Cheese Tortellini Pasta with Broccoli and Bacon
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Are you looking for quick weeknight dinners? Check out this cheese tortellini pasta with broccoli and bacon! All you need is 5 ingredients and 20 minutes.
Guys! Follow this cheese tortellini pasta recipe to a T and you will be rewarded with the perfect dinner.
I like this cheese tortellini pasta with broccoli and bacon for several reasons:
- Easy recipe – anyone can do it!
- Quick preparation.
- Perfect flavor combo – but let’s be honest here. You can’t go wrong with these ingredients.
- Affordable and easy to get ingredients.
Another plus is that this bacon, broccoli and cheese tortellini pasta can be easily doubled or halved, if needed. Like I mentioned in the beginning, you only need 5 ingredients to make it. Literally! No extras but you are more than welcome to add some, if you like.
It’s the perfect recipe for weeknight dinner. If you are looking for more weeknight dinner ideas, check these easy Italian food ideas out:
By the way, you can turn most of the above mentioned recipes into tortellini dishes by adding tortellini instead of the pasta stated in the recipes.
How to make cheese tortellini pasta with bacon and broccoli dinner?
Let’s start with tortellini. You can buy fresh, dried or frozen tortellini. I personally prefer the fresh ones but you can use any you like. However, their cooking time will vary.
Fresh tortellini take somewhere between 3-5 minutes to cook. That is why I love them most. They are so quick to make which is a huge plus when making a quick weeknight dinner (or lunch).
So how long do you cook tortellini?
Fresh tortellini take somewhere between 3-5 minutes to cook. That is why I love them most. They are so quick to make which is a huge plus when making a quick weeknight dinner (or lunch).
Now the best thing to do when cooking tortellini is following the package instructions as well as not over-cooking them.
To make this cheese tortellini pasta with bacon and broccoli, start off with boiling tortellini and broccoli together. It takes about 4-5 minutes for both to cook so I always cook them together.
Meanwhile fry the bacon. I buy bacon cubes or pancetta pieces. There is no need to add oil to your pan as bacon will release some. Make sure the bacon is cooked through before you add fresh cream in. The sauce should thicken pretty quickly so reduce the temperature to low and stir in grated cheese. Once the cheese has melted, turn off the heat completely.
Mix the cheesy bacon sauce with tortellini and broccoli. Make sure all tortellini are covered with the sauce. I noticed that the tortellini and broccoli suck in quite a lot of the sauce but that’s ok. If you prefer having more sauce, simply increase the amount of cream and cheese.
Note: This recipe takes even less than 20 minutes as the prep for the sauce can be done while waiting for the tortellini & broccoli to cook!
I did not use any seasoning at all to make this bacon, broccoli and cheese tortellini pasta. The bacon and cheese I used were salty enough to flavor the whole dish. I recommend you taste the cheesy sauce before pouring it over the tortellini to see if you are ok with its taste. If you feel it needs salt and some pepper, go ahead and use them.
This post first appeared on Julie’s Eats and Treats blog where I am a contributor.
Cheese Tortellini Pasta with Broccoli and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 cup Single Cream (250 ml), see note 1
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese or similar, grated (140 grams)
- 2 cups Broccoli Florets (100 grams)
- 2 cups Bacon Slices (200 grams)
- 16 ounces Fresh Cheese Tortellini (1.1 pounds/500 grams)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Throw in tortellini and broccoli and cook until ready (this should take about 5 minutes unless the tortellini’s package instructions state otherwise).
- Meanwhile: Fry the bacon. Pour in cream and stir. When the sauce has thickened, reduce the heat and stir in grated cheese. Turn off the heat.
- Drain tortellini and broccoli. Pour the cheesy bacon sauce over and mix well.
- Serve warm with some more cheese (optional).
Notes
- Single cream (UK) = Half and Half (US).
- You can use frozen or dried tortellini as well. If you do, bear in mind that the cooking time will be longer. Check for package instructions and add broccoli in at a later stage.
- If you prefer tortellini filled with a different filling, go ahead and use those.
I love all the recipes that you have shared! I’m so happy that I ran across your blog!
Thank you so much, Karley :) I am delighted to hear that!
I’m a little confused about the cream sauce. Is it heavy whipping cream or half & half? Can you please elaborate?
Thank you Talitha
Hi Talitha. It is heavy whipping cream I used. You can also use only sour cream instead of heavy whipping cream.
You had me at bacon! This looks amazing!
Thanks, Megan!
Cheese and bacon are just a match made in heaven. This looks like my kind of comfort food and perfect for this weather.
It definitely is perfect for this time of year!
Mmmmm, bacon…. This looks over-the-top yummy! (BTW – trying to give you stars, but when I click it doesn’t respond. Is it just me?)
Thanks, Lisa! I see the stars so looks like it worked :)
Clearly, I need to make this for my bacon and pasta lovers household. I seriously want this for breakfast right now. Thanks for the great recipe!
You are welcome!
Looks so comforting! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Suzy!