Tortellini with Spinach and Chicken
A 30 minute complete meal pasta
Ingredients
For Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (the weight doesn't have to be exact, two small or one large breast will do)
- 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, to taste
For Pasta:
- 10 ounces fresh three cheese tortellini, I use Buitoni (cooked to package instructions)
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups cups, diced tomato
- 1/2 cup green pitted olives, sliced (I like Castelvetrano)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup Italian Dressing (I use Primal Kitchen)
- 1/4 cup Good quality olive oil
- juice of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Start the Chicken:
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Place a pan on medium heat. While pan heats season chicken by sprinkling both sides of breasts with sea salt, pepper, onion, garlic powder and paprika.
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When pan has heated for a couple of minutes, add olive oil. Place breasts in pan and sear for five minutes, flip chicken, add one cup of water to pan, cover with lid, and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cook for 15 more minutes with lid on. Do not lift lid! The heat needs to stay in the pan for the chicken to cook through.
While chicken continues to cook for 15 minutes, prep the rest:
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Place a pot of salted water on the stove to boil. While water heats, put baby spinach in bowl, dice tomatoes, slice olives, grate cheese and set all aside. Make dressing by whisking together Italian dressing, olive oil, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.
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Cook pasta to package instructions, most fresh tortellini cooks in 4-5 minutes so time it as best you can for when the chicken is done. Strain pasta in colander, do not rinse. Immediately add pasta to bowl on top of spinach. Allow the pasta to warm spinach while you dice the chicken breasts. Add chicken to bowl. Add tomatoes and olives. Drizzle with dressing and toss well. Add Parmesan cheese and toss again. Serve!