Baked Tortellini with Cream Sauce

Rich, creamy, and loaded with cheese. The combination of cream sauce with melted mozzarella and Parmesan is super delicious and satisfying. But… this is super (super!) easy to make. One pan and no chopping.

Here’s what makes or breaks this dish: render that bacon fat completely, then use it as your cooking base for the garlic. It adds so much more flavor than starting with oil. And whatever you do, don’t walk away from the broiler.

What You’ll Need

A cast iron skillet is best for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, just use an oven-safe skillet (or you can skip the broiling at the end). If you don’t have heavy cream, you can substitute it with half & half. But don’t use milk.

This will serve 4 people, or 6 if you serve smaller portions. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. If you don’t have a skillet big enough, you could spread it in a 9×13 pan.

Equipment

• Large oven-proof skillet

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon, uncooked and diced
• 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini (or frozen)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 5 fresh basil leaves chopped
• fresh parsley for garnish

How to Make

Don’t turn your back on the broiler! This needs just a super short time to lightly brown the cheese.

Step One: Cook The Bacon + Tortellini

Turn the stovetop on to medium-low heat and put a 12” skillet on it. Add the diced bacon. Stir the bacon often until it is crispy and there is fat in the pan. Take out the cooked bacon with a spoon and put it on a plate covered with paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan.

While the bacon is cooking, follow the instructions on the tortellini package. Then drain it and put it aside. Turn on your broiler before you cook the other things.

Step Two: Start The Sauce

Put the minced garlic in a skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for one minute. Then add flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 or 2 more minutes.

Step three: Add Cream And Cheese

Pour the heavy cream in and stir it while cooking over medium-low heat. The cream will get thicker. Then add Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Stir until they are melted and mixed through.

Step Four: ASsemble

Add the cooked tortellini, half of the cooked bacon, and fresh basil to the bowl. Gently mix it up using a rubber spatula.

Step Five: Broil And Serve

Broil for 1 minute. Take it out and add bacon pieces. Sprinkle some parsley on top. Now you can eat it!

Storage Instructions

Leftover tortellini can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, you can use the microwave or the stovetop. You may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream or half & half while reheating to thin out the sauce.

What to Serve with Tortellini Al Forno

This is pretty heavy and filling, so serve something light with it.

• Homemade soft Italian bread is perfect with this.
• Add a green salad, and you have a complete meal.
• Something light and sweet for dessert, like this citrusy and easy cake, would be delicious.

Questions You May Have

More Pasta Dinners You’ll Love

Choose one for pasta night or make a different one each day! I won’t judge.

• Rigatoni al forno has all the flavors of a lasagna, but is much quicker and in one pan.
• Even the kids will like this chicken and spinach pasta skillet (and you can chop up the spinach really small so they won’t notice 😉).
• When it’s too hot to even eat, this fresh tomato mozzarella pasta salad will go with your favorite grilled foods.
• Cast iron skillet mac and cheese is the BEST way to make mac and cheese.

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