Marry Me Chicken Tortellini is a creamy, one pot recipe, ready in only 30 minutes! It's great for busy weeknights and is one of my favorite pasta dishes with cheese stuffed tortellini and chicken tossed in a tomato cream sauce. A must try dinner!
Marry Me Sauce has been all the rage the past few years with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste and cream. The only thing better than marry me chicken is combining it with tortellini pasta. It's seriously so delicious!
If you're big on tortellini recipes, don't forget to try this Tortellini Alfredo Casserole, Tomato Tortellini Soup, and Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto.
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Why You'll Love This Chicken Tortellini Dinner:
- One Pot Recipe. No cleaning multiple pots and pans for this easy dinner.
- A Full Meal. Protein, carbs, and veggies all pack into this dish. There's no need for extra side dishes unless you want to try this air fryer garlic bread or Burrata Bruschetta.
- Comfort Food. This pasta is creamy and delicious with a tomato cream (marry me) sauce and is the ultimate comfort food.
- Quick. Ready in just 30 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients:
Marry Me Sauce: A combination of heavy cream, shallot, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste. I add a cup of chicken stock to add flavor and a bit of extra liquid, which makes this a one pot recipe and the pasta cooks right in the liquid. I highly recommend Kitchen Basics chicken stock for a superior product.
Tortellini: Cheese stuffed pillows of pasta. I use the kind from the fridge section at the grocery store, not frozen. They have a better texture, as the frozen tortellini gets a bit soggy and water logged.
Chicken Breast: Pounded thin and evenly, then seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano and grilled in olive oil.
Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated and melts in the sauce to add a nutty flavor with the creamiest of textures. I love parmigiano reggiano and believe it's worth the extra cost.
Lemon Juice: Adds just a touch of citrus into the sauce.
Fresh Basil: The finishing touch to add texture and a sweet, peppery taste.
*Full ingredients and quantities are listed in the recipe card below.
Swapping and Adding Ingredients:
Not big on sun-dried tomatoes? Use roasted red bell peppers instead.
For more greens, add in a couple handfuls of baby spinach with the chicken.
I recommend chicken stock for deeper flavors, but you can use chicken broth if it's all you have on hand.
This recipe really needs tortellini versus other pastas because it cooks quickly and in minimal sauce. Other varieties would need more cream and chicken stock in order to cook correctly. For other one pot recipes with regular pastas, check out this Creamy Chorizo Pasta and French Onion Pasta.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini:
Step 1: Place chicken breasts on cutting board and trim if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until the breasts are even thickness. Remove plastic wrap and discard.
Step 2: Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.
Step 3: Add one tablespoon of olive oil into a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove to a cutting board and cover with foil. If the pan is really dark (blackish) on the bottom, allow it to cool and wash off the black bits.
Step 4: Reduce heat to medium low and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss in the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
Step 5: Pour in chicken stock, tortellini, then heavy cream and stir. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Note: Check half way through and stir to make sure the tortellini isn't sticking to the bottom.
Step 6: Slice or dice the chicken breast while the tortellini is cooking. Cover with foil to keep warm.
Step 7: Remove cover and stir in Parmesan cheese. It should melt in seconds. Add in chicken, fresh lemon juice, and toss again to cover with sauce. Cover for 1 minute to warm the chicken a bit and make sure the cheese is melted. Stir.
Step 8: Top with additional parmesan cheese is desired and lots of fresh basil. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Expert Tips 📋:
- If there is too much browning from the chicken at the bottom of the pan, allow it to cool and give it a quick rinse and scrub, before beginning the shallot step.
- Don't overcook the tortellini and watch the heat. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat and quickly add the cheese and chicken. You can also add a splash of chicken stock or cream.
- Use a block of parmesan cheese versus the pre-shredded and grate your own. This will give you a much better melt.
- If the sauce starts to dry up a bit: Pour in a tablespoon of cream or chicken stock over low heat and stir. Usually we would use pasta water, but because we did a one pot recipe, we don't have it available.
Big on Chicken Breast Dinners? Try this Blackstone Chicken Breast, BBQ Pulled Chicken and Baked Panko Chicken.
Recipe FAQs 👨🍳:
A combination of shallot, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, heavy cream, tomato paste, and parmesan cheese. It's a lot like a tomato cream sauce and is amazing with chicken and pastas.
Rinse and pat dry the basil leaves. Stack 3-4 basil leaves on top of each other. Then, roll them tightly into a cylinder. Use your knife and slice perpendicular into skinny pieces. 
This recipe tastes best fresh. If you have to make it ahead, to reheat: warm the dutch oven covered on medium low and add a splash of chicken stock and heavy cream (⅛ cup each).
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Weeknight Pasta Dinners You Will Love:
If you tried this Chicken Tortellini Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini (One Pot Recipe)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
Description
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini is a creamy, one pot recipe, ready in only 30 minutes! It's great for busy weeknights and is one of my favorite pasta dishes with cheese stuffed tortellini and chicken tossed in a tomato cream sauce. A must try dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (about ¾ lb)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- ⅛ cup sun-dried tomatoes (you can double this if you really like them), roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 18-20 ounce three cheese tortellini (fresh from fridge at grocery store, not frozen)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 and ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded from the block + additional for serving if desired
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade (skinny strips) *see faq section for how to cut
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts on cutting board and trim if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until the breasts are even thickness. Remove plastic wrap and discard.
- Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil into a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove to a cutting board and cover with foil. If the pan is really dark (blackish) on the bottom, allow it to cool and wash off the black bits.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss in the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken stock, tortellini, then heavy cream and stir. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Note: Check half way through and stir to make sure tortellini isn't sticking to the bottom.
- Slice or dice the chicken breast while the tortellini is cooking. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Remove cover and stir in Parmesan cheese. It should melt in seconds. Add in chicken, fresh lemon juice, and toss again to cover with sauce. Cover for 1 minute to warm the chicken a bit and make sure the cheese is melted. Stir.
- Top with additional parmesan cheese is desired and lots of fresh basil. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- If there is too much browning from the chicken at the bottom of the pan, allow it to cool and give it a quick rinse and scrub, before beginning the shallot step.
- Don't overcook the tortellini and watch the heat. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat and quickly add the cheese and chicken. You can also add a splash of chicken stock or cream.
- Use a block of parmesan cheese versus the pre-shredded and grate your own. This will give you a much better melt.
- If the sauce starts to dry up a bit, pour in a tablespoon of heavy cream or chicken stock over low heat and stir. Usually we would use pasta water, but since we did a one pot meal, we don't have it available.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Holly
So good! I love the sauce on this. Can’t wait to make it again.
Tara Smithson
Thanks Holly! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!