Fresh cheese tortellini is the unsung hero of the cold case in your grocery store. It cooks super fast, goes with everything, and is excellent in soups, salads, and a huge variety of pasta dishes. Plus, it’s hearty enough that you know you’ve eaten. I always try to have at least one package of fresh cheese tortellini on hand so I can pull together a nice dinner in a flash.
This recipe is one I love, especially for the fall. Tuscan Chicken Tortellini is a comfort food and a meal in itself: protein, vegetables, pasta, all in a creamy sauce that covers all the dinner bases beautifully. I guess you might want some garlic bread to soak up the last of the sauce, but then again, I want garlic bread all the time, so maybe that’s just me.
I usually start with uncooked chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breasts that I cut into bite-sized pieces, but feel free to use leftover or rotisserie chicken if that’s what you have. If you’re starting with cooked chicken, simply skip the part where I tell you to cook the chicken, and add it toward the end.
Tuscan Chicken Tortellini calls for sun-dried tomatoes, and you can find them now in 3 different forms, and I treat each of them differently. The hard, dried ones need to be rehydrated in warm water for 10 minutes or so before adding them to the skillet. I usually see those in the produce department on a rack or shelf. I julienne those. Jarred sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil are widely available, often on the top shelf where the canned tomatoes are located. They are the best-tasting, I think, and the oil is wonderful added to salad dressings. I julienne those, too. The newcomers to the sun-dried tomato scene are the same consistency as dried apricots or prunes. They are typically on the canned tomato aisle in a resealable bag, and I’m not sure what to call them. (Google wasn’t much help, either.) These don’t need to be rehydrated, the flavor is good, but I find I want them cut smaller than the typical julienne, or else the chewiness can be a little off-putting. I chop those into ½ -inch dice or less.
I use fresh baby spinach for Tuscan Chicken Tortellini. If you prefer to use frozen spinach instead, thaw it and squeeze it out very well. Unless your family are big spinach fans, you’ll only need ½ of a 10 oz. box. Finally, use whatever mushrooms you have, and I’m not as picky as some about parmesan cheese. Half and half is a non-negotiable, however. You’ll have a restaurant-quality dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, including the garlic bread.
Bellissimo!
Tuscan Chicken Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 9 oz. package refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 T. butter
- 1 T. olive oil
- 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 t. dried basil
- ½ t. dried oregano
- 1 T. parsley flakes
- 2 T. flour
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cup half and half
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 2 cups cooked chicken in bit-sized pieces
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water. Set aside.
- Sauté the mushrooms and sundried tomatoes in the butter and olive oil until the mushrooms are completely cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs, stirring until fragrant. Add the flour, stirring for a minute or so while the raw taste cooks off.
- Add the wine to the skillet, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add the half and half, stirring as the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the spinach to the skillet, stirring well. Add the chicken, tortellini and the parmesan, combining well. Thin the sauce with a little of the pasta water. Taste and adjust seasoning.
0 Comments