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Tortellini Carbonara

Tortellini carbonara is a quick pasta dinner where pillowy cheese tortellini get coated in a silky egg-and-parmesan carbonara sauce. Crispy pancetta (or bacon) and plenty of cracked black pepper finish each bite for an egg-cream-style texture that clings to every tortellini.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Tortellini and pasta water
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 1 cup pasta water Reserved cooking water, as needed to loosen the sauce.
Pancetta/bacon base
  • 6 oz pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 4 clove garlic cloves, minced
Egg-and-parmesan sauce
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra
  • 1 plenty of cracked black pepper Use a generous amount.
  • 1 salt to taste
Finishing
  • 1 fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Cook tortellini
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the cheese tortellini until just al dente (about 2–4 minutes per package directions). Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the tortellini.
Crisp pancetta and add garlic
  1. Cook the pancetta or bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep the fat in the pan.
Warm the garlic in the pan fat
  1. Add the minced garlic to the reserved fat and cook for 30 seconds off heat, keeping the pan warm but not letting the garlic brown.
Make the egg-parmesan mixture
  1. Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and parmesan together with plenty of cracked black pepper in a bowl until smooth and thick.
Toss into a silky sauce
  1. Add the hot tortellini to the skillet off the heat, pour the egg mixture over top, and toss quickly to coat.
Loosen to a clingy sauce
  1. Add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time (about 1–3 tbsp per splash), tossing constantly, until the sauce turns silky and clings to every tortellini.
Serve
  1. Top with the crispy pancetta, extra parmesan, and fresh parsley, then serve immediately with cracked black pepper if desired.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the skillet off the heat when adding the egg mixture—this prevents scrambled eggs and helps the sauce stay creamy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended for carbonara due to texture changes. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat parmesan and a leaner pancetta/bacon.