Bacon Tortellini Alfredo

Krystal tried this recipe and really liked it, so she asked me to post it for her. We have also since tried it and love it too!

Bacon Tortellini Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini  
• 6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces  
• 1 clove garlic, minced  
• 1/4 cup chicken broth  
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream  
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened  
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese  
• Salt and pepper, to taste  

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of salted water for the tortellini. Start cooking the tortellini once the bacon is done, as it will only take a few minutes to cook.  
2. Cut the bacon into small pieces. Fry it in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, which should take about 10 minutes.  
3. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon.  
4. Stir in the minced garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream, and softened cream cheese. Return the pan to medium heat, stirring until the sauce is smooth and reduced to your liking, approximately 5 minutes.  
5. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and cooked bacon. Remove the pan from heat and toss the sauce with the drained tortellini. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a few spoonfuls of hot pasta water before draining. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Marsha's Notes:

I really prefer crispy bacon, and even pan-frying your bacon in advance and then adding it back to the pan while you are cooking the sauce led to the bacon getting softer, so I might recommend, if you like crispy bacon, waiting until you are just about to plate the dish before adding your bacon back in. Just keep in mind that you will be adding salty bacon at the end when adjusting your seasonings in the sauce.