Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Italian Chicken Tortellini Skillet + RECIPE VIDEO
Cheese-filled tortellini make this skillet feel especially generous. The tomato cream sauce has little pieces of roasted red pepper and a gentle chile warmth, with spinach folded through at the end. Every forkful finds a little pocket of cheese tucked inside the pasta.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 17 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American · Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Cut the chicken small
Use the small chicken pieces listed and stir as they cook in the oil.
2. Whisk the cornstarch first
Mix cornstarch with the broth in a bowl before stirring that mixture into the sauce.
3. Cover for the tortellini
Bring the tortellini and sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover until tender.
Get to know the ingredients
Roasted red peppers
Add the chopped roasted peppers with the tomatoes and cream after cooking the garlic and herbs.
Fresh or frozen tortellini
Both are options, though fresh tortellini may leave a thicker sauce.
Fresh spinach
Stir the chopped spinach in at the end with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Italian Chicken Tortellini Skillet + RECIPE VIDEO
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Fold in the cheese
Stir spinach and both cheeses through the tender tortellini, then taste before serving.
A little more help as you go
A brief aromatic stage
Cook garlic, dried herbs and chile flakes briefly after the chicken's first cook.
Reheating the leftovers
Try a splash of broth when reheating, since the tortellini absorb sauce as they sit.
A few questions you might have
Can I use fresh tortellini?
Yes. Fresh tortellini release less moisture, so you may need to thin the sauce.
When does the spinach go in?
Add it after the tortellini become tender, together with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Do I sprinkle dry cornstarch into the sauce?
Whisk it with the broth first, then stir that mixture into the saucepan.
Should the pasta simmer uncovered?
Lower the heat and cover for the tortellini cooking stage described in the directions.
Can the chicken be replaced?
Ground turkey, ground beef or Italian sausage are alternatives.
Any more cooking tips?
You can use fresh tortellini, but you may need to thin the sauce before serving as it won’t release as much liquid as frozen. Variations: Use fresh tortellini. You can swap the frozen tortellini out for fresh, but it won’t release as much moisture and you may want to thin the sauce before serving. Add more veggies. Boost the nutrition and mix in whatever veggies you like! You can simmer them in the soup or sauté them with the chicken. Try mushrooms, onions, broccoli, green beans, carrots, you name it. Spice it up. The cream sauce already has a kick of heat from the red chili flakes, but feel free to spice it up even more with more chili flakes or cayenne pepper. Use another meat. Feel free to swap the chicken out for ground turkey, ground beef, or Italian sausage. Make it vegetarian. You can easily make this into a meatless pasta dinner by leaving out the meat or using a meatless variety of chicken or even ground beef. Storage: Leftover Italian Chicken Tortellini will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat, warm in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of broth to moisten. Keep in mind that the tortellini will soak up the liquid in the sauce as it sits, so the pasta will soften up a bit. The leftovers will still be delicious though!
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
