There’s a reason why some dishes are made to comfort people and pasta is always at the top of the list for me. It’s like snuggling in a warm blanket. This dish was inspired by a time when one of my friends dropped off dinner for our family after our dog had surgery. It’s filling and somehow light and fresh all at the same time. What’s nice about this recipe is that it’s comforting, but it’s also a lighter pasta dish because it’s not weighed down by a sauce. It’s simply tossed in EVOO and freshly Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. That’s it. So simple.
Because this is a simple recipe, I went out of my way to make sure that the two main components- the chicken and the tortellini are packing a ton of flavor. You could shred up almost any chicken for this recipe, even leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. I’d also really recommend cooking shredded chicken this way-
- add about a pound of chicken breasts to a large pot (I halved 2 large breasts)
- add half of an onion, that has been cut into large wedges
- 2 carrots, chopped in large pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- Seasoning- 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- enough water to just cover all of the above ingredients
Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let it all simmer until the chicken is cooked through and easy to shred, about 25 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken).
IMPORTANT: Run the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer and reserve for cooking the tortellini. Use up this liquid first to boil your tortellini and then add whatever extra water that you may need in order to cook it. This is going to give the tortellini an extra punch of flavor! 👊🏻
You’ll notice for the assembly of the pasta, that I didn’t give a measurement for the freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. Really that’s up to you. Once you get the tortellini cooked, the veggies cooked and the chicken shredded, just toss it all together in the skillet. Re-season it if you need to, throw in a little extra EVOO if you need to. Since there isn’t a sauce with this pasta, you don’t want it to be dry, but you also don’t want it to be too oily. Start off light with the EVOO and shred in some Parmesan cheese. Adjust these items if you need to.
This dish can be served right away. I prefer it warm, but it can also be served cold. It’s also really good the next day after everything has sat together for a bit. This would also be a great meal-prep recipe for lunches.
| Prep Time | 30 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 Minutes |
| Servings |
Servings
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Ingredients
For Cooking the Chicken
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- In a large pot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, bay leaf, buillon cubes, salt, pepper, cumin and chicken breasts. Add just enough water to cover everything and stir.
- Bring pot to a boil, lower heat to medium and cook on a simmer for 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Remove chicken from liquid and shred once it’s cool enough to handle. Run the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer and reserve it for the cooking of the tortellini.
- Fill the large pot with enough liquid to cook the tortellini. Use up the strained reserved cooking liquid first and then add any water that you may need. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add 1 TBSP EVOO along with the bell peppers and green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until they soften, but are still crisp.
- Once the veggies are cooked to your liking, add the cooked tortellini to the skillet. Add the shredded chicken and stir together. Turn off the burner and remove from heat. Add about 2 more TBSPS of EVOO and mix well.
- Shred the Parmesan directly into the skillet, about 1/2 cup. Add any extra EVOO if you need to. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Taste for seasoning. Top again with freshly shaved parmesan.
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.