Creamy Pesto Chicken Tortellini (Baked Tortellini Recipe) – A simple savory baked pesto chicken pasta with cheese tortellini, fresh spinach and peppers.
Baked pasta goodness
This cheesy Pesto Chicken Baked Tortellini is easy to make and feeds a lot!
Last week a friend asked me if it was too late in the year to cook pasta.
“What do you mean?” I asked her.
“You know … for example, do I have to stop eating pasta in late spring and summer because it’s out of season?”
If you’ve ever wondered about serving pasta in the summer let me reassure you, Pasta is an eternal food.
You can stop eating pumpkin baked goods after the fall. Or you can skip simmering soups in the summer, but there’s never a wrong time to enjoy pasta.
Pasta is delicious in any season, served cold or warm, with almost any combination of ingredients.
In fact, even if you have one questionable Chef, I bet you can make a decent pasta dish. Have you noticed that unless you cook your pasta to a pulp or over-salt the pasta, it usually turns out to be?
Funny but true.
Today’s recipe isn’t just one respectable Pasta dish; it is wonderful. And not just for autumn and winter; It’s a recipe for every season.
This Pesto Chicken Baked Tortellini Pasta consists of chilled (or frozen) cheese tortellini mixed with chicken breast, fresh baby spinach, peppers, onions, cheese and a creamy pesto sauce.
That’s right, the chicken is baked right with the pasta!
What ingredients do you need
- Cheese tortellini – chilled or frozen and thawed
- Boneless chicken breast, skinless – cut into 1 inch cubes
- butter
- Red pepper – sown and chopped
- Red onion – peeled and chopped
- Basil pesto or Homemade pesto
- Fresh baby spinach
- chicken soup
- Whipped cream
- Grated Fontina cheese
- Shaved parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
How to Make This Baked Tortellini Recipe
- Preheat the oven and place the butter in a medium pan and place on the stove over medium heat. Add onions and fry for 2 minutes. Then stir in the chopped red pepper and fry for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the tortellini into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Add the chopped (raw) chicken, fresh spinach, and sautéed onions and peppers to the bowl. Mix to mix evenly and spread across the pan.
- Mix the pesto, chicken broth, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in a bowl or measuring jug. Whisk well, then pour the mixture over the tortellini.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then gently stir the pasta to make sure the tortellini is covered with sauce on top.
- Sprinkle the top with both types of cheese and bake without a lid for another 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.
Get the full pesto chicken tortellini (baked tortellini) recipe below. Enjoy!
Pesto Chicken Baked Tortellini Pasta Cooking Tips
Whisk freshly prepared or canned pesto with cream and chicken stock to a thin baking sauce. Once poured over the pasta, the sauce becomes thicker as the pasta soaks up the moisture as it bakes.
You can put all of the ingredients raw in the baking dish for a true one-pan dinner. However, I have a feeling that if you sauté them in butter for a few minutes first, you can get a better taste and texture out of the onions and peppers.
When the pesto chicken baked tortellini is halfway through cooking, sprinkle the top with fontina and parmesan for a decadent, melted finish!
This all season pesto chicken baked tortellini will feed a large group.
Serve it this weekend with a light summer salad and a bottle or two of white wine. It’s a simple dinner your friends will rave about!
frequently asked Questions
How long does this recipe keep in the refrigerator?
If you keep the leftovers in an airtight container, they’ll keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Can I make a smaller serving of this recipe?
This recipe can easily be cut in half and baked in an 8- or 9-inch square pan for a smaller batch.
Can i freeze this recipe?
Yes, you can definitely assemble and freeze this dish. If the recipe is frozen it will need to bake covered for 45 minutes, plus an additional 20-25 minutes open.
Will the chicken be cooked before adding it to the dish?
No, the chicken can go raw in the pan as it will be cooked through in the oven!
More summer pasta dishes
Pesto Chicken Tortellini (Baked Tortellini Recipe)
Creamy Pesto Chicken Baked Tortellini Recipe, a simple spicy baked pesto chicken noodle with cheese tortellini, fresh spinach and peppers.
Servings: 10
- 40 Ounces Cheese tortellini, chilled or frozen and thawed
- 1 lb Boneless chicken breast, skinless, chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 Red pepper, sown and chopped
- 1/2 Red onion, peeled and chopped
- 6th Ounces Basil pesto or homemade pesto
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups chicken soup
- 1 Cup Whipped cream
- 2 cups grated Fontina cheese
- 1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the butter in a medium-sized pan and place on the stove over medium heat. Add onions and fry for 2 minutes. Then stir in the chopped red pepper and fry for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the tortellini into a large 3 quart (9 × 13 inch) baking dish. Add the chopped chicken, fresh spinach, and sautéed onions and peppers to the bowl. Mix to mix evenly and spread across the pan.
Mix the pesto, chicken broth, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in a bowl or measuring jug. Whisk well, then pour the mixture over the tortellini.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then gently stir the pasta to make sure the tortellini is covered with sauce on top. Sprinkle the top with both types of cheese and bake without a lid for another 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.
2. You can put the onions and peppers raw in the baking dish for a true one-pan recipe, but I feel like sautéing it improves the taste and texture first.
Portion: 1Cup, Calories: 694kcal, Carbohydrates: 53G, Protein: 37G, Fat: 36G, Saturated fatty acids: 16G, Cholesterol: 143mg, Sodium: 1191mg, Potassium: 311mg, Fiber: 5G, Sugar: 4thG, Vitamin A: 1955IE, Vitamin C: 21.3mg, Calcium: 420mg, Iron: 3.6mg
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