This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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.

a bowl of cream cheese tortellini alfredo with a fork

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
ingredients for bacon cream cheese tortellini in prep bowls and measuring cups

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

How to make bacon tortellini Alfredo

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

frying bacon in a skillet and draining tortellini in a sieve

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.

making sauce for alfredo tortellini and adding in bacon

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.

tossing tortellini with creamy alfredo sauce in a skillet

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

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.
closeup of tortellini in creamy sauce with bacon

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.

a bowl of cream cheese tortellini alfredo with a fork
4.79 from 38 votes

Bacon Tortellini Alfredo

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.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

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

Calories: 943kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 62g, Saturated Fat: 31g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 188mg, Sodium: 1369mg, Potassium: 211mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1484IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 472mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

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!


Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

Leave a comment

Please leave a recipe rating!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

133 Comments

  1. 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 😉

  2. 5 stars
    I used half and half instead of heavy whipping cream and was still rich and creamy. Delicious recipe! Thank you.

  3. 5 stars
    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.

  4. 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.

    1. 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!