Creamy pasta dish with tortellini, fresh tomatoes, mascarpone and pan-fried chicken.
Tortellini with fresh tomatoes, mascarpone and pan-fried chicken – a wonderfully creamy pasta dish with sweet cherry tomatoes, white wine and plenty of fresh basil. Topped with slices of juicy pan-fried chicken, it makes a generous, satisfying pasta dinner that is both simple to make and full of flavour.
I start with the chicken so it can look after itself while I make the rest of the dish. I use two large chicken breast fillets and halve each one horizontally (parallel to the board), giving me four thinner, flatter pieces. That makes it much easier to cook them evenly, and the chicken turns out beautifully juicy.
The chicken is first browned well for a couple of minutes on each side to give it a golden crust. Then I turn the heat right down and let it finish cooking gently while I make the sauce. You can of course fry the fillets whole if you prefer – just make sure they are cooked through without giving them any longer than necessary.
The sauce itself is really simple. I fry onion and garlic with the cherry tomatoes and dried basil. The tomatoes are left to soften and release their juices before I add the white wine and let it reduce a little.
The wine brings a welcome acidity to the rich, creamy mascarpone, but if you would rather make the dish without wine, stock works perfectly well instead. If the finished sauce seems to need a little more acidity and freshness, season it with a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
And do use really good cherry tomatoes for this recipe – it makes an enormous difference. There are very few ingredients in the sauce, so the tomatoes carry a great deal of the flavour. When they are in season and full of sweetness, this dish tastes quite fantastic.
While the sauce is quietly bubbling away in the pan, I cook the tortellini. The mascarpone is stirred into the softened tomatoes together with fresh basil, and then I adjust the consistency with a little of the pasta cooking water. It gives the loveliest soft, creamy sauce that coats the tortellini.
Tip the cooked tortellini straight into the pan and add more pasta water as needed. The sauce should be pleasantly creamy without becoming too thick – and remember that it thickens slightly as the dish stands.
Finally, I slice the juicy chicken and lay it on top of the creamy tortellini. Finish with plenty of fresh basil, a little freshly ground pepper and, if you like, freshly grated Parmesan.
A really easy and thoroughly delicious tortellini dish made with a handful of good ingredients. Creamy mascarpone, sweet, juicy tomatoes, fresh basil and golden pan-fried chicken – it is a combination that simply works.
Tortellini with Fresh Tomatoes, Mascarpone and Pan-Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breast fillets
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 150 ml dry white wine (can be replaced with stock)
- 500 g tortellini
- 200 g mascarpone
- 8 sprigs fresh basil, leaves only
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Oil
- Pasta cooking water
- Paprika and thyme (optional)
To serve
- Chopped fresh basil, for the top
- Parmesan, for the top
Method
- Slice each chicken breast fillet in two horizontally (parallel to the board), so you have 4 thinner, flat fillets. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and, if you like, a few other spices such as paprika and thyme.
- Heat a frying pan and brown the chicken well for a couple of minutes on each side. Then turn down the heat – and let it finish cooking through gently over a low heat. This gives you the juiciest chicken.
- Meanwhile, fry the onion in a splash of oil in another pan until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes and dried basil and fry for 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Pour in the white wine and let it reduce well. At the same time, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the tortellini as directed on the packet.
- Stir the mascarpone into the tomatoes in the pan and adjust the consistency with pasta water. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Toss the fresh basil leaves through the sauce together with the cooked, drained tortellini.
- Slice the chicken and lay it on top, then serve with a sprinkling of chopped basil and Parmesan on the side, if you like.
Nutrition
Premium
Hvilken tortelini bruger du?
Hej Luna
Har ikke et bestemt mærke, men bruger altid ricotta/spinat varianten 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Helt fantastisk lækker ret , meget nem at lave
Hej Birgit
Det er så dejligt at høre – tusind tak 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Fantastisk- især med tomater, hvidløg, løg og basilikum direkte fra haven
Hej annette
Det er jeg simpelthen så glad for at høre – tusind tak for de søde ord 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna