Make this Baked Tortellini with Chicken for a cheesy, hearty and comforting weeknight dinner. Sear seasoned chicken and bake with cheese tortellini in a cheesy pasta sauce. It is a great make ahead meal for busier weeks because you can prep ahead of time and bake when you’re ready.
I like to serve chicken and tortellini recipe with a simple side salad tossed in a creamy balsamic vinaigrette and some bread like this loaf of bread you can make overnight.
Comforting
Weeknight Dinner
Quick Look: Baked Tortellini with Chicken
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 35 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 🍝 Servings: 6 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 467 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Sear chicken on stovetop and bake in oven
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: chicken, cheese tortellini, pasta sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheese
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Medium. No need to cook the tortellini
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Ellen left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I used rotisserie chicken which made this even easier. I love a delicious meal that takes almost no time or thought to prepare! So helpful to have recipes like this I can go to in a pinch.”
This baked tortellini is not your typical casserole
I love a one pan meal, but I need them to have these three elements: tons of flavor, easy to prepare, and delicious as leftovers. This baked chicken tortellini checks all of those boxes for me!
It is a full meal in one with a good balance of carbs, fats and protein and it’s the kind of meal that will have everyone in the family asking for seconds. The biggest test for my family is whether or not my picky toddler will eat it and he devoured this one!
It is also a fantastic freezer meal! Bring a pre-made baked tortellini to a friend, instruct them to pop it in the freezer and then bake it whenever they need a quick and easy meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – chicken breasts cut into thinner fillets are seared and cut into cubes. Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts.
- Salt, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes– season the chicken breast with this simple seasoning blend prior to cooking. This will add tons of flavor to the dish
- Cheese tortellini – use uncooked cheese tortellini. I like to use some from the refrigerated section, but frozen or shelf stable will work. No need to boil before assembling because the tortellini cooks in the casserole with everything else.
- Marinara sauce – use your favorite brand of jarred pasta sauce for this tortellini dish. I usually use marinara, but I sometimes even use a arrabiata sauce to add a little spice. If you want, you can use a can of crushed tomatoes, but be sure to season the sauce mixture with a couple teaspoons of an Italian seasoning blend.
- Ricotta cheese – mixing ricotta cheese in with the pasta sauce makes this dish a creamy tortellini bake. There are many things you can use in place of the ricotta. I like a mixture of heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese.
- Aged balsamic vinegar – mix a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in with the marinara sauce and ricotta cheese to add a bit of umami and depth of flavor to this baked pasta dish
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – top the entire baking dish with a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese to get that gooey, cheesy top that is perfect for a baked pasta dish. I like to broil this tortellini and chicken recipe at the end for a couple of minutes to get a nicely browned cheese layer.
If you want to use a different type of pasta, feel free to use raviolis. I recommend using a spinach or cheese ravioli. It will compliment the rest of the ingredients nicely.
Feel free to replace the cooked and cubed chicken with ground beef, ground turkey or a plant based alternative like lentils. You could also use cubed rotisserie chicken to save time.
You can mix in some chopped baby spinach, diced onions, diced mushrooms or diced zucchini to add some veggies to this pasta dish. I personally like to serve the veggies on the side. One of my favorite things to serve with this baked tortellini is this Lemon Kale Caesar Salad.
How to make Baked Tortellini with Chicken 🍝
Step 1: Stir pasta sauce, ricotta and balsamic vinegar together until evenly combine. Season and sear chicken breast and cut into cubes.
Step 2: Pour cheese tortellini and cooked cubed chicken into the baking dish.
Step 3: Top the tortellini and chicken with the pasta sauce mixture and toss to combine.
Step 4: Top the tortellini, chicken and sauce with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven at 350F. Garnish with fresh herbs and fresh parmesan cheese before serving warm.
I love that this all comes together in one dish just like this chicken pot pie casserole. It makes it very easy to throw everything together before meal time.
Storage and reheating
Allow the baked tortellini to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the oven at 325F until warmed through or in the microwave. You can top it with extra shredded mozzarella when you reheat it.
can i make this chicken tortellini dish ahead of time?
Yes! It is very easy to prepare this chicken tortellini recipe ahead of time and then bake it when you are ready.
Just sear the chicken and mix the ingredients in a baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese and cover with foil. Place in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake and then follow baking instructions.
To freeze this tortellini casserole prepare it in a freezer safe baking dish. Then cover tightly with 2 layers of foil. Bake from frozen covered for 1 hour at 350F then uncover to brown the cheese on top.
Check out These Other Comforting Pasta Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Baked Tortellini with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 28 oz jar of pasta sauce
- 1 cup full fat ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Slice chicken breasts in half longways so you are left with 2 thinner filets for each breast. Mix salt, garlic powder, oregano, dried basil, and crushed red pepper. Season chicken on both sides with the seasoning mixture.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is warm, sear chicken breasts for about 3 minutes on each side or until they are lightly browned.
- Remove from the pan and place on a cutting board to cool slightly then cut into bite sized cubes.
- Whisk together pasta sauce, ricotta cheese and aged balsamic vinegar. Place tortellini and cubed chicken in a casserole dish. Pour sauce over top and toss to mix thoroughly.
- Spread shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven to bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and increase heat to 450F. Continue baking for just a few minutes until the cheese on top is browned and bubbling.
- ** To prepare ahead of time: Just sear the chicken and mix the ingredients in a baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese and cover with foil. Place in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake and then follow baking instructions.
Recipe Notes
- To freeze this tortellini casserole prepare it in a freezer safe baking dish. Then cover tightly with 2 layers of foil. Bake from frozen covered for 1 hour at 350F then uncover to brown the cheese on top.
- You can use any type of tortellini you like, but it should be uncooked and refrigerated. I like cheese tortellini best, but you could also use spinach tortellini
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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