One Pot Tortellini Recipe with Bacon and Peas
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This skillet tortellini recipe made with Bacon and Peas is a quick weeknight dinner with 5 minutes of prep and features crisp bacon, soft cheesy tortellini, and bright sweet peas in a silky lemon cream sauce you’ll adore!
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What I Love About This Tortellini Recipe
I don’t know about you, but weeknight dinners at my house need to be quick. And this 30 minuites meal is quick and easy with ingredients I often have on hand.
It also cooks entirely in one skillet. There is no need to wait for a pot of water to boil, or even use two pots. Everything cooks in the same skillet creating a silky smooth creamy sauce that the starch in the pasta thickens naturally.
The next time you’re looking for a one pot meal, are in the mood for pasta, and light prep, this is your go-to pasta dish!
If you love one-pot pasta dishes, try my Easy One Pot Pasta with Ground Beef and Broccoli for another easy weeknight dinner!
For another quick tortellini dish, try this 4 Ingredient One Pot Tortellini Skillet!
One Pot Tortellini Ingredients
I mentioned easy ingredients. Here’s all you need:
- Bacon: I prefer thick-cut bacon, but any cut will work. To elevate the dish, try prosciutto for a delicious twist!
- Cheese tortellini: Look for the refrigerated tortellini often near the cheese selections in my grocery store.
- Peas: We’re using frozen peas, and there is no need to thaw them before using.
- Chicken broth: This is the base of the sauce and helps cook the tortellini in the skillet.
- Cream: You can use either half-and-half or heavy cream here. The cream makes the thickest sauce, but you can always use half-and-half. While it creates a thinner sauce, it’s also lighter.
- Seasoning: A pinch of ground nutmeg creates a nutty flavor to the sauce, along with salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh Lemon: We’ll use both the juice and zest to finish and brighten the dish.
How to Make This Tortellini Recipe
This quick prep dish is exceedingly easy to make in three easy steps and cooks in less than 30 minutes. Here’s how!
Step 1: Cook & crisp the bacon
In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp 2-4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Step 2: Add the pasta & peas
To the skillet, add the shallot and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the tortellini, peas, chicken broth, cream and nutmeg. Season with salt and balck pepper.
Step 3: Cook
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and peas are tender, about 3-5 minutes. The sauce thickens as it cools. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Crumble the bacon and serve over the top.
How long do leftovers keep?
Every time I serve this dish, I eye the skillet, hoping for leftovers. They make fabulous lunches during the week. The hope is not always realized. But when it is, I store the leftovers in an airtight container, and they keep for up to four days in the fridge.
More Tortellini Recipes to Try
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One Pot Tortellini with Bacon and Peas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons butter plus more if needed
- 4 slices thick cut bacon (about 3 ounces)
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 pound refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups frozen peas no need to thaw
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- salt and black pepper to taste
- crushed red pepper flakes optional and to taste
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp 2-4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- To the skillet, add the shallot and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the tortellini, peas, chicken broth, cream and nutmeg. Season with salt and balck pepper.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and peas are tender, about 3-5 minutes. The sauce thickens as it cools. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Crumble the bacon and serve over the top.
Notes
- Leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.