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Everyone needs a good Italian recipe and this basil sun dried tomato chicken tortellini is the one after your heart, plus it’s all in one pan!
At the risk of sounding totally ridiculous, MWAHAHAHAAHAHA. Yes, you heard me and it wasn’t the first time I uttered such a thing. The first time being when made this basil sun dried tomato chicken tortellini. You guys. It’s good. It’s real good. Usually our favorite meal is fried tortellini, one of Cade’s best recipes, but I had no choice but to make up a new recipe.
I do this kind of thing ALL. THE. TIME. I have Costco fever. It’s sad. But when you buy a big, fat jar of Sun Dried Tomatoes only to realize that there are only 4 of you in the house and 2 of those eat like little birds you realize rather quickly that you’d better start thinking up new recipes. Why do I do that? And why can’t grocery stores sell bigger, but not as big as Costco jars? DUDE.
And that’s not the only thing. Their heavy cream is GINORMOUS. Guys, who is buying that much?! Ok, I did in fact grab some, but it was only because I really didn’t want to stop in at the store after already spending an hour eating samples, er I mean shopping.
Let’s get back to the pasta before I start rambling about why the bakery does not do enough sampling (I am pretty sure it’s once every other year) and how I’d like to change that. You really could use regular pasta in this dish, but I love the texture and flavor that tortellini adds. It’s something extra without adding anything special to the dish. The chicken is seasoned, sauce is rich and flavorful (and a little cheesy!) and that basil, well we all know how I feel about basil. 🙂
Are Sun Dried Tomatoes Really Dried in the Sun?
Few, if any store-bought “sun dried” tomatoes are actually dried in the sun.
But, they will still have the same rich, delicious flavor.
Can Tortellini be Reheated?
You can reheat left over pasta that hasn’t been added to sauce by placing it in a metal strainer and dipping it in boiling water until it is heated through.
If the sauce has been added, you can reheat by putting it into a shallow ovenproof dish, covering it with foil, and baking at 350° F until heated through, about 20 minutes.
How Long Will Left Over Tortellini Keep?
Refrigerate the tortellini in shallow airtight containers or resealable plastic bags for 3-5 days.
Basil Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Tortellini
Basil Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 Package Three Cheese Tortellini
For the Chicken
- 2 Chicken Breasts, boneless skinless
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning, we used McCormick
- Salt and Pepper, just a pinch on each breast front and back
For the Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, unsalted
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 1 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Oil
- 1 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1/4 Cup Basil, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat with a little olive oil.
- Quickly season the chicken with the paprika, poultry seasoning and salt and pepper.2 Chicken Breasts, 1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika, 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning, Salt and Pepper
- Add to the pan and turn to medium low heat.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes and flip, cooking for an additional 5-6 minutes or until cooked through.
- Remove to a plate to cool slightly.
- Once the juices have redistributed, slice the chicken in thin pieces and set aside.
- Turn the burner back to medium heat and place the same pan back on the burner with the butter.1 Tablespoon Butter
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sun dried tomatoes and allow to cook for a few minutes.1 1/2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic, 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper, 1 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Oil
- Next, add the heavy cream and allow to cook for 1 minute.1 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- Remove half of the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add back in with the remaining sun dried tomatoes, and bring back to a simmer.
- Allow to cook for 3 minutes and add the cheeses and basil.1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, 1/4 Cup Basil
- Meanwhile, cook the tortellini until it all floats to the top and is tender, then add to the pasta sauce with the chicken and season to taste.1 Package Three Cheese Tortellini, Salt and Pepper to taste
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Skinny Creamy Pesto Tortellini
When adding in the sun dried tomatoes do we add it in with the oil? Do we only take half the sauce and blend it? what about the remaining heavy cream and milk in the pan?
I made this for lunch today and it turned out pretty well. I subbed milk for the heavy cream, which curdled as it cooked. I wanted to use something “lighter” but I’m not sure if milk is a good substitute. It tasted great though, thanks!
If you use milk just make sure you turn it down and cook slowly. 🙂
Just made this for dinner tonight… Great recipe! Absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
Thank you!
I’m so glad!! Thanks so much Lindsay!
What size package of tortellini did you use? I’m trying to cook this tonight and I have some tortellini laying around.
We use a 20 ounce family size but you could easily use a 9 ounce and cut the sauce down
That looks so creamy and good!
This looks awesome! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I have a similar one for chicken with sun dried tomatoes (which I love – YUM!) but this sounds even better!!
Thank you so much!
My family loves tortellini but I never feel full afterwards because I miss the meat. This will be wonderful, can’t wait to make it. Thanks for sharing.
I am always looking for something like this to cook. I like tortellini but I never feel like it is enough – too many carbs. The chicken will be just the thing to add. I know what you mean about the large sizes. I am used to cooking for 4 men but now it is just the two of us and I have to learn not to cook that much and more importantly not to buy too much. Thanks for this recipe!
Oh my goodness, I cannot even imagine how much food I would go through if I had 4 men in the house. Two little girls eat like birds! haha
Carrian, no joke, I was JUST going through my pantry yesterday and found 3 bags of sun dried tomatoes.. I keep forgetting I have them and then buy more when I need them for a recipe. This will be perfect to use some of them up! xx
Haha! I just hate that!
I could dive into this for breakfast right now! Beautiful dish – and I’m a basil freak, too.
Yes!! I love it. Basil is just so darn wonderful!