Chicken Tortellini Sauce (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Creamy Sauce

01 - 2 tablespoons butter
02 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
03 - 3 teaspoons chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
04 - 1 cup chicken stock, low-sodium
05 - 2 cups whipping cream
06 - 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
07 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
10 - 2 cups loosely chopped baby spinach

→ For the Chicken

11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
13 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
14 - ½ teaspoon Italian herbs
15 - ½ teaspoon paprika

→ Pasta

16 - 1 bag (19 oz) frozen cheese-filled tortellini

# Instructions:

01 - In a bowl, coat the chicken chunks with ½ teaspoon each of Italian herbs, paprika, and black pepper. Set it aside while you prep the other items.
02 - Put olive oil in a big pan and heat it over medium-high until shimmering. Lay chicken pieces in a single layer (work in rounds if your pan is small). Let them cook for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping now and then, until golden and no longer pink. Move the cooked pieces to a plate and keep nearby.
03 - With the heat on medium-low, add butter to the same pan and let it melt. Toss in the garlic and sun-dried tomato slices. Stir for around 30 seconds or when you can smell the garlic without it burning.
04 - Stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon each of Italian herbs, black pepper, and paprika. Keep whisking until it slowly starts bubbling. Gradually stir in the Parmesan until it melts fully and makes the sauce rich and creamy.
05 - Pop the cooked chicken back into the pan with the tortellini and the chopped spinach. Stir gently so it all gets coated in the creamy sauce. Let it simmer for around 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the spinach looks wilted and the pasta softens.
06 - Take the pan off the heat. Wait 2 minutes so the sauce thickens up a little. Dish out into bowls, sprinkling extra Parmesan and parsley on top, if you'd like.

# Notes:

01 - Great for rushed evenings since it only takes half an hour to make.
02 - To make sure it all cooks at the same time, cut chicken into similar-sized pieces.
03 - For a bit of spice, try sprinkling some red pepper flakes into the sauce.
04 - If the dish sits a while, it’ll get thicker. Add cream when reheating if needed.

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