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Tortellini Carbonara

Tortellini carbonara is a creamy Italian-American pasta made by tossing cheese tortellini with a silky egg-and-parmesan sauce and crispy pancetta. The key is cooking the egg mixture off heat and loosening with reserved pasta water for a glossy, creamy texture.
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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: 670
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese tortellini
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini Refrigerated works best for quick cooking.
Pancetta and garlic
  • 6 oz pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced Cook until crisp for salty crunch.
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced Added briefly after pancetta for mild, fragrant flavor.
Egg and cheese sauce
  • 5 egg yolks + 1 whole egg Use just egg yolks plus one whole egg for richness without scrambling.
  • 1.25 cup parmesan, finely grated Finely grated melts smoothly into the sauce.
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg Adds warmth; use carefully so it doesn’t dominate.
  • freshly cracked black pepper Use generously for classic carbonara bite.
Loosening and seasoning
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water Reserved starchy water makes the sauce creamy and cohesive.
  • Salt to taste Salt only after tossing, adjusting to taste.
  • Fresh parsley for serving Freshly chopped adds color and brightness.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook tortellini
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then cook the tortellini according to package directions and reserve 1 cup cooking water. The pasta should be tender with a slight bite, and the water should taste seasoned.
Cook pancetta and garlic
  1. Cook the diced pancetta in a pan over medium heat until crispy, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. You want the pancetta pieces deeply golden and sizzling, and the garlic fragrant but not browned.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat once the garlic is cooked, and let it stop cooking immediately so the egg mixture won’t scramble later.
Make the egg and parmesan mixture
  1. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks plus 1 whole egg with the finely grated parmesan, nutmeg, and generous black pepper until smooth. The mixture should look thick and pale-yellow with visible pepper flecks.
Toss and form the creamy sauce
  1. Add the hot tortellini to the pancetta pan off the heat, then quickly pour in the egg mixture. Toss immediately so the eggs coat the pasta without curdling.
  2. Toss vigorously and add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce turns silky and creamy. Stop when the coating looks glossy and clings to the tortellini rather than pooling.
Finish and serve
  1. Season with salt to taste, then top with fresh parsley and extra parmesan. The final look should be creamy with crisp pancetta on top and plenty of cracked black pepper.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the pancetta pan off the heat before adding the egg mixture, then toss fast—this is what prevents scrambled eggs. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently (add a splash of pasta water) to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the egg-based sauce can separate. Dietary swap: use gluten-free refrigerated tortellini if needed, keeping the same method for the egg emulsion.