Ground Beef Pasta

It’s time for dinner: Ground Beef Pasta!And this is something that everyone in the family will adore, even the finicky eaters!
I don’t want to make a dinner recipe if it can’t be done in 30 minutes or less. I always enjoy a delicious pasta dinner, and we make this Spicy Sausage Pasta or this One Pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta dish over and over again.

Who has the time or energy for that? Unless it’s something in the slow cooker, of course. I want my dinners to be quick and easy. And I don’t want to make the same three or four recipes over and over again. Is that too much to ask for?

Why You’ll Love This Easy Pasta Dinner with Ground Beef:

It’s so easy to get ready. Getting this beefy spaghetti skillet ready doesn’t take much time. While the pasta boils, brown the meat and then add the vegetables. Put everything together, add cheese at the end, and dinner is ready.

The nicest thing is leftovers! This simple ground beef recipe tastes even better the next day. It’s really good when the spices and tastes have chance to sink in and mix.

In 30 minutes, it’s ready. Who has time for anything else? Not us! We want a big supper as soon as possible. On busy weeknights, supper recipes that just take 30 minutes are a dream.

Uses common kitchen and pantry items. This recipe doesn’t call for anything strange or unusual. We can always find everything we need for this dinner in the kitchen. I love this recipe because I can use it anytime I take some beef out of the freezer to thaw and need to know what to make. I don’t have to go to the store.

Ingredients for Ground Beef Pasta:

Ground beef: I usually use lean ground beef, and in this dish, I use sirloin. Less grease to deal with, but still quite tasty. Ground beef, ground chuck, or any other kind will do.
Onion: A sweet yellow onion, a red onion, or even a shallot would be perfect in this dish.
diced tomatoes: in the can, with the fluids inside
Add a little tomato paste to the sauce to make it thicker.
Beef broth is best because it has less sodium, but chicken broth will work too.
We always use fresh baby spinach, but you could also use frozen spinach.
Italian seasoning: I use an Italian seasoning that doesn’t have garlic in it. If your seasoning has garlic in it, cut down on the garlic powder you add to the recipe and then taste it to see if it needs more. If you want, you can add some fresh Italian herbs before serving.
Red pepper: A little bit of red pepper flakes can add a little spice to the dish, but you may leave them out or use less if you don’t like them.
Pasta: I usually use “salad shells,” which are the perfect size for a mouthful. If you select a smaller pasta shape, you might not want to use the whole 16 oz. box because it might be too much. You can start by adding two-thirds of the spaghetti and then adding more if you want.
This element is incredibly vital, but I forget about it more often than I want to admit. The starchy water is really important for making this ground beef pasta work. It makes the sauce stick to the pasta better.
Parmesan: We always have parmesan cheese on hand, so that’s what we use by default, but you could use other kinds of cheese just as readily. You can also use a blend of your favorite cheeses, like romano, pecorino, asiago, or any other kind.
Heavy cream: This wasn’t in the original recipe, but I continued adding it every time I prepared this ground beef spaghetti meal. You can add it as an ingredient and decide whether you want a creamier sauce. I recommend heavy cream over whole milk or even half and half, but you might be able to use half and half.

What you need

16 oz. box of pasta shells*
1 lb. ground beef
2 T. olive oil
½ onion, diced
2–3 c. baby spinach
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes, fluids included, don’t drain
3 T. tomato paste
1 c. beef broth
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced (or around 1 tsp. garlic powder)
¼ to ½ tsp of crushed red pepper
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp cracked pepper
½ tsp salt, or more or less to taste
¾ cup of saved pasta water
½ cup of heavy cream (optional)

How to Do

Follow the directions on the pasta package to cook it until it is al dente. Save about 3/4 cup of the pasta water for later when you drain it. Mix the spaghetti with roughly 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set it aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it is shiny. Add the ground beef and brown it, turning it often. (7 to 9 minutes) Get rid of any extra oil. At this stage, there should be no red in the flesh. At this point, the onions should be virtually see-through.
When the beef is done cooking, add the spinach, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, garlic, spices, salt, and pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the other ingredients are mixed in.
Add the heavy cream, parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the leftover pasta water to the pot. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir to mix, then let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken and let the parmesan fully melt into the sauce. Let the sauce boil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it thickens a little and the parmesan cheese has fully melted.
Add the spaghetti and mix it in. If your skillet is small, you can combine the meat mixture into the pasta pan instead. This will make it easier to blend.
Serve with fresh parmesan, chopped basil, and/or chopped parsley on top.

Serve this simple supper with fresh garlic bread and a salad.

Advice from the pros:

Cooking the pasta al dente will give you the greatest results. This ground beef spaghetti will get a little mushy and the noodles may start to break apart if you cook it for too long. You let it simmer for a little while after you add the pasta, which may make it a little softer.

If you want your pasta to be saucier, you can add up to 1/2 cup more cream. You can also cut the amount of spaghetti by 25%. Another choice is to add 1/2 cup of marinara sauce or more, depending on how much you want. There are many ways to create this quick spaghetti recipe with ground beef just as you like it!

The trick to so many pasta dishes is to save the pasta water. That starchy water works wonders on this pasta recipe and is a terrific thing to add to pasta recipes.

How to Store:

Let the leftover pasta cool a little, then put it in an airtight container in the fridge for approximately three to four days. I believe this meal tastes even better the next day!

You can freeze the beef and sauce mixture for up to three months. You may also freeze the recipe with the pasta, but the pasta will not be the same after freezing.

Is it necessary to use ground beef in this recipe?

No, not really. But I imagine if you use turkey, you’ll want to call it a Turkey and Shells Skillet supper, right?

You can really substitute ground turkey or even ground chicken instead of the beef in this grouch beef pasta. It would also be excellent to use Italian sausage. You may change this tasty dinner in a multitude of ways to fit anyone’s demands or taste.

Notes

For the best results, cook the pasta until it is firm but not hard. This ground beef spaghetti will get a little mushy and the noodles may start to break apart if you cook it for too long. You let it simmer for a little while after you add the pasta, which may make it a little softer.
If you want your pasta to be saucier, you can add up to 1/2 cup more cream. You can also cut the amount of spaghetti by a quarter. You might also add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce or more, depending on how much you want.
Tip for meal prep: Make your spaghetti on the weekend ahead of time. You just need to whisk it in when everything else is done cooking. You won’t have to worry about it anymore when you make dinner.
The secret to many pasta recipes is the reserved pasta water. That starchy water works wonders on this pasta recipe, and it’s a terrific thing to use when cooking pasta dishes.

Food

There are 593 calories, 62 grams of carbohydrates, 31 grams of protein, 24 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 9 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 82 milligrams of cholesterol, 501 milligrams of sodium, 638 milligrams of potassium, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 1497 IU of vitamin A, 5 milligrams of vitamin C, 178 milligrams of calcium, and 4 milligrams of iron.
You should only use the nutrition information as a rough guide because it is calculated automatically.