Chicken Tortellini in Cream Sauce (Printable Version)

Tender handmade tortellini stuffed with herbed chicken and ricotta, finished in a silky Parmesan cream sauce.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta Dough

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Chicken Filling

04 - 1 cup cooked chicken breast, finely chopped
05 - 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
06 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 garlic clove, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Cream Sauce

11 - 1 cup heavy cream
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ For Serving

15 - Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
16 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for garnish

# How-To:

01 - Mound the flour on a clean work surface and create a deep well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and add the salt. Beat the eggs gently with a fork, gradually pulling in flour from the inner walls until a shaggy dough begins to form. Bring the dough together with your hands and knead firmly for 7 to 8 minutes until the surface is silky smooth and springs back when pressed. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped chicken, ricotta, Parmesan, minced garlic, parsley, nutmeg, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture holds together when pressed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
03 - Unwrap the rested dough and divide it into manageable portions. Using a rolling pin or pasta machine, roll each portion out to approximately 1/16 inch thickness. Cut the thin sheets into 2-inch squares or rounds using a knife or pasta cutter. Place roughly 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each piece. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon, pressing out any trapped air and sealing the edges firmly. Bring the two pointed corners together around your finger and pinch to form the classic tortellini shape. Transfer finished tortellini to a lightly floured sheet pan.
04 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Drop the tortellini in batches, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they float to the surface and the pasta edges are tender. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and set aside briefly.
05 - While the tortellini cooks, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing it to reduce slightly. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and continue stirring until fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
06 - Add the cooked tortellini directly to the saucepan with the cream sauce and toss gently to coat each piece evenly. Divide among warmed plates or shallow bowls. Finish with an extra shower of grated Parmesan and a scatter of chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Homemade tortellini sounds intimidating but the dough comes together with just three ingredients and a little patience.
  • The chicken and ricotta filling is rich without being heavy, and that whisper of nutmeg makes people ask what your secret is.
  • The cream sauce is barely five minutes of work yet tastes like something from a restaurant with cloth napkins.
02 -
  • If your dough tears while rolling it is either too dry or has not rested long enough, cover it and wait five more minutes.
  • Overfilling is the number one cause of tortellini bursting open in the water, a teaspoon of filling is all you need per piece.
  • The cream sauce thickens as it sits off the heat, so if it looks a little loose at first it will be perfect by the time you plate.
03 -
  • Dust the shaped tortellini with semolina flour instead of all-purpose if you have it, they will not stick and the texture is slightly better.
  • Freeze any extras on a tray in a single layer before transferring to a bag, then boil from frozen adding just one extra minute to the cooking time.

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