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Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Spinach Tortellini…the best any night of the week dinner that feels extra special. Lightly breaded chicken seared until golden with nutty browned butter. The chicken is finished in a simple white wine pan sauce with spinach and parmesan cheese. It’s delicious, especially with an extra sprinkling of parm on top. Every bite is layered with delicious flavors and the creamiest sauce. The perfect way to spend a relaxing night in the kitchen with family and friends.
Some nights require something fun, while other nights require something crazy easy, but yet still totally delicious. Tonight we needed crazy easy and totally delicious. And that’s exactly what this chicken tortellini is. I can’t really tell you what inspired this, but what I can say is that this entire year I’ve really been on a cheesy tortellini kick. This cute little cheese-filled pasta has made its way into many recipes. This dish is just yet another and proves it has many ways of being delicious.
I love simple skillet dinners like this. This is an idea I’ve had in the back of my head for a bit now. I finally made it, and it actually turned out better than the picture I had in my head. That rarely happens with recipes, so I knew right away this dish was special.
Jumping right into the details of this one!
The simple details.
If you love a good skillet seared crispy chicken, you’ll love this slight twist even more. It’s all about that creamy parmesan sauce. It’s hinted with garlic and butter and really just one of those sauces that everyone loves.
Start with the chicken. If you’ve made chicken parmesan this is very similar. Simply dredge the chicken through a mix of flour, then pan-sear it in a hot skillet. This allows the chicken to form a nice golden crust on the outside. Using thin chicken cutlets is key. The thin chicken cooks evenly and browns nicely in a short amount of time.
Tip: if your grocery store does not carry chicken cutlets, as a swap, try asking your butcher to pound out chicken breasts for you. This is super easy to do at home, but truthfully…it’s just not that much fun. The butcher can quickly pound out the chicken and save you the trouble…and the mess.
Also, you can easily make this chicken gluten-free by replacing the flour with almond flour. Or use your favorite gluten-free flour blend (I like cup4cup).
Once the chicken is seared, pull it out of the skillet and toss in a bit of butter, shallots, garlic, and plenty of thyme. Again, allow that butter to brown, creating an even more delicious flavor around the garlic. Now, stir in the spinach and let it wilt into the butter.
At this point, add in the wine, simmer until reduced, then stir in the tortellini and cream. Allow everything to simmer and thicken into a delicious creamy sauce. I add the tortellini towards the end of cooking to ensure it doesn’t get mushy in the creamy sauce. It only needs a few minutes to soften before it’s ready to serve. When the tortellini is just about ready, I add the chicken back to the skillet and let it cook another minute or two until everything has warmed throughout.
SIMPLE.
Finish it up.
I like to first spoon the chicken out onto a plate, then spoon the sauce and tortellini over the chicken, really submerging the chicken in the sauce. The saucier, the better.
And then lastly, I squeeze a little lemon over top for a layer of freshness.
Yummm…and super easy. Perfect for just about any night of the week. I love how quickly and easily this comes together. It really is one of those “no fuss”, easy, delicious dinners that everyone loves. Already excited to make it again very soon.
Cannot wait!
Looking for other skillet dinners? Here are a few to try:
One Skillet Cheesy Cuban Chicken Rice Bake
Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo
One Skillet French Onion Tater Tot Casserole
Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Spinach Tortellini be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Spinach Tortellini
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 732 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken cutlets or 3 boneless chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- red pepper flakes
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- 1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken through the flour mix, pressing to adhere.2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet.3. To the skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the shallots, garlic, thyme, and a pinch each of red pepper chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. Add butter and spinach. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.4. Pour in the wine and broth. Cook 8 minutes until reduced slightly, then add the tortellini and cook another 2 minutes. Pour in the cream and add the parmesan, stirring until melted and creamy. Add the chicken back to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes or until warmed through and the sauce has thickened slightly. 5. Serve the chicken topped with the spinach cream sauce. Squeeze over a bit of lemon juice and a sprinkling of parmesan.
I made this without the chicken for a veg meal. It was so fast and delicious. I will cook the torellini a little longer next time.
Hey Lori,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for sharing your feedback and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy 4th of July!??
Tieghan, you knocked it out of the park with this one. So easy and delicious! My store was out of shallots so I just left them out. Cant wait to try it WITH shallots.
Hi Janna,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for trying it out and sharing your review! xxT
This recipe is fantastic! Super easy to follow and everything turned out sooo tasty. I would totally recommend making it.
Hi Grace,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
This has been my regular recipe for when I have people over for dinner. It’s so easy and delicious. It’s better than eating out.
Hey Teri,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xxT
Um, so where’s the tortellini come in?
Hi there,
The tortellini is added in step 4:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
We made this tonight. We used twice the spinach because we have a CSA box and we had two weeks worth of spinach to work with and it was still lovely. We didn’t have tortellini on hand so we just used some plain noodles and it was great. We also had our first ripe tomato from the garden today, so I diced that and added it on top and it added some nice color. We will make this again! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Suzanne,
Love to hear this!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! ☀️xTieghan
Made this last night! Very tasty, but there was no sauce/liquid at all. Measured everything exactly so not sure why. How could I creat more sauce next time? Double the broth, cream and wine? Any suggestions please??
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear there wasn’t any sauce! I would just double all of the liquids next time! I hope this helps:) xTieghan
This was (another!) amazing recipe! I served with your No Knead Sourdough bread and wow! this meal packed a punch! Thank you for sharing your seemingly endless talent!
Hey Natalie,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
I have 8 ounces of tortellini I’m cooking for this recipe tonight! Should I cut the sauce in half or keep it the same? Thanks!
Hey Jaime,
I would probably cut it in half. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Hi Tieghan,
Is a cast iron skillet necessary for this recipe?
Hey Taylour,
Any large skillet will work for you!! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Making this tonight. Do you add the tortellini frozen to the pan or cook it first? Also can I use cooking wine if I do not have a bottle of white? Thanks
Thank you
Hi Kimberly,
I like to use fresh tortellini with this recipe, if yours is frozen I would boil it first. Yes, cooking wine will work, you can also use chicken broth. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Cooking this amazing recipe in our motor home. The smells coming out of our home on wheels in unbelievable!! Every dish we make of yours is a delight to create and to consume!
Thank you
Katie Rocco
Hey Katie,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was a winner! xxT
I tried this for the first time as an Easter dinner since it was just my little family and we LOVED IT! It was easy to make, very flavorful and the kitchen smelled so good while I was making it. Even my toddler approved! Served it with a salad and garlic bread and it was a super simple and flavorful meal perfect for a casual night or holiday! Will definitely make it again.
Hey Lisa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Love your recipes !! This was delicious ! My entire family loved it. Will be a permanent staple for us !
Hey Michelle,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
What could I use instead of the wine as a substitute?
Hi there,
You can use broth in place of the wine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This recipe is good. Very, very good. Wilting the spinach by sauteing it (as opposed to adding it after the cream) added depth of flavor to the whole dish. I did use an entire 16oz can of chicken stock only because the fresh tortellini seemed to need it. It’s really quite tasty.
Hi Bill,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx