Marry Me Chicken Tortellini: Creamy, cheesy pasta with juicy chicken, herby sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach—all in one pan for a deliciously easy meal.
The Best Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Two of my all-time favorite comfort foods are Marry Me Chicken and Chicken Tortellini. I had to combine them, and the result blew me away. This dish has everything you love about creamy tortellini, with the bold flavor of Marry Me Chicken.
It’s rich and satisfying but lighter than most creamy pastas—no heavy cream or half-and-half, and you won’t even miss them!
Ingredients
- Butter: Go with unsalted to make sure you can control the saltiness.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I use the oil for extra flavor. Buy pre-chopped to save time.
- Mushrooms: Baby Bella mushrooms work best.
- Minced garlic: Use jarred garlic to save time.
- Flour: Helps thicken the sauce. Whisk until smooth to keep sauce smooth.
- Seasonings: Bring out bold flavors.
- Milk: Whole milk works best.
- Chicken broth: Use a good-quality brand for the best flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds saltiness and rich flavor.
- Cheese-filled tortellini: Rana® is my favorite.
- Rotisserie chicken: You can also use leftover baked or grilled chicken.
- Baby spinach: Brings color and freshness.
How To Make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
- Preheat & Cook Veggies: Use chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil for more flavor.
- Make Sauce: Slowly add the liquid while whisking to keep the sauce smooth.
- Mix Together: Use fresh tortellini from the fridge so it cooks evenly.
- Bake & Finish: Stir halfway to help everything cook evenly.
- Serve & Store: Tortellini absorbs sauce over time, so it’s best eaten fresh.
Recipe Shortcuts
- Use store-bought rotisserie chicken or, even better, pre-shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Buy sliced mushrooms to skip chopping.
- Grab pre-washed baby spinach to save time.
- Get grated Parmesan from the deli so you don’t have to grate it.
What To Serve With Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
- Italian Salad: Fresh greens with a light dressing.
- Roasted Veggies: Try asparagus, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli.
- Foccacia: Perfect for soaking up the sauce.
- Green Beans: Tossed with almonds and garlic.
- Caprese Salad: Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic glaze.
- Quinoa Salad: Mixed with lemon, herbs, and veggies.
Storage
Leftovers?
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini is best served hot, straight from the oven!
As it cools, the pasta soaks up the sauce, making it less saucy.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
When reheating, add a splash of broth to bring the sauce back to its original texture.
More Easy One-Pan Dinners:
- One-Pan Tikka Masala cozy and full of flavor
- One-Pot Spaghetti pasta cooks right in the sauce
- Baked Ravioli Lasagna with store-bought short-cuts
- Sausage Tortellini Bake tastes like a restaurant meal
- One Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies a reader favorite
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini features creamy, cheesy pasta with tender chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach—all in one pan for and easy, irresistible meal!
Equipment
- Oven-safe pan 3.5-quart
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes plus 1 tbsp oil, see note 1
- 8 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced, I love Baby Bella
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, add to heat preference, up to 1/2 tsp
- 1-1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 7/8 cup grated Parmesan 7/8 cup = 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp; divided, see note 2
- 9 ounces refrigerated Rana’s tortellini 2-1/2 cups, see note 3
- 1-1/2 cups shredded/diced rotisserie chicken see note 4
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach coarsely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle and preheat to 425°F.
- In a large (3.5 quart) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2–3 minutes. Then add sun-dried tomatoes and cook another 2–3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a separate plate.
- In the same pan, melt remaining 4 tbsp butter. Sprinkle flour over the melted butter and whisk briskly until smooth. Continue cooking and whisking constantly for 1–2 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, paprika, red pepper flakes (if using), plus salt and pepper to taste.
- While whisking constantly, very gradually pour in the milk and chicken broth until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3–5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gradually add 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese at a time, stirring until melted.
- Return the cooked veggies (along with accumulated liquid) to the pan. Add rotisserie chicken, tortellini, and chopped spinach. Gently stir to combine, ensuring the tortellini is submerged in the liquid as much as possible and smooth into an even layer.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, stir everything well, and press into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of Parmesan over the top and bake for an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove from oven, season with additional salt and pepper if needed, and garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately for best results, as the tortellini will continue to absorb the sauce if left to sit.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, preferably julienne cut and packed in herbs for extra flavor.
Note 2: Use fresh Parmesan from the deli section or grate from a block of Parmesan using the small holes of a cheese grater.
Note 3: Fresh refrigerated tortellini that cooks in boiling water within 4–5 minutes is recommended for accurate timing and liquid quantities.
Note 4: Any leftover cooked chicken, particularly herbed rotisserie chicken, works well in this recipe.
Storage: Best served immediately! Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of broth to bring the sauce back to its original texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 1135mg | Potassium: 1385mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2449IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 478mg | Iron: 12mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious!! This recipe is so good I’ve added it to my rotation. She’s dead on about using the oil from the sundried tomatoes. I sub avocado oil for 3 of the 5 TBS of butter. You can’t tell, & it’s healthier! My hubby doesn’t like mushrooms, so we omit those.
It’s definitely not a 30-min recipe for me. More like an hour, hour twenty.
Note: I don’t have an oven safe skillet, so I use my largest skillet & then pour into a baking dish.
I’m soo glad you loved it! Thanks for the tips! 🙂
This recipe is amazing! So so good it has great flavor, everything goes so well together. The only thing I was thinking when eating it was I might add more spinach than it calls for but it definitely was awesome just the way it is. Thank you for this recipe, will definitely make it again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Let me know how you like it with more spinach. Thank you so much Marsha! 🙂
I have made this twice, and it is one of our favorites! My S.O. and I always finish leftovers. It is easy to make and is delicious, thanks for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks Allison! 🙂
I’m gonna make this over the weekend! What would be a good side dish with this? Omg my mouth is watering it looks so delicious!
I hope you love it! 🙂 I think either of these salads would be delicious as a side: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/healthy-italian-salad/ https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/apple-salad/
I came across this recipe today. I had a rotisserie chicken, spinach and sun dried tomatoes. So I went online looking for a recipe with those ingredients. I made it today and follow all the instructions and all ingredients but one!! I sadly didn’t have any mushrooms at hand. 🙁 No matter!! It was delicious and everybody liked it. My husband said it is a keeper. 🙂 I can wait to try it again with the mushrooms!! Thank you!
Yay!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! And yes you’ll love it with the mushrooms! Thanks! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Easy to make and restaurant quality taste. Going to try it with sausage next time. Excellent!
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this!! Thanks Julie! 🙂
Turned out SO GOOOOOD!! Definitely keeping it in my books I have a picky husband and he couldn’t get enough of it!!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed Sonia! Thanks! 🙂
I’m not sure where I went wrong, but there wasn’t anywhere near enough liquid to cover my tortellini before I put it in the oven! I didn’t have enough tomatoes or mushrooms, so I halved the recipe. I replaced the chicken with pasta (which understandably needs more liquid than the cooked chicken), but had to add about 2 extra cups of liquid in order to cover the tortellini in my pan. Next time I’ll double the liquid/sauce and use the listed amounts for everything else.
Hi! Can you tell me if you are using a 10″ or 12″ skillet in your photos? Making for company and I want presentation to look as nice as yours. Thank you looks fantastic!
12 inch! Enjoy 🙂
I made this recipe for an office party, and it was over-the-top fantastic. One of my colleagues described it as “restaurant quality” and needed the recipe for her family! I did add more broth and more milk so it was not so thick. It truly took only minutes of prep, which made it amazing to pull off with only 45 minutes from walking in the door after work to serving it to a crowd! I used a colorful enamel Dutch oven to cook it in (instead of the cast iron frypan, which I don’t own), and it worked beautifully–and could be served on the table from the pot, as well.
Thank you so much for your kind words Theresa! 🙂 I am so thrilled this was a hit at your office party 🙂