Creamy Pesto Tortellini Skillet (Printable Version)

Tender cheese tortellini and rotisserie chicken enveloped in creamy pesto sauce. A quick, flavor-packed skillet meal ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta & Protein

01 - 20 oz package shelf-stable cheese tortellini
02 - 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed

→ Sauce

03 - 1 cup heavy cream
04 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables & Garnish

08 - 2 cups baby spinach
09 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large skillet of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions, typically 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir in pesto and Parmesan until smooth and slightly thickened, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Add shredded rotisserie chicken and cooked tortellini to the skillet. Stir to coat evenly with the sauce.
04 - Fold in baby spinach and cherry tomatoes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until spinach is wilted and sauce is creamy and bubbling.
05 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and additional Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • This is the fastest way to make dinner feel like a restaurant meal without actually trying that hard
  • The creamy pesto sauce somehow makes everything taste better even leftovers the next day
02 -
  • Do not let the cream come to a rolling boil or it might separate and get grainy instead of staying silky smooth
  • The sauce continues to thicken as it sits so have a splash of pasta water ready if you need to loosen it up
03 -
  • Use a microplane to grate your Parmesan because finer shreds melt into the cream sauce more evenly
  • Toast some pine nuts and sprinkle them on top for crunch and an extra layer of nutty flavor
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