Tortellini with Chicken and Asparagus in a Lemon Cream Sauce

There is something amazing about the pairing of fresh asparagus with pasta. Toss in tender chicken, sautéed mushrooms and shallots along with a handful of cheese, and wrap it up in a lemon cream sauce. This dish might sound complicated, but with a few simple shortcuts it’s on the table in no time.

I’ll admit when I had mapped this out for dinner my intention was to roast a chicken (ambitious of me) and make the tortellini from scratch (overly ambitious!). But my day much like my week had not gone according to plan. So, by late morning I realized this was perhaps a bit unrealistic and plan B was now in order. Luckily, there are a number of fresh pasta options in most food markets and after a quick trip to the store I loaded up on pasta, a roasted chicken, along with some fresh asparagus and a handful of lemons. I now had dinner back on track.

Start by sautéing the asparagus in a blend of butter and olive oil in your stockpot. The cooking time is about ten minutes and the flavor achieved is quite wonderful.

Follow by sautéing the shallots and mushrooms. Then transfer the vegetables to a bowl to keep warm while you cook the pasta in a chicken stock for extra flavor.

Finally, finish up with a bright lemon cream sauce.

The entire dish is cooked in one pan, which I love! The result is a creamy lemon sauce with bright notes of citrus gently coating roasted asparagus, chicken, and cheese-filled tortellini. Beautiful. Elegant. Easy.

Tortellini with Chicken and Asparagus in a Lemon Cream Sauce

¾ pound fresh asparagus

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1-¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, divided

1-½ cups sliced baby Portobello mushrooms, about 8 to 10 mushrooms

1 small shallot, thinly sliced, about ¼ cup

4 cups chicken stock

2 packages cheese-filled tortellini, 9 ounces each

1-½ to 2 cups heavy cream

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons lemon zest, about 2 lemons

2-½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup shaved or grated cheese, preferably a blend of Parmesan and Fontina, plus extra for garnish

2 cups chopped or shredded roasted chicken

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish

Rinse the asparagus and snap the tough ends of the bottoms of the stalks. Cut the asparagus into 1” to 2” pieces.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Season with ¼ teaspoon of the kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Sauté until the asparagus is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 7 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a heatproof bowl.

Add the remaining butter and olive oil to the stockpot. Toss in the mushrooms and shallots and sauté until the mushrooms are golden and the shallots are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and the remaining black pepper. Transfer to the bowl with the asparagus.

Pour the chicken stock into the stockpot, bringing it to a gentle boil. Stir in the tortellini, the remaining kosher salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 to 4 minutes. (If you’re using dried tortellini, the time will vary.)

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortellini to the bowl with the vegetables. Add the nutmeg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Raise the heat to medium-high and allow the stock to reduce to about 1 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Pour in 1-½ cups of the cream into the reduced stock. Cook for about 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Stir in the chopped chicken, cheese, parsley, the sautéed vegetables, and the tortellini. Add the remaining cream if needed to completely coat the pasta.

Check for seasoning, adding more kosher salt or pepper to suit your taste. Top a sprinkling of extra cheese and parsley. Serves 6.

*For the cheese, I use Sartori’s Tuscan Reserve Blend – it’s a beautiful duo of high-quality Parmesan and Fontina, shaved and perfect for cooking or garnishing. Always use fresh lemons. The fresh zest and juice provide a beautiful balance for the sauce.