Chicken, Tortellini and Vodka Sauce

1 bag (1 lb.) 3 cheese tortellini
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. oil
1 jar Vodka Sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Drain.  Stir in garlic and butter.  Cut chicken into bite size pieces.  Heat oil in large frying pan.  Cook chicken until done.  Stir in Vodka Sauce and Ricotta.  Heat and stir until well blended.  Add tortellini.  Pour into 3 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Sprinkle with mozzarella.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.  Serves 6.

Martha:  I love tortellini and I actually made this dish around it.  Of course I wanted the chicken but have never done much with vodka sauce.  This came out to be a great tasting combination.  I did turn my broiler on and let the cheese brown just a bit, which I personally like.  The dish isn't 'wet' with sauce.  The sauce actually came out thick and stuck to the chicken and tortellini coating it perfectly. 

Lillian: Like Martha, I love tortellini. I had pasta with the vodka sauce and mushrooms recently and it was really delicious. It was also the jarred sauce and that made me realize that not everything has to be "homemade" to be good. Being from the "old school" of cooks, I take pride in making all of my own sauces as well as other ingredients in a casserole. This has been a delicious lesson.

Tip:  When a recipe calls for alcohol of any kind, does the alcohol cook out completely?  A study was conducted and showed that alcohol remained in several recipes after the preparation was complete.  In the survey a pot roast was simmered with burgundy for 2 1/2 hrs; a chicken dish simmered for only 10 minutes after the burgundy was added; scalloped oysters made with dry sherry baked for 25 minutes; and cherries jubilee was doused with brandy, then ignited.  The results showed that anywhere from 4 to 78 percent of the initial amount of alcohol remained when the dishes were done.  The jubilee had the most alcohol left even after being doused.