Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Creamy, tomato-forward sauce, lots of spinach, juicy chicken and little tortellini pillows- this one pan Marry Me chicken tortellini is quick, balanced and oh, so yummy.
- 1 Erica’s thoughts
- 2 This marry me chicken tortellini is:
- 3 The simple ingredients you’ll need to make marry me chicken tortellini:
- 4 How to make:
- 5 Expert tips and variation ideas:
- 6 FAQs
- 7 If you love this marry me chicken tortellini recipe, you’ll love these other easy recipe ideas for dinner!
- 8 Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Erica’s thoughts
I must be on a sun-dried tomato kick. I cannot get enough creamy sun-dried tomato sauce to coat anything and everything. First I made this amazing Marry Me salmon with smashed potatoes and then this creamy sun-dried tomato couscous and kale and now we’re using similar ingredients to make this easy cheesy tortellini pasta.
I feel like “marry me” recipes are having a moment right now. And what is a “marry me recipe” you ask? According to ChatGPT, it is “a dish so delicious and impressive that it’s said to have the power to win over someone’s heart and prompt a marriage proposal.”
There seems to be a common thread of ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes and cream in many of these recipes but I’ve definitely seen recipes like “marry me brownies” or “marry me mac and cheese” that deviate from the sun-dried tomato vibe.
I love a tomato cream sauce, so this dish is right up my alley. And I can’t say my whole family loved it (*cough cough* very selective 4-year-old) BUT my husband and 2-year-old were absolutely about it.
This reminds me of a meal I’d want to take to someone who’s just had a baby. Creamy, comforting and delicious but also balanced with lean protein, satisfying carbohydrates and nutrient-dense veggies is exactly what a recovering mama and sleep-deprived family need. AND you make it all in one pan, making it super easy to transport and reheat. I’m making a mental note for the next time I sign up for a meal train.
I serve this up with a green salad and/or some roasted broccoli and a loaf of garlic bread and woof. SO GOOD.
This marry me chicken tortellini is:
1) an easy weeknight meal
2) a crowd pleaser and good enough to serve for guests
3) a perfect romantic dinner for a date night in
4) a great idea for a meal train!
The simple ingredients you’ll need to make marry me chicken tortellini:
Chicken breast: I used two large boneless skinless chicken breasts from the package of organic chicken breasts from Costco. You can also use chicken tenderloins or chicken thighs.
Seasonings: smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes are the seasonings for the chicken and to add flavor to the sauce.
Flour: just a light coating of all-purpose flour helps the chicken brown up beautifully and helps thicken the sauce.
Butter and oil: butter for taste, oil to help increase the overall smoke point of the butter. The combo is perfect for browning the chicken breast and aromatics like shallot and garlic.
Shallot: shallot is a type of onion with a mild, delicate flavor with hints of garlic. Find it with the other onions in the produce section of the grocery store.
Garlic: I always recommend buying whole, fresh garlic but in a pinch you can of course use about two teaspoons of jarred minced garlic.
Sun-dried tomatoes: I recommend buying the sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (the julienned kind to minimize chopping!) You can find sun-dried tomatoes with the other tomato products (tomato sauce, tomato paste) in either the canned vegetable aisle or pasta aisle.
Tomato paste: this recipe gets an extra tomato boost from tomato paste. Tomato paste adds concentrated flavor to make a beautifully creamy tomato sauce.
Chicken broth: chicken broth makes up the bulk of the sauce- you can also use vegetable broth.
Cheese tortellini: fresh cheese tortellini is found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually next to the mozzarella and ricotta cheese. You can usually also find frozen tortellini in the frozen foods aisle or dried tortellini in the pasta aisle. (I recommend fresh cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe!)
Heavy cream: of COURSE there is a hefty splash of cream to make the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Heavy cream is also called whipping cream or double cream.
Spinach: lots of fresh spinach provides color and nutrition boost.
Parmesan cheese: if you can, buy the block of parmesan and grate it yourself. I promise, the difference between those pre-grated little sticks of Parmesan and freshly grated Parmesan is WILD.
How to make:
Season and dredge chicken
Cube the chicken, I like to cut it into pretty small chunks, and place in a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and smoked paprika and toss to get the chicken coated in the seasonings. Add the flour and gently toss so the chicken is lightly coated.
Cook chicken
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and one tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot add the chicken in an even layer. Cook the chicken, tossing two or three times, until browned and cooked through. Remove it to a bowl or plate.
Saute aromatics and build sauce
Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic, shallot and sun-dried tomatoes. Saute for three minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant. Season with the red pepper flakes and another pinch of salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and broth. Stir to combine, use your spatula to scrape up all those yummy bits on the bottom of the skillet.
Simmer tortellini
Stir in the uncooked tortellini, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover and let simmer for 3-4 minutes until tortellini is cooked. Stir halfway through, at the 2-minute mark, to make sure tortellini is cooking evenly.
Finish it up
Remove lid and stir in the chicken, spinach, cream and parmesan cheese until everything is well combined. Serve hot with fresh basil, more parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper. Beyond good.
Expert tips and variation ideas:
- Cube the chicken small– it makes for a more cohesive pasta.
- Buy a block of fresh Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself!
- Mince the shallot, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes small so they blend into the sauce seamlessly.
- You could switch up the protein and use chicken thighs or mild Italian sausage.
- I’m always a fan of adding more veggies so feel free to add whatever vegetables you love!
FAQs
To make this gluten-free use a different type of pasta (gluten-free of course) and a 1:1 gluten-free flour alternative to coat the chicken. With a different pasta, the cook time will likely be longer than tortellini so follow the package instructions.
Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You could also make with your favorite meat alternatives like a veggie-based Italian sausage.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. The tortellini will expand and absorb the sauce. I add a splash of water when reheating to loosen and adjust the consistency of the sauce.
If you love this marry me chicken tortellini recipe, you’ll love these other easy recipe ideas for dinner!
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
Marry me please.
Print
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25-30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This marry me chicken tortellini is so good you’ll be falling in love. Luxuriously creamy and decadent but also balanced and nutritious- this is the perfect weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 1lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (3oz) tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1lb (16oz) cheese tortellini
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- For serving: Fresh basil, black pepper, red pepper flakes, parmesan
Instructions
Season the chicken: Cube the chicken, I like to cut it into pretty small chunks, and place in a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and smoked paprika and toss to get the chicken coated in the seasonings. Add the flour and gently toss so the chicken is lightly coated.
Cook chicken: Heat a large cast iron skillet or ceramic-coated nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the butter and one tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot add the chicken in an even layer. Cook the chicken, tossing two or three times, until browned and cooked through. Remove it to a bowl or plate.
Build the sauce: Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic, shallot and sun-dried tomatoes. Saute for three minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant. Season with the red pepper flakes and another pinch of salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and broth. Stir to combine, use your spatula to scrape up all those yummy bits on the bottom.
Add pasta: Stir in the tortellini, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover and let simmer for 3-4 minutes until tortellini is cooked. Stir halfway through, at the 2-minute mark, to make sure tortellini is cooking evenly.
Finish it up: Remove lid and stir in the chicken, spinach, cream and parmesan cheese until everything is well combined. Serve hot with fresh basil, more parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper. Are you ready to propose!? 😍
Notes
A note on reheating: I find that the tortellini soak up the sauce quite a bit. To enjoy leftovers add a splash of water, reheat in the microwave or stovetop, stir, and voila! The water loosens the sauce slightly returning the tortellini to saucy gloriousness.
The package size of tortellini can vary anywhere from 12-20oz. I used exactly 1lb (16oz) for this recipe but honestly, it’s pretty flexible. Use a smaller or larger amount of tortellini and adjust with a splash more or splash less of broth.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 479
- Sugar: 3.3 g
- Sodium: 902.6 mg
- Fat: 19.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32.6 g
- Cholesterol: 121.1 mg
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So delicious and easy! I substituted tomato sauce for the sun dried tomatoes and it came out nice and saucy!
perfect! Thanks for sharing this substitution idea Rachel!
Does this recipe need fresh or dried tortellini? I am using the dried tortellini from the pasta aisle, and the cooking time on the bag is much longer than in this recipe. I guess we will see when it is finished!
Hi Veronica, I used the fresh tortellini from the refrigerated section. Dry tortellini should work fine but like you said, will take a bit longer to simmer and cook. Let me know how it turned out for you! 🙂
This looks so good!
10/10! So delicious! The whole family loved it. I will definitely be making this again!
Yummy, easy, and kids all liked it! Will make again!
Delicious!! 🤤
My family LOVED this! So easy and delicious!
This was a hit with my husband and two year old! Will be making again.
Hooray! So happy you enjoyed it, thanks Michalah!
This is a good-for-company meal with a tossed green salad. Beautiful colors, creamy sauce, yummy flavors with the sun-dried tomatoes and cream. You will love it! It is a special occasion dish as it is pricey to make, but worth it.
My family’s favorite!
Delicious enjoyed by 6 people ages 75 to 10 & everyone gave it 5 stars. I added fresh mushrooms worked great.
Oooh excellent addition! Thanks for your comment and review Bernadette!
This was phenomenal! You are an amazing cook!
I just made this today and my family including my two picky toddlers loved it!
Hooray for winning over the picky toddlers! Teach me how🤣
Can I freeze leftovers of the Marry Me Chicken Tortellini?
Yes, that should work just fine!
In the words of my 3 year old- “so licious!” Yes, super delicious! I couldn’t find your couscous pesto chicken recipe so I did this one instead. Didn’t disappoint! Thank you Erica!! ❤️
awww so LICIOUS! Love it 🙂
My family loved this dish! My youngest has a hard time with meat protein but I think the flavors in the sauce masked it – all chicken was eaten! We might like it better with a hollow pasta instead of tortellini – any adjustments to the recipe needed if I switch out for rigatoni?
Regular pasta will likely take a bit longer to simmer than tortellini and you may want to add 1/4-1/2 cup more liquid but I think it’ll work just fine with a different pasta shape!
Soooo good. I swapped gnocchi for the tortellini because it’s what I had and those things were pillows of flavor! Also nixed the spinach because well picky kids. Great flexible recipe, love it.
Yaaaay for versatility! So glad you loved it Julie! Thanks for your review 🙂
This dish was an instant hit in my house! We will be having it again :).
One question – if I wanted to substitute the tortellini for a hollow pasta (likely rigatoni), does that change the cook process at all?
Yes, it’ll take longer to cook (about the time listed on the package 9-13 minutes) and you may need a bit more liquid!
This recipe is a keeper! I was nervous about adding so much spinach, but it didn’t overwhelm the dish. I didn’t have any basil, and the flavors were on point! Will be making again!
It’s crazy how spinach shrinks down so much haha! Glad you enjoyed it Paris and thank you so much for your review!
Erica
Literal comfort in a bowl! 😋
Made this the first time in a nonstick skillet and thought “meh”. Made it a second time in cast iron and WOW. The browned bits from the chicken really make a difference! So delicious! From start to finish, dinner was on the table in 45 mins. This meal is definitely going in the rotation.
Crazy how big a difference the pan makes! I love my cast iron 🙂
This is the BEST “marry me” recipe I’ve tried. It is so delicious and flavorful. I made homemade sourdough tortellini and the combination was incredible.
HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH TORTELLINI!? What sort of sorcery is that!? Amazing👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
What a delicious meal! My family loves it, except one granddaughter who does not care for cheese. My 8 year old grandson request this for tonight! He said it was his favorite meal! ☺ Thank you Erica for all the wonderful recipes!!
This was definitely a hit in my house and we will be making it again. Next time we will omit the sun dried tomatoes since we just aren’t big fans of them in general. But even without I think it’s going to be amazing.
Could I substituted Costco Chicken for the ground chicken? and if so would l just add the Italian seasoning, paprika, and flour with little or no sautéing? Please advise. Thank you
Hey Mary, this recipe calls for chicken breast, cubed, not ground chicken. Are you referring to already cooked chicken breast?
Another delicious, satisfying, easy one pot recipe! My husband loved it even though I cut out the cream and used 1/3C half and half instead. Otherwise followed it to a T. This is a new fave.
I made this recently for my family and some guests, everyone loved it!!
I am going to make it again with some shrimp and see how it turns out. Have you tried this variation?
I haven’t, but I’m sure it would still be yummy with shrimp!
Delicious dish that comes together easily on a weeknight. My teenage son asked me to teach him how to make it – no higher compliment than that!
Can you use a bag of frozen tortellini? If so, would I need to cook it to al dente first before adding into the pan?
It should work just fine straight from frozen!
Holy moly, will you marry me Erica??? Lol This recipe was so delicious. The store didn’t have tortellini, so I subbed ravioli, still hits.
lol love this!!😂
I made this dish for dinner this afternoon. It was unbelievably good and a huge hit with family. I added a bit of lemon zest to the finished dish and it took it over the top.
Thanks for sharing!
Erica, thanks for this! I think what makes a good recipe great is when it works even though I don’t quite have everything indicated (welcome to my world). As we are all about using what we have, I made the following subs:
Half the meat from a Costco rotisserie chicken
Half and half instead of the heavy cream
Onion in place of the shallot
Broccoli instead of spinach
Did not have sun-dried tomatoes handy, delicious without
Thanks again and bon appetite!
Happy to hear you loved this Tom! And yaaay for a versatile recipe to use up what you have on hand!
I made this dish for the first time tonight and it was delicious and easy to make! Another recipe of yours that I love!
This is just amazing! I have a dairy allergy so subbed the heavy cream for oat milk, used Kite Hill dairy free tortellini, and omitted the parmesan and it was AMAZING! I topped my husband’s portion with fresh parmesan. We loved it so much, I made this for back to back meals. Since I didn’t use heavy cream, I just reduced the mixture down for about 2-3 minutes before adding the tortellini.
So much flavor! One of my new favorites, especially given the quick clean up with it being a one-pan dish. I don’t usually write reviews, but had to for this!
Woohoo! Thank you for the great dairy-free suggestions! I appreciate your thoughtful review Sierra 🙂
I’m not to fond of trying new foods but we have tried a couple different ones. We just ate this and I can honestly say it’s really good. If you try it eat it with baguette 🥖
Woohoo!! Thanks for branching out and trying this Stormi! I appreciate your review, thank you!
Dang! This was delicious. I forgot to pick up basil, which was sad but this was still a huge hit with the family! Will make it again for sure! Thank you, Erica!
We made this recipe for supper tonight. It was delicious! We doubled the recipe because there are 5 adults and we wanted leftovers. I used the dried Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini instead of fresh. I cooked the tortellini for 8 minutes by itself to rehydrate before adding it in as directed in the recipe. Everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s a keeper!
Hi Julia, thank you so much for this review and the tip on cooking dried tortellini! Glad you and the fam enjoyed it 🙂
Delicious. !!!!!!
Delicious. !!!!!!
The whole family love this! Have made it multiple times!
Yum!! My husband and 2.5 year old also enjoyed it! I look forward to trying the marry me salmon recipe as well!
Only note/tip would be it can be easier to overcook the tortellini this way (at least for me, compared to the normal boiling in water method), so watch closely!
You made it very easy to follow. I added a small can of sliced mushrooms also. It was just as delicious as you stated!!!
Wonderful Brad, thanks for making it!
It was really flavorful. Made the recipe to the exact specifications. My husband loved it and told me to put it in the keep pile!
Yay, so happy to hear this Lori! Thanks for making it!
DUH-LISH!😋 This turned out soooo well! I love the rich flavors and creamy sauce! My family loves it! It took a little bit of time to make, but it’s worth it because there are leftovers for tomorrow! Thank you!
Made this for dinner tonight, used bone broth to bump up the protein. It was perfect as it is but next time I’ll add sautéed mushrooms just for fun!
What a lovely idea, thanks for making it Ashley!
I made this the other night and the family LOVED it! My one son is picky and I got a VERY GOOD out of him! Will definitely make this again!!! Thank you!!!
I did use frozen tortellini and frozen chopped spinach, next time I will make with refrigerated tortellini and fresh spinach, but frozen was great as well!