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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!
Can I make this the day ahead and bake it the next day
Hi Diane! This particular recipe is better fresh, but there are reheating instructions in the blog post under “leftovers & storage”.
Could you add grilled chicken and/or fresh spinach to jazz it up? If so how much would you recommend adding for additional protein?
Hi! Maybe 2 cups (packed) spinach? I’d probably just top it with some chicken… maybe 2 whole chicken breasts for 4 portions and cut it up?
I cut 2 chicken breasts into small pieces and browned it. Left it in the pan when I made the sauce. Delicious.
This recipe is going into our monthly rotation. Easy to follow and a family favorite.
Excellent dinner will do again soon
Wonderful! Thank you!
Came out great and was very easy to make. I did everything per the instructions and had no issues. Kids loved it!
That’s awesome!! 😀 Thank you, Renee!
I have made this several times as written and it is loved. Some changes I have “tweaked” are half and half vs heavy cream and sometimes I chop and add kale to the end of the boil time of the pasta and then into the dish, fresh seasoned chopped tomatoes on top to serve. The sauce as written is very good and recommended to use in many ways!
Sounds good to me! 😀 Thanks for your review, Jennifer!
I used to buy the already prepared sauce from Olive Garden but ever since I discovered this recipe no more!! Thank you so much this sauce is truly outstanding and easy to make! Thank you!!!
That’s awesome!! I didn’t even know they sold that haha. Glad you love this one!!
HOME RUN!!
I made no changes to the recipe, and it was delicious! The whole family loved it! 30 minutes is actually accurate too!
That’s great!! Thanks, Jace!
This is yummy and relatively easy. I adjusted the ingredients to accommodate 24oz tortellini. I also added bacon. Yummy!
Glad you enjoyed it, Sheryl!
I male this fairly often. It’s versatile and I often add spinach and or onion as well. In a pinch I use bacon bits. Good recipe. Whole family enjoys it. – I’ve made numerous Alfredo recipes, copy cat bowtie festival dishes etc. This one is good!
That’s great to hear! 😀