How to make Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta

It is a simple recipe that is ideal for quick dinners and can be tailored to your liking based on the ingredients available.

Tips of making ground beef pasta

Ground turkey or ground sausage can be used in this recipe as an alternative to ground beef

Feel free to select any type of pasta for this recipe. Opt for small or medium-sized pasta shapes, including shells or bowties, among others.

For greater results, use at least half-and-half or heavy cream because lower fat alternatives may separate when combined with tomato sauce.

If desired, incorporate additional vegetables like peas, mushrooms, kale, spinach, and asparagus.

This recipe offers a high degree of customization, presenting numerous versions and variations. Depending on your ingredient choices, preferred seasoning, and spice amounts, the recipe can be adapted in various ways resulting in differences in both taste and appearance.

To enhance the flavor, consider combining ground beef with pork sausage or turkey, or adding bacon bits as a garnish.

For more texture and taste, sliced mushrooms, frozen mixed vegetables, and sliced black olives are great additional vegetables to include in the dish.

Ingredients

500g ground beef

400g pasta of choice

3 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large white onion, thinly chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoon salt, divided

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Fresh parsley, to garnish

Chili flakes (optional)

 Procedure

Begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add at least 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta to the pot. Cook the pasta for two minutes less than the time mentioned on the package instructions.

After the pasta is cooked, take a cup of the boiling pasta water and keep it aside. Drain the rest of the water and set the pasta aside.

Heat cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions to the pan and cook until they become soft and translucent. It usually takes around 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the pan and cook over medium or medium-high heat.

Using a wooden spoon, break the ground beef it into small bite-size pieces while cooking. Once cooked, add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir in the minced garlic and mix well to combine. Cook for an additional minute or so.

Finally, add the reserved pasta water to the pan and stir well. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix everything together. Cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens and the pasta is coated evenly.

Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the ground beef and mix well. Then, add chicken broth and tomato sauce, and let it simmer. After cooking the pasta, add it to the pan and pour in the heavy cream. Mix everything thoroughly.

To adjust the thickness of the sauce, gradually add more chicken broth or the reserved pasta water.

For a richer texture, add more heavy cream then season the dish with salt and pepper according to your preference.

Add half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the cheddar cheese, and mix well. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of each cheese on top of the mixture.

Garnish with the freshly chopped coriander or parsley then serve immediately.