Description
This Creamy Beef Pasta elevates comfort food to a whole new level with tender beef, perfectly cooked pasta, and a rich, velvety cream sauce. It’s a hearty yet satisfying dish that’s perfect for both busy weeknights and special gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10)
- 8 oz penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or rotini pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Before you even turn on the stove, get everything prepped. Dice your onion, mince your garlic, measure out your broth, cream, and tomato paste. Grate your cheese. Having everything ready makes the cooking process smooth and enjoyable.
- Brown the Ground Beef: In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add your ground beef. Break it up with a spoon and cook until it's fully browned and no pink remains, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat and return the beef to the pan.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the pan with the browned beef. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion has softened and become translucent. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Toast the Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste with the beef and aromatics. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste caramelizes and deepens in flavor.
- Deglaze and Build the Sauce Base: Pour in the beef broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the Italian seasoning and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover and let it simmer for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Cook the Pasta: While your sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add your chosen pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the rest.
- Finish the Sauce: Uncover your beef sauce and pour in the heavy cream. Stir well to combine and let it come to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, adjusting as needed.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained, cooked pasta directly to the skillet with the creamy beef sauce. Add about half of your reserved pasta water and stir until the pasta is thoroughly coated.
- Stir in the Cheese: Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese (and Pecorino Romano, if using) until melted and the sauce thickens slightly. Adjust consistency with more reserved pasta water if needed.
- Serve Immediately: Garnish with fresh parsley or basil, if desired, and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan. Serve hot and enjoy every comforting bite!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
Keywords: Don't skimp on draining the fat from the ground beef to avoid a greasy sauce. Toast the tomato paste for deeper flavor, and always reserve pasta water to help emulsify the sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste before serving.