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15-minutes and 6 simple ingredients is all you need to make this delicious Tortellini Carbonara. Following the traditional method for making creamy carbonara without cream, filled tortellini is what gives this recipe a fun new twist.
Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick - 15 minutes from start to finish, including cooking the pasta
- It's easy - yes, it's easy to make carbonara without cream - just follow my tips!
- It's delicious loaded with classic carbonara flavors
- It has simple ingredients - no pancetta or guanciale, simple bacon will do
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Bacon can be switched for pancetta or guanciale, which are actually more traditional choices
- Parmesan cheese and pecorino cheese can both be used - or just use one of them. I like to use both since parmesan has such great flavor and using only the saltier pecorino cheese can make it a bit too salty for me.
- Tortellini - I like dry tortellini since it's not as easy to overcook as fresh, and super easy to have on hand, but you can use fresh or frozen as well. As for the filling you can use any filling you enjoy - I'd recommend ham & cheese, plain cheese, or mushroom.
- Egg yolks can be swapped for whole eggs, but then keep a closer eye on the temperature when making the sauce
- Fresh ground black pepper is best for this recipe, but pre-ground works
How to make it
To make this tortellini carbonara, start by getting your tortellini cooking. Do not salt the pasta water, and let it simmer - not boil wildly. Cook about 1 minute less than the package says.
- While the tortellini is cooking, dice your bacon and place in a cold pan over medium heat.
- Sear the bacon until cooked, but not crispy. Then take off the heat and set aside for now.
- Place parmesan cheese and pecorino cheese in a bowl.
- Follow with ground black pepper.
- Add egg yolks.
- Mix well to create a sort of paste.
- Just when the pasta is finished, drain it but make sure to reserve at least 1 dl/ ½ cup of pasta water. Bring out the pan with bacon and bacon fat, which should have cooled a bit by now, and add in the tortellini together with 2 tablespoons of pasta water.
- Mix quickly.
- Add the cheese and egg paste.
- Mix well, adding more pasta water as needed if the tortellini looks dry. Mix until the sauce is creamy and coats the tortellini. Taste test and add salt if needed - then serve your tortellini carbonara immediately, topping with more cheese and black pepper if you like!
Tips & tricks
- Don't salt the pasta water - since bacon, pecorino and tortellini are all pretty salty it's better to add salt later if needed - usually I find it's not
- Let the tortellini simmer, not boil wildly, to keep all that filling inside
- Don't overcook the tortellini - it will keep cooking a bit when you add it to the pan with the sauce
- Start your bacon in a cold pan to allow as much fat as possible to seep out
- Don't make the sauce over a heat source as that will likely make your pan too hot. Instead, take the pan off the heat and make it there.
- Make sure your pan is not too hot or your egg yolks might scramble. Having it sit off the heat for a while before adding the pasta usually does the trick.
- Add the pasta fresh and hot from the pot to make sure the pasta & pasta water is hot enough to melt the cheese and create a creamy sauce.
- Use fresh ground black pepper - for this dish it really makes a difference
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days
Recipe FAQ
This tortellini carbonara is a traditional carbonara made with filled tortellini instead of spaghetti.
No! While many recipes will call for it, a traditional carbonara does not have cream. Instead, it's made creamy when the starchy pasta water mixes with the fat from the bacon (traditionally guanciale) and cheese, with silky egg yolks (or whole eggs) acting as an emulsifier (just like they do in a mayonnaise).
Use only egg yolks, and make sure the temperature isn't too high. Why? Egg yolks have a higher coagulation point than egg whites, and hence you have more room for error when using only egg yolks
And the temperature - well, eggs scramble at high temperatures. But you don't want it to be too low either, since the heat melts the cheese and helps make the sauce creamy. To keep the temperature just right, I make sure my pan and bacon has cooled down a bit and then add hot fresh-from-the-pot pasta to it, immediately followed by some pasta water and the cheese mixture.
More 15-minute pasta dishes
Love quick & easy pasta dinners, like this Tortellini Carbonara? Then I think you will love these - all done in 15 minutes or less!
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Creme Fraiche Carbonara with Bacon
- Salmon Crème Fraîche Pasta
- Smoked Salmon Pasta with Spinach & Lemon
- Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Walnuts
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Garlic Butter Pasta
- One Pot Hummus Pasta [vegan]
Did you love this recipe? Rate it 5 stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Tortellini Carbonara
Print RateIngredients
- ⅓ lb dry ham & cheese tortellini
- ¼ cup pasta cooking water or more, to consistency
- ⅓ cup bacon
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup grated pecorino cheese + more for serving (optional)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese + more for serving (optional)
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper + more for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini in unsalted water for about 1 minute less than the package states - until almost done. Then take off the heat and drain the pasta water, but make sure to reserve at least 1 dl / ½ cup for use in the sauce.
- While the tortellini is cooking, dice the bacon and place in a cold pan. Place the pan over medium heat and sear the bacon until cooked but not crispy. Then take off the heat, but keep the bacon with its fat in the pan.
- In a bowl, mix together grated pecorino cheese, parmesan cheese, egg yolks and fresh ground black pepper.
- Just when the pasta is done, bring out the pan with bacon and bacon fat and place the tortellini in the pan. Do not place over heat! Add some pasta water as well, starting with 2 Tbsp, and mix quickly. Then add the cheese & egg mixture and mix well, adding more pasta water if the pasta looks dry, until the sauce is creamy. Taste test and add salt if needed.
- Serve immediately, and top with more cheese and fresh ground black pepper if desired!
Equipment needed for this recipe
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Bacon can be switched for pancetta or guanciale, which are actually more traditional choices
- Parmesan cheese and pecorino cheese can both be used - or just use one of them. I like to use both since parmesan has such great flavor and using only the saltier pecorino cheese can make it a bit too salty for me.
- Tortellini - I like dry tortellini since it's not as easy to overcook as fresh, and super easy to have on hand, but you can use fresh or frozen as well. As for the filling you can use any filling you enjoy - I'd recommend ham & cheese, plain cheese, or mushroom.
- Egg yolks can be swapped for whole eggs, but then keep a closer eye on the temperature when making the sauce
- Fresh ground black pepper is best for this recipe, but pre-ground works
Tips & tricks
- Don't salt the pasta water - since bacon, pecorino and tortellini are all pretty salty it's better to add salt later if needed - usually I find it's not
- Let the tortellini simmer, not boil wildly, to keep all that filling inside
- Don't overcook the tortellini - it will keep cooking a bit when you add it to the pan with the sauce
- Start your bacon in a cold pan to allow as much fat as possible to seep out
- Don't make the sauce over a heat source as that will likely make your pan too hot. Instead, take the pan off the heat and make it there.
- Make sure your pan is not too hot or your egg yolks might scramble. Having it sit off the heat for a while before adding the pasta usually does the trick.
- Add the pasta fresh and hot from the pot to make sure the pasta & pasta water is hot enough to melt the cheese and create a creamy sauce.
- Use fresh ground black pepper - for this dish it really makes a difference
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Alisha Rodrigues
This is so quick and easy.. Love the simplicity of this dish. Looks like the kinda meal my family would love, gotta try it out
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Alisha, let me know how it turns out!
Danielle Wolter
This was just like what we order when we go out. It turned out so delicious!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thanks Danielle, happy you liked it!
Vicky
I'm always in the market for super quick family meals. This one is delightful!! Thank you!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Yey! Thanks Vicky!
Shashi
This delicious looking tortellini carbonara is making me ask myself - is it lunch time yet?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Haha love that!
Chris Collins
What an awesome idea! I love carbonara so much so I'll definitely be trying this recipe 🙂
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thanks Chris, let me know how it turns out!