Pesto Chicken, Tortellini, and Veggies – healthy, easy-to-make Mediterranean-style dinner that is good for you and it tastes like comfort food!
This recipe uses 2 of my favorite ingredients: basil pesto and tortellini – and you can buy both in most grocery stores. Which makes this recipe a great and healthy choice for a weeknight dinner, when you don’t have that much time to cook. Just buy some tortellini and pesto (plus chicken and veggies) in the store, and quickly make this pesto chicken tortellini with veggies.
This easy chicken recipe is packed with colorful vegetables: red and yellow grape tomatoes, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes, combined with the delicious cheese tortellini. Everything is generously smothered with basil pesto and olive oil. I love how well-balanced this dish turned out to be thanks to the combination of the veggies, healthy oils (olive oil and basil pesto), protein (chicken), and a moderate amount of carbs (tortellini).
Everything is cooked in one pan – which means quick and easy clean up after you’re done eating this deliciousness!
Next time you see tortellini and basil pesto on the shelves of your local grocery store, be sure to keep this recipe in mind!
Mediterranean style dinner packed with colorful vegetables: red and yellow grape tomatoes, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes. All these veggies are combined with the delicious cheese tortellini and generously smothered with basil pesto and olive oil.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless, sliced into strips
- salt
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained of oil, chopped
- 1 lb asparagus ends trimmed, cut in half
- 1/4 cup basil pesto or use more
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes yellow and red, halved
- 1 cup tortellini uncooked
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, add sliced chicken thighs, season chicken generously with salt, add half of chopped sun-dried tomatoes - and cook everything on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping a couple of times, until the chicken is completely cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and sun-dried from the skillet, leaving the oil in.
- Add asparagus (ends trimmed), seasoned generously with salt, remaining half of sun-dried tomatoes, and cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the asparagus is cooked through. Remove the asparagus to a serving plate.
- Cook tortellini according to the package instructions, drain.
- Add chicken back to the skillet, add pesto, stir to coat on low-medium heat until the chicken is reheated, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tortellini, halved cherry tomatoes, mix with the pesto and the chicken. Add more pesto if desired. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Add chicken and tomatoes and tortellini to the serving plate with asparagus.
Planning on making for a small group of friends for or lunch. How would it work if I made it the day before?
It would work just fine if you made this the day before. If I made this a day before, I would add only half the amount of pesto, and then add the remaining half of pesto the next day, right before serving. This will ensure that the pesto flavor is vibrant and fresh when you serve the dish!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’ve made it several times and it’s one of my husbands favorites! Currently making it again for his birthday as it’s what he asked me to make! We love it!
Kassandra, I am so happy to read comments like yours! So glad this recipe has become one of your family’s favorites! 🙂
I have made this several times. It immediately became one of my husband’s favorite meals. The besr part is that it is SO easy to have a restaurant worthy meal on the table fast. The leftovers are just as tasty, maybe even better! I have also tried it with broccoli ot green beans, instead of asparagus. It works very well. Thank you so much for a great recipe that I use over and over.
Catherine, you are so welcome! Comments like yours make my day! So glad you’ve been enjoying this recipe. And yes, it works well with broccoli or green beans, too.
I made this without the pasta and added mushrooms and onions. It was really good!
Thank you! I am so glad you liked it! Mushrooms and onions are great additions!
I made this as a quick and easy midweek dinner and it was both quick and easy as well as absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making this again.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for stopping by and leaving your comment! 🙂