Weeknight Card · rotisserie rescue
20-Minute Rotisserie Chicken Pesto Tortellini
Refrigerated tortellini, rotisserie chicken, pesto, peas, and Parmesan turn five main ingredients into a fast one-pot dinner with almost no prep.
🌙 Your Weeknight Card
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Active prep: 4 minutes
- Cleanup: 1 pot
- Cost tier: Moderate
- Kid flexibility: Medium-high
- Leftovers: Good · 2 days
Why it fits tonight: The chicken is already cooked, refrigerated tortellini cooks in minutes, and pesto handles nearly all of the seasoning work.
Why It Works Tonight
This is a useful change of pace when you have cooked chicken but want something warmer and more bowl-like than a handheld dinner. Refrigerated tortellini and prepared pesto keep the cooking work unusually small.
20-Minute Rotisserie Chicken Pesto Tortellini Recipe
Serves: 4 · Prep: 4 minutes · Cook: about 16 minutes
5 Main Ingredients
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups shredded cooked rotisserie chicken
- ⅓ cup prepared basil pesto
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
Pantry basics: black pepper and a splash of reserved pasta water.
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook tortellini according to the package directions. Add the frozen peas during the final 2 minutes.
- Save a little water. Scoop out ½ cup pasta water, then drain the tortellini and peas.
- Finish in the same pot. Return tortellini and peas to the warm pot. Add the rotisserie chicken, pesto, and Parmesan. Stir over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time until glossy and hot.
- Serve. Add black pepper at the table if wanted.
Safety note: Reheat the cooked chicken until steaming hot. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Make This Card Fit Your Night
Picky-Eater Move
Reserve a plain tortellini-and-chicken portion before adding pesto. Parmesan can be added separately at the table.
Lowest-Effort Shortcut
Use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken and refrigerated pesto. The only real job left is boiling water.
Use What You Have
Frozen chopped spinach can replace peas. A mild spinach pesto also works if basil pesto is too strong for the family.
Leftovers Tomorrow
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently with a tablespoon of water to loosen the pesto coating.
Try Next
Keep the shortcut dinner energy going with Rotisserie Chicken Quesadillas, BBQ Rotisserie Chicken Flatbreads, or Creamy Tomato Tortellini.