Description
A quick and comforting creamy beef pasta packed with protein, perfect for easy weeknight dinners. This recipe combines a rich, velvety sauce with hearty ground beef and pasta, ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef (80/20 preferred)
- 12 ounces (340g) pasta (penne or rigatoni)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 200g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 cup (240ml) low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, full-fat
- 1 cup (100g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or mix of dried basil and oregano)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional add-ins:
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces cooked mushrooms, sliced
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic, measuring broth, cream, and seasonings, and grating the Parmesan cheese.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, breaking it up, and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove beef from skillet and set aside, keeping the fat in the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion to the skillet and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another minute until fragrant. Avoid browning the garlic.
- Pour in beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in heavy cream and Italian seasoning. Let simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Add reserved pasta water if sauce is too thick.
- Remove skillet from heat. Gradually stir in grated Parmesan cheese until sauce is creamy and smooth. Add browned beef back to skillet and stir to combine. Adjust consistency with pasta water if needed.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss until noodles are fully coated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and fresh black pepper. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
Notes
[‘Save the pasta water to help the sauce cling to the noodles.’, ‘Use freshly grated Parmesan for a smooth sauce; pre-grated cheese can cause graininess.’, ‘Remove pan from heat before adding cheese to prevent sauce from breaking.’, ‘Use cold heavy cream at room temperature for better blending.’, ‘Season pasta water generously for flavorful pasta.’, ‘Brown beef well for added depth of flavor.’, ‘Adjust sauce thickness with pasta water or cream as needed.’, ‘Try adding a swirl of cold butter at the end for a glossy finish.’, ‘For leftovers, reheat gently with a splash of milk or cream to restore creaminess.’, ‘Make sauce ahead and store in fridge; cook pasta fresh before serving.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approxima
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 410
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 28
Keywords: high protein, creamy beef pasta, quick dinner, weeknight meal, ground beef pasta, creamy sauce, easy pasta recipe