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.
We loved it!
Yay!
Great recipe! I’ve made it many times and everyone loves it! Love the fact that you use regular milk, not sour cream, heavy cream or cream cheese! I’m going to try it with crumbled sausage instead of chicken next time. 👍🏼
Thank you Maureen!!
This delicious dish was easy to make and SO GOOD! My husband loved it too!! I will definitely be making this dish again!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
So glad to hear that! Thank you for the comment 🙂
It was to hot to bake this so I boiled the tortellini 1st. Drained used the same pan same the same recipe. I had cooked sausage instead of chicken. It was so delicious and creamy without using heavy cream or half and half. Loved how easy it was. I will make this again.
So happy to hear you enjoyed this! Thank you!
This was AMAZING. Absolutely loved it.
So happy to hear that! Thank you!
I added 1/2 a small onion and more garlic, didn’t have rotisserie chicken so I seasoned chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, salt pepper, garlic powder/onion power and basted with 1 TBS of butter at the very end. On meal rotation now
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
My family love this dish they always want to help make it especially the kids
Made this last night and got thunderous applause. I followed ingredients but made slightly more chicken, tortellini and sauce due to my heavy eaters. It was very well seasoned, layered tasting recipe that I was impressed I made after it was done ! Thanks for a keeper recipe !
I am thrilled to hear this! Thanks Deb! 🙂
Yum! I used Andouille sausage
Delicious! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Tried this evening. Delicious meal, my husband loved it. I think next time, I will cook the chicken right before adding, I am not a huge fan of reheated chicken. Very delicious though
So happy to hear! Thanks so much! 🙂
It was delicious! Have you tried freezing leftovers?