I absolutely adore pasta. If a dish has any type of pasts involved, sign me up. This recipe for creamy chicken tortellini was no different. It was absolutely amazing. My children probably would have loved it as well, even with the petite tomatoes and fresh baby spinach I added. As I have said before, I love easy recipes. When I have to choose, pasta meals are the obvious choice, especially when they are covered in cheesy sauce.
This meal is incredibly versatile, and can be made on the stove or in the crockpot. Either way, it’s simple to make and packed with flavor.
What’s a tortellini and where did it come from?
Tortellini is a pasta stuffed with things such as cheese, meat or spinach. They are different from ravioli in the fact that they are shaped like tine croissants instead of the rounded-top squares that are raviolis.
It’s not known where tortellini officially came from, but there’s a rumor that a cook was inspired by the belly button of Venus, the goddess of love. While I don’t love that, I love the Italians for all of their pasta contributions.
Ingredients used for this creamy chicken tortellini:
- 1 Lb frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 Lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
- 1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp onion powder or one chopped yellow onion
- 1 Tbs garlic powder or minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1.5-2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
I cooked my chicken first. I normally just boil chicken for recipes like this one, but this time I tossed the chicken in olive oil, added a little salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and baked it for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. I find that adding a little chicken broth to the bottom of the pan helps keep the chicken moist, but it’s not something you have to do. I then shredded it with a couple of forks. You can also use rotisserie chicken. I think I will try it with “roto chicken” (what my kids call it) next time.
After you have your chicken cooked, you’re going to want to cook your cheese tortellini according to package directions. While these are cooking, you’re gonna chop up your spinach. The pieces don’t have to be small, because as spinach cooks, it gets smaller.
In a large skillet, your gonna heat your undrained tomatoes, spinach. salt, pepper basil and onions, onion powder on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. While you’re waiting for this mixture to bubble, you’ll whisk the flour and heavy whipping cream / half-and-half in a cup until smooth. You can also use skim milk, but I would recommend doubling the amount of flour to make it thicken correctly.
Add the flour mixture to the bubbling tomatoes. Add in the parmesan cheese as well, and continue to whisk. These ingredients together are what makes the creamy sauce for your meal.
When the mixture is thick enough, add it to the drained tortellini and mix to combine.
You can also add red pepper flakes to spice it up, or a couple ounces of cream cheese the make it creamier.
You can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
This recipe makes a TON of food and is more than enough to feed the whole family. This creamy chicken pasta will soon be a favorite on those busy weeknights.
For more amazing meal ideas, I recommend going here.
Items I Used For This Recipe:
Creamy Chicken Tortellini
This easy meal is ready in less than an hour and is full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 Lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
- 1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp onion powder or one chopped yellow onion
- 1 Tbs garlic powder or minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1.5-2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Bake or boil chicken for approximately 10 minutes until inside is no longer pink and juices are clear.
2. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, chop spinach.
3. In a large skillet, heat undrained tomatoes, spinach. salt, pepper basil and onions, onion powder on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the flour and heavy whipping cream / half-and-half in a cup until smooth. Add to tomatoes and whisk until smooth and thickened.
5. When the mixture is thick enough, add it to the drained tortellini and mix to combine.
6. Serve with garlic bread.