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Tortellini Carbonara

Tortellini carbonara with a silky egg-and-parmesan sauce that clings to plump refrigerated cheese tortellini. Crispy pancetta and plenty of cracked black pepper finish it for a rich Italian-American main dish.
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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: 785
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese tortellini
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
Pancetta and garlic
  • 6 oz pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
Carbonara sauce base
  • 5 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
  • 1.25 cup parmesan, finely grated
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 cup pasta cooking water Reserve for loosening the sauce.
Seasonings and garnish
  • Lots of freshly cracked black pepper
  • Fresh parsley for serving
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook tortellini
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then cook refrigerated cheese tortellini until tender. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
Crisp pancetta and cook garlic
  1. In a hot pan, cook diced pancetta until crispy, then add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk the egg-parmesan mixture
  1. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, whole egg, finely grated parmesan, nutmeg, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper until smooth.
Combine (off heat)
  1. Add hot tortellini to the pancetta pan, then turn the heat off and quickly add the egg mixture. Toss vigorously to coat every piece while the residual heat creates a creamy sauce.
Make it silky and finish
  1. Add pasta water a splash at a time, tossing until the sauce is silky and creamy. Season with salt to taste, then top with fresh parsley and extra parmesan.

Notes

Pro tip: Keep the pan off the heat when you add the egg mixture—this protects the eggs from scrambling and helps the sauce turn creamy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently over low heat with a splash of pasta water. Freezing is not recommended due to egg-based texture. For a lower-fat option, use reduced-fat parmesan and pancetta/bacon with less fat, then finish with extra black pepper for flavor.