Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara blends cheesy tortellini and creamy parmesan sauce, then flavors everything with bacon and garlic.  It’s a richer knockoff of the classic Pasta Carbonara! 

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

Extra bacon.  Extra Cheese.  Because.

It was a family vacation that inspired me to make Cheese Tortellini Carbonara.  We had rented a timeshare in beautiful Captiva, FL and brought along three kids and a boyfriend.  Pretty near a dream vacation except for one problem–how to make food that would please everyone.

Creamy pasta is always a crowd pleaser—and even my picky daughter would eat mac ‘n cheese three times a day. 

I just needed an adult version.  With major flavor.  Yes, food bloggers tend to raise kids with… expectations

This dish cooks up fast with just a few ingredients, so it’s a near perfect vacation entree.  And in the end, the creamy rich pasta was the hit of the week.  

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

What is Pasta Carbonara

Per Wikipedia, “Carbonara is a pasta dish made with eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper…The cheese is usually Pecorino Romano, parmesan, or a combination of the two… Normally guanciale or pancetta are used for the meat component, but lardons of smoked bacon are a common substitute outside Italy.”

It’s creamy like the always popular Pasta Alfredo, with the addition of bacon.  How good is that!

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

Why You’ll Love This!

Easy.  Just missing out on the 5-ingredient recipe qualification, this comes together easily—even in a timeshare kitchen!

Tasty.  This is rich and creamy, flavored with bacon, cheese and garlic.  Need I say more?

Crowd-pleaser.  This dish is kind of like classy comfort food and was loved by all.

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

  • Cheese tortellini.  This is the pasta component of the dish with some extra cheesy goodness.
  • Bacon.  This adds flavor and richness.
  • Garlic. This adds flavor.
  • Eggs.  The eggs thicken the sauce and add creaminess.
  • Parmesan cheese.  This adds creaminess and flavor.
  • Salt, black pepper.  Salt and pepper enhance flavor.
  • Flat-leaf parsley.  Parsley helps balance the flavors and adds a punch of color.

Special Tools

  • No special tools required!

Step by Step Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain but reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Cook bacon, then remove from pan and reserve.   Drain all but 3 Tablespoons bacon fat.

cook bacon

Add garlic to pan and sautee for a minute or two, then add cooked pasta and mix together off the heat.

add cooked pasta to pan

Beat together eggs and cheese.

beat eggs and add cheese

Mix into the pasta pan, then set back on the stove, and cook until sauce is thickened. Add reserved pasta water as needed.

cook sauce on pasta

Stir reserved bacon back in and season with black pepper and salt to taste.

add reserved bacon and cheese

Top with chopped parsley. Serve with additional grated cheese if desired. 

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

How to Serve

Just add a salad and you’ll have a complete tasty meal.  Though consider including some garlic bread if everyone’s been out hiking or kayaking and built up an appetite!

To stick with the Italian theme, consider my Spicy Italian Salad.  Or if you also happen to be serving this in a tropical paradise, how about a Moon and Starfruit Salad with Passionfruit Dressing!

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

Variations

This dish is often made with different types of pasta.  It’s probably most often made with fettucine for Fettucine Carbonara.  Other common versions are linguini carbonara or rigatoni carbonara. 

To use a different type of pasta, just cook it according to package direction and use it instead of the tortellini.

If you’re looking for a little more protein you can add some cooked meat or seafood.  Chicken or shrimp carbonara anyone?  Or maybe this Pork Belly Carbonara!

Leftovers

Leftovers should keep, sealed and refrigerated, for 3-4 days.  Reheat until warm in the microwave.  I don’t tend to freeze cooked pasta since it can lose its “al dente” texture.

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

Tips & FAQs

As a cost saver, you may be able to find “bacon ends” for a discount.  Just be sure they are thinly sliced like bacon.  I recently ended up with chunky bacon ends which were fine chopped, but not as good for this.

And for more great Pasta Recipes:

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

Pasta served

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara!

Cheese Tortellini Carbonara blends cheesy tortellini and creamy parmesan sauce, then flavors everything with bacon and garlic.  It’s a richer knockoff of the classic Pasta Carbonara! 
Author: Inger
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Dish
Servings 6
Calories 587 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 20 ounces cheese tortellini 2 10-ounce packages
  • 8 ounces bacon cut slices in half
  • 6 garlic cloves chopped finely
  • 3 eggs
  • 5 ounces grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt Black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped

Instructions
 

  • Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Pour tortellini into the pot and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup water for sauce and discard the rest. If the sauce isn’t ready when done (mine was), drizzle the pasta with a little oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
  • While pasta water is heating, cut bacon strips in half and cook until crisp in a large frying pan. Remove bacon and set aside. Discard all but 3 Tablespoons of bacon fat (see note).
  • Add garlic to the saute pan and cook for a minute or two, until starting to turn light gold. Remove from heat, then add cooked pasta and mix together well.
  • Beat together eggs and cheese. Mix into the pasta pan, then set back on the stove, and cook until sauce is thickened. Add reserved pasta water as needed.
  • Stir reserved bacon back in and season with black pepper and salt to taste.
  • Top with chopped parsley. Serve with additional grated cheese if desired

Notes

Note: can drain bacon grease and replace with 3 T olive oil for a healthier alternative

Nutrition

Calories: 587kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 29gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 1106mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 450IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 364mgIron: 3mg
I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Updated from original, dated Feb 16, 2020.

15 thoughts on “Cheese Tortellini Carbonara

  1. Raymund

    5 stars
    Your Cheese Tortellini Carbonara recipe sounds like a delightful twist on a classic carbonara, the combination of creamy tortellini, crispy bacon, garlic, and cheese is hard to resist. Yum!

  2. Christie

    Carbonara is one of my favorite pasta recipes. It’s so creamy and easy. I haven’t tried it with tortellini. Adding this one to the must try list.

  3. Inger Post author

    Actually not as high calorie as I would have thought. Until you eat two portions I guess 😉

  4. Juliana

    I am loving this simple and easy dish…and absolutely love the creamy…in everything. Thanks for sharing the recipe and happy to know that you had a great family vacation.
    Enjoy the rest of your week Inger!

  5. Audrey

    I am not sure which line made me laugh more – food bloggers have kids with “expectations” or “there is no such thing as too much cheese” True and True!

    This looks delicious with the bacon and creamy sauce.

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