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This easy tortellini recipe is colorful with spinach and tomatoes and lush with a nice pour of cream. I try to find a reason to say the word “Tuscan” with some regularity, which always cheers me right up. My sister’s Instagram handle is @tuscanartichoke, which pretty much tells you everything you need to know about her, at least for starters.
My mom used to make tortellini like this when we were kids, and I remember it always felt like the most special pasta dinner. This is a one-dish meal, but you can also add a side of simply cooked broccolini or greens to round out the plate with color and a little extra nutritional boost.
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There are some good, very good tortellini out there, dried and fresh. If you have an Italian specialty market in your area, this is a very good reason to stop in. But even well-stocked supermarkets usually have a robust selection of filled pastas to choose from in the refrigerated aisle (often near the cheese section), some made with meat, some vegetarian. And there will also be some near the dried pasta, and those have a very long shelf life, so it is a good pantry staple to have on hand.
If you’re diving deep into a Tuscany dinner fantasy, you might also want to check out Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken or Creamy Tuscan Salmon, two other creamy Italian options.
One Skillet Tuscan Tortellini: This filled pasta recipe is colorful with spinach and tomatoes, and lush with a nice pour of cream.
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Ingredients
- Chicken breast – If you want a vegetarian pasta dish, just skip the chicken!
- Minced garlic – Mincing the garlic helps bring out its subtle flavor in the dish/
- Tomatoes – Add a nice acidity to the pasta and attractive color to the sauce.
- Tortellini – You can use dried or fresh here. Like any dried pasta, you can keep dried tortellini in the pantry, which is very, very helpful. For months and months! And on those nights that you feel too tired or unmotivated or disillusioned with life (no, let’s not be disillusioned with life, that’s silly) to make dinner, there they are. And they cook up in minutes.
- Chicken broth – Helps to lighten the heavy cream. If you’re skipping the chicken to make this is a vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth. I like less-sodium broth to control the salt in the dish.
- Heavy cream – A relatively conservative amount still adds a lovely creaminess and richness to the dish.
- Baby spinach – Adds nutrition and a welcome pop of color.
- Parmesan cheese – Adds extra richness to the dish. Save some to sprinkle on top at the end.
Variations and Substitutions
- If you wanted to use 1 cup broth and ½ cup cream (inverting the proposed proportions), you could do that for a slightly lighter sauce.
- If you want to make a vegetarian version of this, use vegetable broth, make sure the tortellini has no meat, and skip the cubed chicken. You can also think about adding in some cooked cubed tofu.
How to Make Tuscan Tortellini
- Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken until golden brown on the outside but not quite cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.
- Make the sauce: Sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the broth and cream, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer for 2 minutes until cooked through.
- Make the tortellini: Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions, taking them out 1 minute ahead of fully tender. Stir the almost-cooked tortellini, spinach, and ½ cup Parmesan into the sauce, and stir for about 1 minute.
- Serve: Serve hot, with additional Parmesan passed on the side.
FAQs
Fresh tortellini has raw eggs and more water, so it retains more moisture and cooks up a bit more tender than dried tortellini. Dried tortellini has less water and no eggs, so it is shelf-stable and lasts longer but takes somewhat longer to cook.
Tuscan cuisine, similar to all Italian cuisine, emphasizes fresh and seasonal ingredients. Tuscan cooking is often colorful, sometimes rich and creamy, though emphasizes produce and seasonal foods.
In broth, or en brodo, is how tortellini is traditionally served in Italy. It is also frequently paired with other classic pasta sauces, like cream sauce, red sauce, meat sauce, or mushroom sauce.
What to Serve With Tuscan Tortellini
Endive, Arugula and Orange Salad
Escarole Salad
How to Cook Broccoli Rabe
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Chicken and Mushroom Marsala Rotelle
- Fresh Linguine with Shrimp and Peas in a Pink Cream Sauce
- Linguine with Lemon, Feta, and Basil
- Penne alla Vodka
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One-Skillet Tuscan Tortellini
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 pound chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 6 plum tomatoes (seeded and diced)
- 1 12-ounce package dried tortellini
- ½ cup less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large (at least 12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the cubes are golden brown on the outside but not quite cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, until just golden brown. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and stir for about 2 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the broth and cream, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer for 2 minutes until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions, taking them out 1 minute ahead of fully tender. Stir the almost-cooked tortellini, spinach, and ½ cup Parmesan into the sauce, and stir until the spinach is wilted and incorporated into the sauce, about 1 minute.
- Serve hot, with additional Parmesan passed on the side.
Notes
- If you wanted to use 1 cup broth and ½ cup cream (inverting the proposed proportions), you could do that for a slightly lighter sauce.
- If you want to make a vegetarian version of this, use vegetable broth, make sure the tortellini has no meat, and skip the cubed chicken. You can also think about adding in some cooked cubed tofu.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If i make this ahead for someone who is sick, how would they reheat this dish???
either covered over very low heat, or in a 300 degree oven, covered, until hot throughout. the time would depend on whether you were reheating it from chilled or room temp. so nice of you to cook for your friend/relative!
This looks delicious— in the plan!
Katie, Last night I made your recipe for One Skillet Tuscan Tortellini, and my husband and I were so thrilled at how amazing it was. The flavors are just so perfect together. I used fresh refrigerated tortellini rather than the dried type, simply because that is what I had on hand.
Your recipe is written so well. I will be making this one many, many times in the future. :-)
so delighted to hear!!!!