Instant Pot Tortellini Carbonara

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Sometimes, you just need a big bowl of carb-y, creamy, cheese filled pasta. Tortellini tossed with bacon, bacon grease, and whisked into an indulgently, creamy egg and parmesan sauce, this Instant Pot Tortellini Carbonara is sure to hit the spot.

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What is Tortellini Carbonara?

Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish that comes from Rome. Typically, it is made with pasta, eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper. Instead of using traditional pasta like spaghetti noodles, fettuccine, rigatoni, linguine, or bucatini, we used tortellini.

Tortellini is a stuffed pasta. Traditionally, they are stuffed with ricotta cheese, but there’s a variety of tortellini that go well beyond just cheese. Some have cheese and various meats like prosciutto, mortadella, and pork loin. Others have 3-cheeses.

The combination of tortellini, bacon, and carbonara sauce creates a delicious Italian dish called tortellini carbonara.

Tortellini Carbonara Ingredients

Although you won’t need a lot of ingredients for this recipe, the end result is perfection! Get out your shopping list and jot these ingredients down:

• Tortellini– You can use a 16 oz bag of dried or fresh tortellini. I use Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini, but you can use whatever you prefer.
• Bacon– You’ll cook the bacon and dice it up into bite-sized pieces.
• Eggs– Pull your eggs out of the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature.
• Parmesan cheese– You will want freshly grated Parmesan cheese for this recipe.
• Minced garlic– Garlic adds a layer of flavor. You can use fresh garlic cloves, or you can buy pre-made minced garlic in a jar from the seasoning section.
• Salt and pepper– Season your pasta dish with salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnishes– Fresh chopped parsley and basil are recommended garnishes to add to this dish, but totally optional.

Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of exact ingredients!

How to Make Instant Pot Tortellini Carbonara

This Instant Pot tortellini carbonara is one of the easiest meals you can make in your Instant Pot. It’s creamy, flavorful and satisfying. Follow the steps below!

Step 1: Cook the Tortellini

Add your tortellini to the Instant Pot with enough water to cover the pasta. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, put the pressure valve into the sealing position, push manual or pressure cook, and set the time for 5-minutes.

Step 2: Quick Release

Once your Instant Pot beeps, you want to release the pressure quickly. To do this, push the pressure valve to the venting position to release the steam. Remove the tortellini from the pot and set it to the side. Then, remove 1 cup of water and put it in a separate bowl.

Step 3: Cook the Bacon and Garlic

Next, push your sauté or sear button on your Instant Pot. Once it is hot, add the bacon and cook until crispy. Then, add the garlic and cook for 1-minute.

Step 4: Turn off the Instant Pot

Hit cancel to turn off the Instant Pot. Then, remove the bacon and garlic from the inner pot, leaving the bacon grease. Set the bacon and garlic to the side.

Step 5: Add Pasta to Grease

Add the pasta back to the Instant Pot, and stir to mix it with the bacon grease. Then, mix in the bacon and garlic.

Step 6: Make the Sauce

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until you see soft peaks. Then, whisk in the parmesan, and a splash of the pasta water to thin the sauce.

Step 7:  Add the Sauce

Once your sauce is done, slowly pour it into the pasta. Stir gently to keep the egg mixture intact.

Step 8: Garnish and Enjoy

Top the tortellini carbonara with fresh parsley or basil. Serve and Enjoy!

My Sauce is too Thick. How Do I Thin It?

If after you’ve whisked your eggs, parmesan, and a splash of water, you feel the sauce is still too thick, you can easily thin it. Just continue adding more pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Can I Use Cream for the Sauce Instead of water?

No! When I first made this recipe, I wondered the same thing. I would think cream would make the sauce even creamier and more delicious. In fact, many recipes do use cream. However, Italian cuisine cooks have said this is the biggest no-no. The creaminess comes from the raw eggs with the addition of reserved cooking water and hard cheese.

Is it Safe to Consume Raw Eggs from the Sauce?

Since the water from the tortellini is hot and you are mixing the sauce with hot pasta, the eggs should be cooked by the time you eat your tortellini carbonara. To ensure the eggs are not raw, you can heat re-boil the water in the microwave.

Tortellini Carbonara Side Dish Recommendations

Instant Pot tortellini carbonara is a classic Italian dish that is perfect all on it’s own. You can beef it up with some frozen peas to add in your veggies, or you can serve it with a side of salad or Garlic Parmesan Monkey Bread, or some shrimp.

More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

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• Viral Instant Pot Feta Pasta
• 20-Minute Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Instant Pot Copy Cat Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta
• Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
• Wild Buffalo Chicken Pasta

About Angela Milnes

Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and adults. Angela has also taught cooking classes and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Instant Pot Table. Follow her on Pinterest!