Prepare the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry with kitchen paper, then season them generously with salt and pepper on both sides. You want the surface to feel tacky, not wet — that’s the sign you’ll get a good sear.

Sear the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high flame until it shimmers and a drop of water sizzles on contact. Lay the chicken breasts in the pan and let them cook undisturbed for 5–6 minutes. The underside should turn a deep, golden brown and release easily from the pan. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes, until the meat feels firm to the touch and the internal temperature reaches 74°C. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest, tented loosely with foil. You’ll hear a faint crackling as it rests — that’s the juices redistributing.

Sweat the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the same pan. Watch it melt into a foamy, nutty-scented pool. Tip in the diced onion and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the onion turns translucent and soft, and the kitchen smells sweet and savoury. Add the minced garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds, just until it becomes fragrant — do not let it colour beyond a pale gold, or it will turn bitter.

Build the sauce. Pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a gentle bubble, letting it reduce by about a third. This takes around 3 minutes. You’ll see the liquid thicken slightly and the bubbles become slower and larger. Stir in the double cream, thyme, and nutmeg. The colour will shift from a thin grey-brown to a warm, pale ivory. Season with a pinch of salt and a crack of black pepper.

Cook the tortellini in the sauce. Tip the fresh tortellini straight into the simmering sauce (no need to pre-boil them). Stir gently to coat each piece, then cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The pasta will soften and puff up slightly, and the sauce will cling to every crevice. You’ll notice the aroma shift from creamy to a more rounded, wheaty scent.

Wilt the spinach. Add the fresh spinach in handfuls, stirring it into the hot pasta and sauce. Within 60 seconds, the leaves will collapse into a deep, emerald green, releasing a faint, grassy perfume. Continue stirring until all the spinach is incorporated and evenly distributed.

Slice and return the chicken. Slice the rested chicken breasts into thick strips across the grain. The interior should be pearly white and juicy. Nestle the strips into the tortellini and sauce, letting them warm through for a minute. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the top and stir once more — you’ll see the sauce tighten and become glossier as the cheese melts in.

Serve immediately. Ladle the creamy chicken and spinach tortellini into warm bowls. Garnish with extra Parmesan and a scattering of fresh parsley. The surface should be glossy, the sauce clinging thickly to each piece of pasta and chicken. Eat while the steam still curls upward.