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Tortellini Carbonara

Tortellini carbonara is a quick Italian-American pasta dinner where cheese tortellini gets tossed with a silky egg-and-parmesan sauce instead of cream. Crispy pancetta and loads of cracked black pepper finish the dish for a rich, glossy coating on every bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese tortellini
  • 20 oz cheese tortellini Use refrigerated tortellini for best texture.
Pancetta or thick-cut bacon
  • 6 oz pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced Cook until crisp so it renders and coats the pasta.
Egg mixture
  • 4 egg yolks Use 4 yolks for a creamy custard-style sauce.
  • 1 whole egg Helps thicken the sauce without scrambling.
Parmesan
  • 1.25 cups parmesan, finely grated Finely grated melts smoothly into the egg sauce.
Garlic
  • 4 garlic, minced Add after pancetta renders to prevent burning.
Pasta cooking water
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water Use hot water to loosen and emulsify the sauce.
Nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg A small amount adds warm, classic carbonara depth.
Black pepper
  • 1 lots of freshly cracked black pepper Add generously, especially at the end.
Fresh parsley
  • 1 fresh parsley for serving Optional but recommended for color and freshness.
Salt
  • 1 salt to taste Salt the water well and adjust the final seasoning.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook tortellini and pancetta
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the cheese tortellini until tender, then reserve 1 cup of cooking water for the sauce.
  2. In a dry skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta or thick-cut bacon until crispy, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute before removing from heat.
Make and toss the carbonara sauce
  1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, finely grated parmesan, nutmeg, and generous black pepper until smooth and thick.
  2. Add the hot tortellini to the pancetta pan off heat, then quickly pour in the egg mixture.
  3. Toss vigorously until the sauce turns silky and creamy, adding pasta cooking water a splash at a time to loosen and emulsify.
  4. Season with salt to taste, then top with fresh parsley and extra parmesan, finishing with additional cracked black pepper if desired.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the pan off the heat when adding the egg mixture, then toss fast so it sets into a creamy sauce instead of scrambling. Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen. Freezing is not recommended for carbonara due to sauce texture. For a dairy swap, use finely grated aged pecorino-style hard cheese or a high-melt hard cheese alternative to mimic the classic flavor.