Pasta is the perfect kid-friendly dish. Make this chicken zucchini pesto tortellini for your next family meal and watch them happily eat zucchini. This light summer pasta dish is surprisingly filling and can be changed up to fit your family’s preferences.
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This chicken zucchini pesto tortellini is so delicious! I ended up making it about 3 or 4 times before I could actually get photos for this blog post. I don’t love taking photos in the evening because the lighting in my house is awful, but there are never leftovers for taking photos the next morning in the good light.
My kids gobble this up and always go back for seconds. Yep, this is my favorite way to get my kids to eat zucchini.
The best part about this recipe is that you can easily change it up. I’ve made it with jarred pesto sauce and homemade. You can also swap the pesto for alfredo sauce.
If your family won’t eat zucchini under any circumstances {or it’s just not in season} you can make this pesto tortellini with asparagus, broccoli, spinach… maybe cherry tomatoes?
It’s so versatile.
It also comes together pretty quick in about half an hour, so it makes an easy weeknight family meal.
How to make chicken zucchini pesto tortellini
Note: This recipe feeds 2 adults and 2 teens. If your kids don’t eat much, you can probably cut it down to 1 pound of chicken, 1 package of tortellini, and half a jar of pesto.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-1/2 pounds chicken breasts
- 2 large zucchinis
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 20-ounce packages refrigerated tortellini
- 8 ounces pesto sauce
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, dice the chicken and zucchini into bite-sized pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, or with your favorite chicken spices.
Heat a skillet with the olive oil and add the chicken. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the zucchini and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
The water should be boiling now. Add the tortellini and cook according to the package directions. I buy the three cheese tortellini at Aldi and it cooks for 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the whole jar of pesto to the pasta and toss to coat.
Stir in the chicken and zucchini.
Serve hot immediately. Refrigerate leftovers; they reheat easily in the microwave the next day.
This meal is pretty filling on its own, but you could serve it with a side salad or bread too.
Printable chicken zucchini pesto tortellini recipe
Chicken Zucchini Pesto Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts
- 2 large zucchinis
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 40 ounces refrigerated tortellini
- 8 ounces pesto sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, dice the chicken and zucchini into bite-sized pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, or with your favorite chicken spices.
- Heat a skillet with the olive oil and add the chicken. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the zucchini and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- The water should be boiling now. Add the tortellini and cook according to the package directions.
- Add the whole jar of pesto to the pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the chicken and zucchini.
- Serve hot immediately. Refrigerate leftovers; they reheat easily in the microwave the next day.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1514Total Fat: 62gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 279mgSodium: 1669mgCarbohydrates: 140gFiber: 7gSugar: 4gProtein: 99g
Nutritional information is only an estimate from online calculators. You should not rely on this information as professional medical advice.
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
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