I’ve been craving pasta for weeks and just had to give in. Technically, this isn’t a true carbonara as there are no eggs or pancetta, but the flavor profile is there so I’m going with it. I used dried tortellini, but fresh would certainly work.

Let’s start the recipe by cooking a few slices of bacon. I like to leave them a little chewy, but cook them the way you like.

Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble the bacon - set aside for now.

Lower the heat and add a clove of minced garlic - stir for 30-60 seconds.

Add the crumbled bacon, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, red wine vinegar, and freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a bubble.

Add the precooked tortellini and toss well to coat.

Serve with fresh basil and enjoy!

Tortellini Carbonara

makes 2 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dried tortellini, cooked, drained, and cooled

• 3-4 slices bacon

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Garnish: freshly chopped basil

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, then remove from skillet (reserve the drippings), crumble the bacon, and set aside until needed.

2. Lower the heat and sauté the minced garlic in reserved bacon drippings for 30-60 seconds; immediately add the crumbled bacon, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, red wine vinegar, and freshly ground black pepper, stirring until the mixture begins to bubble.

3. Stir in the cooked tortellini to reheat and gently toss to coat with the sauce.

4. Serve immediately with fresh basil.