One Pot Chicken Cacciatore Tortellini Pasta

5 from 7 votes

This easy one pot chicken cacciatore tortellini pasta is saucy, packed with authentic Italian flavors and cleanup is a snap!

Prep Time10

Cook Time19

Total Time29

Course: Mains

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 532kcal

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion
peeled and chopped
1.5 pounds chicken breast (24 ounces) boneless, skinless chopped into 1 inch cubes. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins or thighs.
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning dried
3 cloves garlic
peeled and chopped or sliced thinly
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes dried, crushed (optional or to taste)
salt and pepper
to taste
1 medium red bell pepper
fresh, seeds removed and chopped
1 and ¾ cups tomato marinara sauce (14 ounces) jarred (use your favorite spaghetti sauce)
2.5 cups chicken broth
reduced sodium and gluten-free if needed
3 tablespoons capers
½ cup kalamata olives pitted
8 to 9 ounces tortellini or tortelloni (use your favorite type - ours was mushroom) Can also use gluten-free tortellini.
2 cups spinach fresh (optional)
Parmesan cheese optional for serving

In a large pot (at least 5.5 quarts), add olive oil and chopped onion. Sauté over medium heat until slightly softened and aromatic.
Next, add the chopped chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to the pot with the onions. Sauté and stir until the chicken is almost cooked through –approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
Add chopped red bell peppers, jarred tomato marinara sauce, "2 cups" chicken broth (reserve ½ cup for later) and cook over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes until bubbly. Cover and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Then add capers, kalamata olives and tortellini or tortelloni pasta and ½ cup extra chicken broth to the pot. Cover and cook according to the directions on your tortellini package. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Our pasta was cooked in 8 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed. If your marinara sauce is too tart, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavors.
Remove the lid from the pot and turn off the burner on the stove, add in fresh spinach and stir. Sauce will thicken upon sitting.
Garnish with parmesan cheese or enjoy plain with a drizzle of extra virgin (EVOO).

Tips:

You need at least 5.5-quart (5.2 liter) large pot with lid to cook the pasta. We used a Dutch oven.
Feel free to substitute 1 cup of the chicken broth with a dry white to deglaze the pan.
If your tomato marinara sauce is sour, we like to add a teaspoon of sugar or sugar alternative to balance the flavors.
Try adding a tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar when you add the tomatoes for a complex delicious flavor. Optional but delicious.
If you choose to use tinned tomatoes vs jarred tomato sauce, it will need to cook down a few minutes longer (10-15 minutes) to get rid of that tinny taste BEFORE adding the pasta.
Don’t throw the box or bag your tortellini or tortelloni came in. After you add the pasta to the pot, you will follow the cook time on the package. Every pasta cook time is a little different. The time need to cook our tortelloni was 8 minutes. However, small tortellini pasta will take much less time to cook. Don’t overcook the pasta!
Prevent sticking by stirring the chicken cacciatore tortellini pasta occasionally.
Sauce will thicken upon sitting.

Storage:

You can keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.