This easy and delicious recipe for Marry Me Chicken Tortellini is a one pot dinner ready in under 30 minutes . Creamy, cheesy tortellini, tender diced chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach, it’s the perfect meal to enjoy any night of the week.
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- The Best Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Recipe
- Why You’ll Love this Marry Me Chicken and Tortellini
- Ingredients Needed to make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Pasta
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to make this Cheesy Chicken Tortellini dinner
- Expert Tips
- Storing Marry Me Chicken Tortellini with Spinach
- Recipe FAQs
- More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Cheesy Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
The Best Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Recipe
If you scroll through my blog, you’ll quickly see just how much I love comfort food. From flavor packed casseroles, to creamy soups, pasta dishes, and one pan meals, I love them all! I’m sure you have seen all the “marry me sauce” recipes around the internet, but most don’t add in pasta and focus solely on chicken. By adding in the cheesy tortellini, you have a kid friendly, picky eater approved, dinner option the entire family will devour! This creamy chicken tortellini recipe is one you don’t want to pass up. Creamy, flavor packed, and family approved!
Why You’ll Love this Marry Me Chicken and Tortellini
- One Pot Recipe– no need to clean multiple pans and have a mess in your kitchen. Using only one large skillet, this keeps things easy!
- Crowd Pleaser– if you’re serving a large family or having guests over, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to fit any need.
- Perfect for any Occasion– from start to serving, this recipe requires a total time of only about 20 minutes! Easy enough for a busy weeknight, but nice enough for a romantic dinner in, having company over, or even as a meal train option!
- Customizable– you can easily make this your own by adding in additional vegetables, bacon, seasonings, and even changing up the pasta. See options below.
Ingredients Needed to make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Pasta
Using simple ingredients, this dinner is perfect for any budget! See the notes below for a brief overview of everything needed. To see exact amounts, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Tortellini– I use the fresh cheese tortellini found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The fresh version has a better texture versus frozen tortellini which can get mushy. If you only have frozen, that will work though.
- Olive Oil– you’ll use this to saute your chicken breasts with seasonings.
- Chicken– I use about one pound of chicken breasts, you can also use chicken thighs or tenderloins though. Cut into bite sized pieces.
- Black Pepper/ Salt/ Italian Blend/ Paprika– this is used to season the diced chicken. Feel free to adjust according to desired taste.
Sauce
- Butter– use unsalted butter to control the sodium count in this recipe.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes– I use the jarred sun-dried tomatoes that are in olive oil. PRO TIP: use the olive oil from the jar as the olive oil to saute your chicken. It adds lots of flavor.
- Garlic– freshly minced garlic is my favorite, however, you can also buy the jarred minced garlic.
- Chicken Broth– this is the foundation to the sauce. Feel free to use reduced sodium or you can use vegetable broth.
- Heavy Cream– this gives the sauce its creaminess. You can also find this called heavy whipping cream. If needed, you can use half and half, but it won’t add the same amount of creaminess.
- Black Pepper/ Seasoned Salt– adjust as desired, this seasons the sauce for more flavor.
- Italian Blend/ Paprika– these seasonings add flavor throughout the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese– this adds salty rich flavor to the sauce. Freshly grated cheese is best as it melts evenly versus using the bagged cheese.
- Spinach– fresh spinach brings a pop of color, nutritional benefits, and freshness.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you want to add additional spice to the recipe, add in red pepper flakes. I would start at 1-2 teaspoon and adjust from there.
- Cooked, crumbled bacon can be added into the sauce for more flavor. You can also use Italian sausage in place of the chicken.
- Diced shallot adds lots of flavor to this recipe. You can add it in with the garlic.
- To save on time, use rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breast and skip step number one in the directions.
- Add a splash of lemon juice for a tangy, citrus addition at the end.
- Mushrooms are a great addition to this recipe.
- If you aren’t a fan of sun dried tomatoes, feel free to use red roasted peppers in its place.
- Just before serving, toss with fresh basil for more flavor and freshness.
How to make this Cheesy Chicken Tortellini dinner
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the chicken. Season with the pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, and Paprika. Once cooked through, remove from skillet and set aside.
- In same skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add in the garlic and chopped sun dried tomatoes. Simmer for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the broth, heavy cream, pepper, salt, Italian blend, and paprika. Allow mixture to come to a boil and whisk in the 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Once melted, add in the cooked chicken, spinach, and tortellini. Allow to cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and sauce has thickened a bit. PRO TIP: if sauce isn’t as thick as desired, feel free to add in some flour. I use all purpose flour as needed.
- Serve with additional Parmesan cheese on top and Parsley or Basil.
Expert Tips
- Add more veggies into to make it a more complete, hearty meal.
- Be sure to not overcook the tortellini. Stir to avoid the pasta from sticking together.
- Use freshly grated cheese versus bagged cheese as it melts evenly and won’t clump.
- Make this fresh versus trying to prepare ahead of time. It won’t be as creamy if made earlier than needed.
Storing Marry Me Chicken Tortellini with Spinach
- Once pasta has fully cooled, move leftovers to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- When reheating, add a splash of chicken broth or heavy cream and place in microwave. Heat in 30 second increments until heated through.
- You can freeze leftovers, however, the tortellini may get a little mushy once thawed and reheated. It will still taste delicious, but not have a firm consistency.
Recipe FAQs
What does Marry Me Chicken Pasta taste like?
This recipe tastes like a rich, creamy, savory dish with bold flavors of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and tender diced chicken, often described as a savory, slightly tangy, and very satisfying combination, similar to a creamy Tuscan chicken with tortellini added in.
How can I make this chicken and cheese tortellini vegetarian?
Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth to make this vegetarian friendly.
Is this marry me chicken pasta considered healthy?
The recipe as written would not be necessarily considered healthy due to the cheeses, heavy cream, and pasta, however, with a few swaps, you can make it a healthier option. Use low fat ingredients, use half and half in place of the heavy cream, etc.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Salsa Verde Chicken Pasta
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Piccata Pasta
- Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta
- French Onion Beef and Noodles
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Cheesy Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 19 oz cheese tortellini
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast diced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
SAUCE
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
- Heat oil in large skillet and add in the chicken. Season with the pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, and Paprika. Once cooked through, remove from skillet and set aside.
- In same skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add in the garlic/sun dried tomatoes. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth, heavy cream, pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Allow mixture to come to a boil and whisk in the Parmesan cheese.
- Once melted, add in the cooked chicken, spinach,and tortellini. Allow to cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and sauce has thickened a bit.
- Serve with additional Parmesan on top and Parsley.
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