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Tortellini Carbonara

Tortellini carbonara with plump cheese tortellini coated in a silky egg-and-parmesan sauce, finished with crispy pancetta. Off-heat mixing keeps the sauce creamy and glossy, then pasta water makes it silky without scrambling.
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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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Tortellini Carbonara
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 6 oz pancetta or thick-cut bacon dice to small pieces
  • 4 egg yolks use 4 yolks
  • 1 whole egg use 1 whole egg
  • 1.25 cup parmesan finely grated
  • 4 clove garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water reserved from boiling tortellini
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp freshly cracked black pepper lots of it
  • fresh parsley for serving chopped, to serve
  • salt to taste

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Boil tortellini
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the refrigerated cheese tortellini until tender, using the package timing (do not drain). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
Crisp pancetta and perfume with garlic
  1. Cook the diced pancetta or thick-cut bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 6–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then remove the skillet from the heat.
Build 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 well combined.
Combine and make it silky
  1. Add the hot tortellini to the pancetta pan while it is off the heat, then quickly pour in the egg mixture and toss immediately.
  2. Toss vigorously while adding pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce turns silky and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
Finish and serve
  1. Season with salt to taste, then top with fresh parsley and extra parmesan before serving.

Notes

Key pro tip: keep the pancetta pan off the heat before adding the egg mixture—this prevents scrambled eggs while the pasta heat gently thickens the sauce into a glossy coating. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended for the best sauce texture. Dietary swap: use a vegetarian bacon-style alternative and substitute parm-style hard cheese for a vegetarian-friendly version.