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This bacon Alfredo tortellini recipe has a tangy cream cheese sauce with crispy bacon and parmesan! It’s fast, easy, and makes a fabulous main course or side dish.
If you can’t get enough Alfredo sauce, try my Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll Ups or Easy Shrimp Alfredo next.
Why you’ll love it
Alfredo sauce is simple to make, but my favorite way to take it to the next level is with the slight tanginess of cream cheese. Add in bacon, and this cream cheese tortellini is a cozy weeknight treat. Readers even love it as a birthday meal!
Store-bought cheese pasta is taken from bland to grand in this creamy tortellini recipe, and a quick from-scratch sauce is just about as effortless as opening up a jar would be but tastes so much better and still has few ingredients.
What you’ll need
- Tortellini – we’re using cheese tortellini that’s found in the refrigerated pasta section
- Bacon – it gives this dish an irresistible savory quality. Who doesn’t love bacon?
- Garlic – our tasty aromatic. Use even more if you’re big into garlic.
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce. It gives another dimension of flavor.
- Heavy cream – for that luxurious, rich quality in the sauce
- Cream cheese – my top tip for improving Alfredo-style sauce and give a hint of tang. It also helps to thicken the sauce without needing flour or cornstarch! I used Philadelphia.
- Parmesan – always use freshly grated for optimal taste, texture, and meltability
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Time-saving tools like kitchen shears for the bacon and a garlic press make this recipe go much smoother.
- Don’t have a reliable set of measuring cups yet for liquid measurements? Grab ’em now.
- I like to grate the parmesan with my handy Microplane zester.
How to make bacon tortellini Alfredo
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the bacon into small pieces, and fry in a skillet until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, and drain most (but not all) of the fat. Boil a pot of salted water, and cook the tortellini once the bacon is done.
Into the skillet add the garlic, chicken broth, cream, and cream cheese. Stir over medium heat until reduced and the sauce is smooth. Add in the bacon and parmesan.
Remove from the heat, and toss with the drained tortellini, reserving some of the pasta water if needed to thin the sauce. Season generously with salt & pepper, and enjoy!
Pro tip
- We’ve only tested this recipe as written with the heavy cream. Yes, it’s a treat meal, and that’s totally okay! You could try using half-and-half, but the sauce will be thinner and less rich. I would not recommend using milk in this one as a substitution.
What to serve with bacon cream cheese tortellini
- It’s an awesome special occasion meal, so go all out and pair it with a big slice of Cheesy Garlic Bread if serving it as a main course.
- A fresh side salad is a great complement. I recommend mixed greens with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing or this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
- This bacon tortellini recipe also makes a rich side dish to go along with my Crockpot Pork Tenderloin, simple Chicken Milanese, or Easy Meatloaf.
Leftovers and storage
- This is one of those dishes that’s best served fresh. If you have any leftovers, though, store in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container.
- Reheat in a saucepan slowly and over a low heat so the sauce doesn’t separate. Add more liquid if needed as leftovers may dry out.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers. This dish is very creamy, so the texture will definitely change when thawed.
Leave a review of this simple tortellini recipe in the comments below! Feel free to ask any questions if the blog post didn’t answer them. As always, I love to see your creations, so tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Bacon Tortellini Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block of Philly) softened
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the tortellini. Start cooking the tortellini once the bacon is done (it'll only take a few minutes for the tortellini to cook).
- Cut the bacon into small pieces (I use kitchen shears to make the job easy). Fry it in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Take the pan off the heat and remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Drain most of the bacon fat from the pan (keep about 1 tablespoon in there).
- Stir in the garlic, chicken broth, cream, and cream cheese. Return the pan to the burner (medium heat), and stir until you've got a smooth sauce and it's reduced to your liking (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and bacon. Take the pan off the heat and toss with the drained tortellini (but if the sauce is too thick, thin it with a few spoonfuls of the hot pasta water prior to draining it). Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- Take the cream cheese out of your fridge 30+ minutes prior to starting the recipe so it has a chance to soften up. Or, you can microwave it for about 30 seconds (microwaves vary so watch it closely) to soften it up.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on January 19, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
So so SO convenient and delicious !
Awesome!! Thank you 😀
this was a huge hit! I used garlic herb cream cheese as well and it was awesome. so easy to make and the house smells amazing too which is a bonus 😉
Wonderful!! 🙂
I used half and half instead of heavy whipping cream and was still rich and creamy. Delicious recipe! Thank you.
Wonderful! You’re welcome.
Could you use milk or half and half instead of heavy cream?
I wouldn’t recommend milk, but half-and-half may be ok.
I don’t care for Alfred sauce what else could I do ?
Well… I have lots of other tortellini recipes on my website if you type “tortellini” into any of the search boxes. Here’s one you may like: https://bit.ly/3pBFRAt
This is the best way to do comfort food as the weather is getting colder! 🙂
I made this for a charity and was so happy with how it turned out. I think its recipients will love it.
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
Aww I’m so happy to hear that! That’s nice of you to make it for a charity. Hope they enjoy it! 🙂
Wonderful dish…..
So happy you enjoyed it, Ethel!
I haven’t made it yet but I’m wondering if you could add chicken to this.
I think that should be fine 🙂
Just curious if shrimp added in would be good! I think I’m going to try this out with shrimp
Hi! I don’t see why not. 🙂 Let me know if you do try!
So it was good. Honestly could not eat more than five bites without getting full. I wonder if just using Alfredo sauce would be better. I possibly should have used more noodle water at the end but as much as I did use I thought it’d be enough. Again, it’s good, just SUPER filling.
Hi! Yup it’s definitely a rich dish! That’s why I recommend serving it as a side or with a salad lol. I’m glad you liked it!