(One Pot) Pesto Chicken Tortellini

5 from 11 votes

This one-pot Pesto Chicken Tortellini is a game-changer! Tender chicken, cheesy tortellini, and sun-dried tomatoes come together in a rich pesto sauce with fresh basil for a quick and easy meal.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pesto chicken tortellini

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $18.12

Equipment

Large pot nonstick

Ingredients

1/2 cup buttermilk optional, see note 1
1 (20-ounce) package Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 2 small, see note 1
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons olive oil I use the sun-dried tomato oil from the tomatoes
2 cloves garlic minced
Fresh basil sprig optional
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil coarsely chopped (and reserved sun dried tomato oil for this recipe)
1 (7-ounce) container basil pesto about 1/2 cup plus 3 to 4 tablespoons
Serving suggestions see note 2

US - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large nonstick pot of salted water to boil. Follow package directions to cook tortellini.
In a small bowl, stir together paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. If you marinated the chicken, drain chicken from the buttermilk. If not, cut chicken into even, bite-sized pieces. Dab chicken pieces with paper towel and toss to coat in the seasoning mix. Add the flour on top and stir until chicken pieces are coated.
In the same pot used to cook the tortellini (must be a nonstick pot) add 3 tablespoons reserved olive oil from the sundried tomatoes. Heat on medium for about 30 seconds, then add a sprig of basil and the garlic. Stir for another 30 seconds, then increase heat to medium and add the chicken. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and no longer pink inside. If needed, add additional sundried tomato oil. When chicken is almost cooked through, remove the basil and add the sundried tomatoes and sauté until chicken is cooked through.
Add drained tortellini back in with the chicken and reduce heat to low. Gently stir for 1–2 minutes and remove from heat.
Stir in the basil pesto and 1–2 tablespoons of oil from the sundried tomatoes as desired. Taste and season with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.
Garnish plates with fresh basil and add parmesan cheese.

Notes

Note 1: If desired, marinate chicken ahead of time. Remove any fat from the chicken and cut into even, bite-sized pieces. Place in a large plastic bag and pour buttermilk over; knead to coat the chicken entirely. Place in fridge and marinate for 4–6 hours or until ready to use. If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup milk. Allow to sit 5 minutes, then mix in with chicken.

Note 2: Serving suggestions: red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and/or Buitoni Grated Parmesan cheese.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze portions in airtight containers and reheat directly from frozen.

Nutrition