Weeknight Pasta with Ground Beef Recipe

Satisfy your comfort food cravings with this easy weeknight ground beef pasta! Made with simple ingredients, tender pasta, and a rich, savory beef sauce, it’s the perfect family-friendly meal that’s ready in about 40 minutes.

 

Easy Pasta with Ground Beef Recipe

• Quick comfort food! Perfect for busy nights when you want something satisfying and flavorful, this recipe turns simple ingredients into a family-favorite dinner with minimal effort. It’s an easy way to use up a pound of ground beef and a pound of pasta!
• Delicious flavors! While this recipe is super simple, the flavors are delicious! Heavy cream and Parmesan cheese are the perfect way to bump up classic homemade meaty tomato sauce and give it a luxurious touch.

Ingredients for Ground Beef Pasta

• pasta
• onion & garlic
• Italian seasoning
• tomato paste
• ground beef
• crushed tomatoes
• fire-roasted tomatoes
• baking soda
• heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese

How to Make Ground Beef Pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes, until they start to brown and caramelize just a bit. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. 

Push the veggies to the outside of the large saute pan, forming a ring and leaving a well in the center. Add ground beef to the center, and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through. Use the juices from the meat to deglaze the pan and scrape all those yummy bits off the bottom. 

Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and a pinch of baking soda along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and a few large pinches of salt and pepper.

 Cook for a few minutes until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add cooked rigatoni and toss to coat the pasta evenly in the sauce.

Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Tips for Making Pasta with Ground Beef

• This ground beef pasta recipe makes a huge batch! If you’d prefer, you can easily halve the recipe if you’re feeding a smaller family. However, the leftovers are delicious so you might just want to make a full batch and enjoy it all week!
• Since this makes a large batch, I recommend using a 5 quart braising pan or this large pot to make this easy pasta recipe.
• Cook the pasta just until al dente. That way, it won’t become mushy once combined with the sauce.
• Add fresh herbs to the sauce if you like! Fresh chopped parsley or basil mixed right in with the sauce will add a delicious brightness and compliment the dried herbs well.

Making Ground Beef Pasta Ahead of Time

• This ground beef pasta is a delicious make-ahead meal.
• Throw it together over the weekend and you’ve got easy lunches or dinners to reheat throughout the week.
• If you’re planning to make it ahead of time you could store the noodles separately from the sauce in the fridge.

Storing Leftover Pasta

Store leftover ground beef pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Reheating Ground Beef Pasta

• Reheat ground beef pasta in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Try these easy pasta recipes next!

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