This amazing Chicken Tortellini Alfredo combines succulent rotisserie chicken with refrigerator or frozen cheese tortellini in a rich, creamy five-ingredient homemade alfredo sauce. This quick and easy recipe is ideal for busy families and weeknight meals.
Easy Chicken Alfredo Tortellini
This is one of our family’s favorite dishes because it is so easy to prepare and tastes delicious. It is just as tasty as Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo Tortellini and much less expensive. I like to serve this meal with a simple garden salad drizzled with a light Italian vinaigrette and French baguettes with sweet cream butter or cheese garlic bread.
If you like this recipe, try some of my other easy pasta recipes like Cajun Chicken Pasta, Buffalo Chicken Pasta, Tuscan Chicken Pasta, and Parmesan Pasta.
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cheese tortellini. Cook refrigerated tortellini for 2-3 minutes, frozen tortellini for 3-5 minutes, or dried tortellini for 10-11 minutes. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the pasta water for thinning the sauce if needed. Drain the tortellini well.
While the water comes to a boil, melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Then, whisk in the cream and Italian seasoning. Simmer until slightly thickened, but do not boil. Reduce the heat to as low as it will go, and stir in the Parmesan Cheese until melted.
Add the cooked cheese tortellini and shredded chicken, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle with a bit of chopped fresh parsley.
Ingredients for Chicken Tortellini Pasta
This recipe was written for busy families for weeknight meals, so let’s keep it simple!
- Refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
- Butter – Either will work, but if you only have salted butter, reduce the amount of kosher salt when seasoning the recipe.
- Minced garlic – for the best flavor, use fresh minced garlic.
- Heavy cream – also known as whipping cream
- Italian seasoning
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese – not the pre-shredded in the bag or the can
- Cooked chicken – either diced or shredded. I like to use rotisserie chicken picked up from Costco, but any cooked chicken will work.
Beth’s Recipe Tips
- Use refrigerated, frozen, or dried cheese tortellini. The only thing that changes is the cooking time. Cook refrigerated tortellini for 2-3 minutes, frozen tortellini for 3-5 minutes, or dried tortellini for 10-11 minutes.
- Don’t boil the tortellini; instead, simmer them.
- Reduce the cream mixture by about 1/3. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes, so start working on the sauce while the water is coming to a boil.
- For best taste results, grate your own block of Parmesan cheese instead of purchasing pre-grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and use it when reheating leftovers.
What to serve with Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
I like to serve something light, like a simple garden salad with a light dressing, sauteed asparagus, roasted broccoli, or garlic butter mushrooms.
Storage and Reheat
Store Chicken Tortellini Alfredo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power. If you stored the pasta water in an airtight container in the fridge, now is an excellent time to use it to thin the sauce.
Theoretically, you can freeze this dish, but it will result in changes in texture and consistency, so it is best to enjoy it within 3 days.
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Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
Ingredients
- 19 ounces refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream also known as whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese plus more for serving
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cheese tortellini. Cook refrigerated tortellini for 2-3 minutes, frozen tortellini for 3-5 minutes, or dried tortellini for 10-11 minutes. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the pasta water for thinning the sauce if needed. Drain the tortellini well.
- While the water is coming to a boil. Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Whisk in the cream and Italian seasoning. Simmer until slightly thickened but do not boil. Reduce the heat as low as it will go and stir in the Parmesan Cheese until melted.
- Add the cooked cheese tortellini and shredded chicken, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle with a little chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Use refrigerated, frozen, or dried cheese tortellini. The only thing that changes is the cooking time. Cook refrigerated tortellini for 2-3 minutes, frozen tortellini for 3-5 minutes, or dried tortellini for 10-11 minutes.
- Don’t boil the tortellini; instead, simmer them.
- Reduce the cream mixture by about 1/3. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes, so start working on the sauce while the water is coming to a boil.
- For best taste results, grate your own block of Parmesan cheese instead of purchasing pre-grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and use it when reheating leftovers.
Nutrition
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Michael
Followed the recipe using the freezer pasta option, it was amazing! Really enjoy your recipes!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Michael! So glad that you like my recipes!
Clinton
Made this today for lunch and it was delicious! I’ll be having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow too. Thanks!
Beth Pierce
You are mose welcome. Clinton!
Khush
My husband loves this dish. Thanks for the inspiration. It is hard to find chicken recipes that he truly loves.
Melinda
What a delicious comfort food dish. The family loved it and they are requesting it again, already. I think maybe they should make it for me this time!
Beth Pierce
That sounds like a great plan!
Lavanda
Delicious! The combination of succulent rotisserie chicken, cheese tortellini, and that rich homemade Alfredo sauce was fire. This will be a regular at our house, now!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lavanda! I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Hari
I love this pasta dish. This is comfort food at its best. I enjoyed it with your roasted broccoli recipe. It was a fine meal if I say so myself.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Hari! I am so glad that you liked it.
Tammy
Oh this looks soooo delicious! What a comforting dish! I cannot remember the last time I had alfredo but it’s such a guilty pleasure. I’m craving this now and I know the family will love it too!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tammy! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Toni
We really enjoyed this! I served it with a garden salad and it was a hearty and delicious meal. I think salad balances out the slight heaviness of pasta with alfredo sauce.
Ree
Count me in when it comes to alfredo anything. Then add tortellini and we are talking a littel piece of heaven. This dish was delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Ree!
Tamara
Alfredo is one of Mr. G’s favorite things to eat and he loved this. I loved how quick and easy it was to make even with homemade alfredo sauce. I will be making this again, soon.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tamara! I am glad that you both enjoyed it.
Stephanie
This is one of those dishes I will make often. Tender chicken and the creamiest alfredo sauce – so delicious to sit down to a plate of this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ally
Oh this is abslutely DELICIOUS! I will make it again. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Ally! I am glad that you liked it.
Erin
Such a fantastic recipe! Adding to our rotation list. The family loved it.
Amanda
This recipe is a homerun! It came out perfect and everyone could not stop talking about how good it was!
Sandra
My family loves this recipe! So tasty and perfect for busy weeknights!