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Tortellini Carbonara

Tortellini carbonara is a creamy, silky pasta tossed with egg yolks, parmesan, and crispy pancetta. This Italian-American version uses cheese tortellini and a quick off-heat method to keep the sauce glossy instead of scrambled.
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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
  

Cheese tortellini
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
Pancetta and seasonings
  • 6 oz pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp Lots of freshly cracked black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp Salt to taste
Egg and cheese sauce
  • 4 egg yolks Use 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg total.
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1.25 cups parmesan, finely grated
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water
  • 1 Fresh parsley for serving For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook the tortellini
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then cook the refrigerated cheese tortellini until tender, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
Cook the pancetta 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 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
Make the egg and parmesan mixture
  1. In a bowl, whisk together the 4 egg yolks plus the whole egg, finely grated parmesan, nutmeg, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper until smooth and glossy.
Combine off heat and make it silky
  1. Add the hot tortellini to the pancetta pan off the heat, then quickly pour in the egg mixture. Toss vigorously so the egg thickens into a silky coating rather than scrambling.
  2. Add reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time, tossing between additions, until the sauce looks creamy and coats the tortellini.
Finish and serve
  1. Season to taste with salt, then top with fresh parsley and extra parmesan. Finish with another generous crack of black pepper across the top.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the pan off the heat when adding the egg mixture, and toss fast while adding pasta water in small splashes for a glossy, creamy sauce. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; reheat gently over low heat with a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because the egg sauce can break after thawing. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat parmesan and reduce the pancetta to 4 oz while keeping the same egg-to-parmesan ratio for texture.