Broccoli & Bacon Tortellini Alfredo

Broccoli & Bacon Tortellini Alfredo  -  Refrigerated tortellini cooks up quickly and then is tossed with broccoli, crunchy bacon, Alfredo sauce and corn. 

Over the summer my kids were in a wedding.  I think I mentioned it before, but if I didn't, our niece got married.  I tell you this today because it was at the rehearsal dinner that my kids unknowingly tried Alfredo sauce for the first time, which led me to create this recipe for Broccoli & Bacon Tortellini Alfredo.

I'll back up a bit.  My kids like their pasta plain with just butter.  Josh likes freshly shaved Parmesan cheese on his, Nora does not. 

Fast forward to the rehearsal dinner.  My kids grab a few rolls and say it's their dinner.  I then point out there there is pasta with broccoli (they surprisingly like broccoli).  They both agree, and I load up their plate with Chicken, Broccoli & Ziti Alfredo (BTW, I have a bomb recipe for Chicken, Broccoli & Ziti).  Josh all but licks his plate clean.  Nora, well, she ate a few bites which is more than she usually does so I was happy.  I then go on to point out that now that I know they like Alfredo sauce, I can make them a bunch of different pasta dishes at home. 

Josh's face goes pale.  He says "Wait! I ate sauce?  I hate sauce." 

I point out that indeed he ate it and clearly he does not hate it.  I explain that the word "sauce" could mean several different things.  He bums out for a few minutes at the fact he has been duped into eating "sauce" and then agrees that if I make pasta with Alfredo sauce, he will try it.

Sweet.

About a week later, I know I have to jump right on this before he changes his mind.  He's not big on chicken so instead of chicken, I use bacon.  The kid loves bacon.  I figured if he saw the bacon, he couldn't back out of eating this dish. 

Even though I often make my own Alfredo sauce, I do on occasion buy the jarred stuff.  There is one in particular I really like, so I buy it when it's on sale; it's a time saver.

I combined the cooked tortellini, broccoli, Alfredo sauce and bacon in the skillet and I thought I was done.  Then, as I was closing the cabinet, I noticed a can of corn.  My kids love corn.  So I opened the can and tossed the corn right in there.  The corn gives a bit of sweetness which balances out both the bacon and the heaviness of the Alfredo sauce.  It was a good call on my part, if I do say so myself.

This Broccoli & Bacon Tortellini Alfredo recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal the entire family will enjoy.

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Broccoli & Bacon Tortellini Alfredo

Christine

4.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 20 oz cheese tortellini refrigerated
• 5 slices bacon chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 C broccoli florets
• 14.5 oz alfredo sauce
• 11 oz can corn drained
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until nice and crispy. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove bacon from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
• Remove all but about 1 T of bacon drippings from pan. Place pan back over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add cooked and drained tortellini and broccoli to pan. Cook, stirring often about 2 minutes.
• Stir in corn, alfredo sauce and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 5 minutes more just until alfredo sauce is warmed through.
• Stir cooked bacon back into mixture just before serving.
• Taste and check for salt. It may or may not need salt, depending on the type of bacon used.
• Enjoy!

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