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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.
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Tortellini and carbonara sauce - two of the best things ever. In this Tortellini Carbonara they combine to make something even greater, a fun twist on classic carbonara using fresh or dry tortellini.
Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick - all done in 15 minutes
- It's easy - yes, it's easy to make carbonara without cream - just follow my tips!
- Delicious loaded with classic carbonara flavors
- Simple ingredients - no pancetta or guanciale, simple bacon will do
What you need to make Tortellini Carbonara
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Bacon can be switched for pancetta or guanciale
- 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 dried 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 Tortellini Carbonara
To make this tortellini carbonara, start by getting your tortellini cooking. Do not salt the water, and let it simmer - not boil wildly. Cook about 1 minute less than package directions.
- While the tortellini is cooking, place diced bacon in a cold, large skillet or pan over medium heat
- Cook bacon until done, but not crispy. Then remove from the heat and set aside for now
- Place the two types of cheese in a bowl
- Follow with ground black pepper
- Add egg yolks
- Mix well to create a sort of paste
- When the pasta is finished, drain it but make sure to reserve some of the cooking 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. Serve tortellini carbonara immediately, topping with more cheese and black pepper!
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
- 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. Removing it from 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 leftover tortellini carbonara in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- I don't recommend freezing leftovers
Recipe FAQ
Traditional carbonara sauce is made from Pecorino cheese, guanciale, black pepper, and egg yolks or whole eggs. It's made creamy by combining these ingredients with hot pasta and pasta cooking water.
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 eggs (whole eggs or yolk only) acting as an emulsifier (just like they do in a mayonnaise).
Use only egg yolks, and make sure the temperature isn't too high.
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
Looking for more quick & easy pasta dinners, like this Tortellini Carbonara?
- Garlic Butter Pasta
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Salmon Crème Fraîche Pasta
- Smoked Salmon Pasta with Spinach & Lemon
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Tortellini Carbonara
Print RateIngredients
- 2 servings 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 teaspoon 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.2 servings ham & cheese tortellini
- 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.⅓ cup bacon
- In a bowl, mix together grated pecorino cheese, parmesan cheese, egg yolks and fresh ground black pepper.2 egg yolks, ¼ cup grated pecorino cheese, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon 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.¼ cup pasta cooking water
- 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
- 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 dried 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
- 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 leftover tortellini carbonara in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- I don't recommend freezing leftovers
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!