Easy Tortellini Bacon Carbonara is a rich and creamy alternative from the traditional Italian recipe. Made with an easy cream sauce and no eggs, you can have this served and ready to eat within 30 minutes.
Easy Tortellini Bacon Carbonara is simple and much faster compared to the traditional spaghetti carbonara recipe. Instead of using raw eggs, this cheesy pasta dinner is finished with a creamy sauce made from simple storebought ingredients. The leftovers are easy to store and can be enjoyed the next day!
Traditional carbonara can be intimidating even though it contains just a handful of ingredients. Because it’s made with raw eggs, there’s always a risk of not cooking them fully or the eggs scrambling as soon as they hit the pan. There’s no worrying involved in this recipe because we’re replacing the eggs with heavy cream, cheese, lemon juice, and salt and pepper instead.
My simple and easy cream sauce elevates the flavor in each bite and complements the creamy cheese-filled tortellini shells. Rich and filling on its own, you can serve this cheesy main dish for dinner with a fresh salad and garlic bread on the side.
What is tortellini carbonara?
Traditional pasta carbonara is made with a long cut pasta, like spaghetti, and finished with salted pork and a sauce made from eggs, cheese, and leftover pasta water. The extra starch in the water makes it creamy without adding any extra cheese.
Well, in my recipe for carbonara with tortellini, we’re increasing the cheese! This recipe is made with tortellini pasta instead of spaghetti and is mixed with a simple sauce made from cream, cheese, and parsley. This version has a little more substance from the added peas and bacon, and tastes herby, complex, and creamy.
Why This Recipe Works
Cheese-filled tortellini is cooked and then tossed with a rich carbonara sauce that uses cream for a base instead of the traditional egg-based carbonara sauce. The sauce is simple to make and tastes much more complicated than it is. Crispy bacon, peas, and parmesan cheese round out the dish making this simple meal feel elegant and special.
How to make creamy bacon carbonara
Hello, easy and creamy dinner idea! You’ll have this tortellini carbonara recipe done and ready to eat in no time. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1:
In a large skillet, bring the cream and parsley up to a simmer. Once it’s starting to thicken, stir in the parmesan until the cheese is melted.
Step 2:
Mix in the tortellini, peas, and bacon.
Step 3:
Once the peas and tortellini are warmed through, stir in the lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Serve and enjoy!
Heather's Tips for Recipe Success
- Cook the tortellini until it’s “al-dente” before stirring into the sauce. Al-dente means the pasta is cooked but still slightly firm. When the pasta is added to the sauce, it will soften and cook fully.
- Keep a close eye on the sauce when it’s on the stove. The cream won’t burn, but it can boil over quickly.
- Cream sauces can be hard to reheat without separating. If you need to reheat, heat the sauce up slowly on the stovetop, adding a few splashes of cold heavy cream, and stirring until it’s heated through.
Variations
- Use any veggies you want: I made this recipe with frozen peas, but you can mix in broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or sun-dried tomatoes instead.
- How to serve: Serve with lots of parmesan or pecorino romano cheese on top, as well as fresh herbs like parsley or basil.
- Want to make it vegetarian? Swap the bacon for more veggies and herbs.
- If you want to make this carbonara without cream, you can replace it with milk or a mix of 2 eggs, parmesan cheese, and leftover pasta water.
Storing leftovers
Leftover carbonara is really easy to store. Just keep the cooled down pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can reheat it over low heat on the stove, stirring in a few splashes of cold cream to bring back the creaminess.
More creamy pasta recipes
I have many more pasta dishes that are dreamy, creamy, and delicious:
Easy Bacon Carbonara Tortellini
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1, 18- ounce package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini, cooked and drained
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 8 strips bacon cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked until crispy
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large skillet combine the cream and parsley and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and stir in the parmesan cheese. Stir the sauce until the cheese is melted.
- Add the cooked tortellini, peas, and bacon and continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes longer or until the peas and tortellini are warmed through.
- Stir the lemon juice, black pepper and salt into the pan and serve.
Chef's Notes:
- Cook the tortellini until it’s “al-dente” before stirring into the sauce. Al-dente means the pasta is cooked but still slightly firm. When the pasta is added to the sauce, it will soften and cook fully.
- Keep a close eye on the sauce when it’s on the stove. The cream won’t burn, but it can boil over quickly.
- Cream sauces can be hard to reheat without separating. If you need to reheat, heat the sauce up slowly on the stovetop, adding a few splashes of cold heavy cream, and stirring until it’s heated through.
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