Lately, I’ve been really embracing the idea of only getting one pan dirty when I’m making dinner. My husband and I have a little unspoken understanding that he does all the dishes after dinner that can be loaded into the dishwasher, and I do the hand washing. Maybe this is why I’m leaning toward the one pot method, right? Love the cooking part, not a fan of the dishes. Welcome to my lazy little kitchen!
And that is why this One Skillet Chicken Tortellini. It has so many good things going on – pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and spinach. It’s VERY easy to put together, and has SO much flavor. Just right for a weeknight dinner.
Make sure you use FRESH cheese tortellini in this recipe. I usually find it by the deli in the grocery store. It doesn’t take very long to cook and so it works well for this recipe because you can cook it right in the sauce instead of boiling a whole separate pot of water (and that’s one less dish for me!)
To make everything go smoothly, be sure to read through the recipe before you get started, and have all your ingredients ready to go. Enjoy!
PrintQuick and Easy One Skillet Chicken Pesto Tortellini
So many good things going on – pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and spinach. It’s VERY easy to put together, and has SO much flavor!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons basil pesto
- 12 ounces fresh cheese tortellini (found by the deli)
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (I buy them already julienned and packed in oil)
- 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add cubed chicken and season with salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to brown on all sides. Don’t stir it constantly, but let the chicken sear by resisting the temptation to keep it moving around in the pan.
- When the chicken is cooked through and has a nice golden sear, remove it from the pan to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of flour to the pan with the chicken drippings, and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pan for a minute. Then add the chicken or vegetable stock, and pesto and whisk with the butter and flour. When the sauce is simmering, add the fresh pasta and cover. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Stir halfway through to make sure the pasta isn’t sticking to the pan.
- The pasta should be fully cooked, and now it is time to add the chicken back to the pan as well as the sundried tomatoes, spinach, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.
- Cook for 1-2 more minutes on low, just to wilt the spinach and warm the chicken back up. Serve immediately.
Notes
*To toast raw pine nuts, just place them in a dry pan and turn heat to medium, stirring frequently. You will see a golden brown color on the pine nuts after a few minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 727
- Sugar: 4.2g
- Sodium: 781mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 47g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
Was skeptical about this at first, but I just made it and it was delicious! Even my boyfriend (the world’s pickiest eater) loved it.
That’s awesome! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
Excellent ! This recipe was flavorful,and loved the addition of pine nuts. Delicious !
Will be making this again 🙂
Enjoyed by ALL! Ty for this recipe …
Hi Julie
We had this for dinner tonight, so delicious! Struggled to find tortellini o went with spinach and ricotta agnolotti which I’m sure was as equally delish !
Def a fave of the one pan meal
Thanks!
So glad you were able to find a substitute. Thanks for letting me know how you liked it all the way from Australia :0) Have a lovely day Vanessa!
I am making this for the third time tonight. It’s in our regular recipe rotation. Tonight I’m going to throw in some artichoke hearts. So quick, easy and delicioso!!! Thank you for this gem!
I’m going to have to try the artichoke hearts too. So glad you like this recipe!
Just finished devouring this meal! I had the guy at the meat counter at the grocery store cut my chicken up for me. Had dinner on the table before anyone could even ask what we were having! Everyone loves it….especially me because I only have one pan to wash!! Thanks or a great recipe! Will definitely make it again!
Julie,
This recipe was fantastic. My husband and my kids scraped the bottom of the pan. The only thing I was sad about is that I did not have any leftovers for my lunch the next day. I am so excited to have found your websites. I have made many of your recipes and have yet to be dis appointed. I am once again scrolling through them to see what I will make this week. Thank you for your sharing your delicious recipes that are not complicated or extremely time consuming for a working mom!!!
Thank you Jennifer. So glad you all liked it!
Tried this recipe tonight….enjoyed it tremendously! Easy to make, great flavor. The only item I didn’t have on hand was the pine nuts, but I don’t think it made much difference in the dish….it would just add the texture. We will definitely have this again……and again. Thanks for a great recipe!
You are very welcome Debbie!
I love this recipe and make it often for my family. It’s amazing. I also improvise and use fresh tomatoes and don’t really measure anything – I love it. Thank you!
I’m so glad you like it Kimberly!
This was easy to put together and I loved the different flavors. This will become a favorite in our house!!
I’m so glad to hear that Corinne, thank you!
Hands down one of the best things I ever made!
Julie!!! This year I am wanting to actually cook some of the recipes I have seen in your site and I started with this one. It was so good….best part, all three kids ate it and rated it a nine :). Glad I am finally trying these out!!
Thank you Adrienne! Happy cooking!
Yum! Quick, easy, delicious.
This is SO YUMMY, Everyone who I’ve fixed this for LOVES it. Thank you!
Full of Flavor!!