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Creamy Tortellini Carbonara For Busy Weeknights In A Shallow Bowl With Crisp

Creamy Tortellini Carbonara for Busy Weeknights

Creamy Tortellini Carbonara for Busy Weeknights combines tender cheese-filled pasta, crisp bacon, Parmesan, and a silky egg sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 389
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and Bacon
  • 12 ounces cheese tortellini refrigerated
  • 6 ounces center-cut bacon chopped
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt for pasta water
Carbonara Sauce
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1.5 ounces Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 0.75 teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • large skillet
  • Mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • Slotted Spoon

Method
 

Cook the Bacon and Pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with the kosher salt.
  2. Place the bacon in a cold skillet. Cook over medium heat for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and well rendered.
  3. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.
  4. Cook the tortellini for 3 to 5 minutes, or according to the package directions, until tender with a slightly firm center. Reserve 1 cup cooking water before draining.
Make the Carbonara Sauce
  1. While the tortellini cooks, whisk the eggs, Parmesan, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
  2. Toss the drained tortellini in the warm bacon fat for 30 seconds, then remove the skillet from the heat.
  3. Wait 20 seconds, then slowly add the egg mixture while tossing constantly. Add reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce looks glossy and lightly coats the pasta.
  4. Fold in the bacon, rest for 1 minute, and serve while the sauce remains loose and creamy.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days and reheat gently with a spoonful of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the egg sauce can separate and the filled pasta becomes soft. Pancetta may replace the center-cut bacon, though it may need an extra minute or two to render.