauce for 1–2 minutes until just wilted.
06 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet along with the drained tortellini. Gently toss everything together until evenly coated in the creamy garlic sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you would order at a cozy trattoria but comes together on a random weeknight with almost no fuss.
  • The creamy garlic sauce clings to every fold of tortellini so each bite feels indulgent without requiring any real technique.
02 -
  • Do not let the cream sauce boil hard once the cheese is added or it will break and leave you with a curdled, oily mess that no amount of stirring can fix.
  • Reserve a half cup of tortellini cooking water before you drain it because a splash of that starchy liquid can rescue a sauce that has become too thick while waiting for everyone to sit down.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning it because moisture is the enemy of a good sear and wet chicken steams rather than browns.
  • Grate the Parmesan as finely as you can manage and add it off the heat, stirring until melted, for the silkiest sauce texture possible.

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