Tortellini al Forno
This creamy, cheesy dish is made with bacon, garlic, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella. It’s the perfect comfort food that comes together quickly and easily.
Tortellini al Forno
Equipment
- Large oven-proof skillet
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon uncooked and diced
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese Shredded
- 5 fresh basil leaves Chopped
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the bacon Heat a 12” oven-proof skillet over medium-low heat, add the diced bacon, and cook until crisp and the fat has rendered out, stirring frequently. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towe-lined plate and set aside. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.
- Cook tortellini. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the tortellini according to package instructions, drain, and set aside. Preheat your broiler.
- Start sauce. Saute the minced garlic over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add cream and parmesan. Pour in the heavy cream and stir over medium-low heat until thickened. Add in the parmesan cheese and mozzarella and stir until completely melted and mixed through.
- Assemble. Add in the cooked tortellini, half of the cooked bacon and fresh basil, gently mix it in using a rubber spatula.
- Broil and serve. Broil for 1 minute. Remove and top with the remaining bacon and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. You may have to add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream or half & half while reheating to thin out the sauce.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy to make. One pan, little prep, no chopping.
- Rich, creamy, and cheesy flavor.
- Great comfort food
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy one-pan pasta dinner:
- bacon
- refrigerated cheese tortellini
- garlic
- all-purpose flour
- heavy cream
- salt
- black pepper
- Italian seasoning
- crushed red pepper
- grated parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil leaves
- fresh parsley for garnish
🍴Instructions
Step One: cook the bacon
Turn the stovetop on to medium-low heat and put a 12” skillet in 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 a pot and stir it while cooking over medium-low heat. The cream will get thicker. Then add in the parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Stir until they are melted and mixed through.
Step Four
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 stove top. You may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream or half & half while reheating to thin out the sauce.
🔍 FAQs
Yes, you can substitute the bacon with diced mushrooms or bell peppers instead.
No, the red pepper will just give it a hint of heat. If you don’t want any heat at all, you can leave it out.
Yes, frozen tortellini can be used in place of the refrigerated, cook to package instructions.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Don’t turn your back on the broiler! This needs just a super short time to lightly brown the cheese.
- If you don’t have heavy cream, you can substitute it with half & half. But don’t use milk.
📘 Related Recipes
- Rigatoni Al Forno
- Spinach and Chicken Pasta Skillet
- Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad
- Cast Iron Skillet Mac and Cheese
🍽 Serve it with
- 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.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.