Description
Creamy tomato beef pasta brings comfort and flavor straight from Italian kitchens to your dinner table. Hearty ingredients meld together in a single pot, promising rich satisfaction with minimal cleanup and maximum deliciousness you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound beef mince/ground beef
- 4 cups (1 L) chicken stock/broth, low sodium
Vegetables and Seasonings:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pasta and Sauce Components:
- 12 ounces fusilli, penne, elbow macaroni, or other short pasta
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14 ounces can crushed tomatoes (or tomato passata)
- 3/4 cup thickened/heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese, finely grated (for serving)
- Parsley, finely chopped (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a spacious pot over medium-high heat, gently sautéing minced garlic and diced onions until they become translucent and fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Introduce ground beef to the pot, breaking it into small crumbles and cooking until completely browned and no pink remains, about 5-6 minutes.
- Enhance the mixture with Italian herbs, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and optional red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper, stirring to distribute flavors evenly.
- Pour chicken stock into the pot, bringing the liquid to a gentle simmer. Add uncooked pasta and allow it to cook, stirring intermittently to prevent sticking, until pasta reaches al dente texture and most liquid is absorbed, roughly 8-10 minutes.
- Incorporate heavy cream and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and develop a luxurious, velvety consistency.
- Remove from heat and let the dish rest for a moment. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for added flavor and visual appeal before serving hot.
Notes
- Customize heat levels by adjusting red pepper flakes for spice-sensitive palates.
- Choose lean ground beef to reduce overall fat content without sacrificing flavor.
- Make the dish gluten-free by substituting regular pasta with chickpea or zucchini noodles.
- Create a vegetarian version by replacing beef with plant-based crumbles or mushrooms for similar texture and umami depth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 560 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg