One Pot Beef and Pasta
This one-pot meal features tender pasta and juicy ground beef in a savory, cheese-spiked tomato sauce. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so you’re guaranteed flavor in every noodle. Easy, made with a handful of ingredients, and ready in under 30 minutes. And you’ll have one pot to clean!
There’s so much flavor in this dish, but the ingredient list is super short. You’ll need ground beef, pasta, Italian seasoning, canned tomatoes, broth (or water), and two types of cheese to tie everything together. When it comes to the seasoning, if you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use equal parts basil, oregano, and parsley.
The combination of gooey and sharp cheeses makes this dish shine. We use mozzarella cheese in the sauce because it melts to perfection, transforming the savory sauce into a cheesy, stretchy one in seconds. Then, we serve salty, nutty parmesan cheese at the table to make flavors pop.
If you haven’t tried cooking pasta in sauce, this is your chance! There’s so much flavor in the pasta when you cook it in sauce instead of water. You may need to add a little more liquid and a few minutes to the cooking time, but it cooks up perfectly every time. And there’s only one pan to clean after dinner! Simply add a fresh green salad and the meal is complete.
Any pasta shape works! I used medium shells, but any short pasta shape works. You can use penne, rigatoni, farfalle (bowties), elbow macaroni, and broken-up pieces of spaghetti and linguine. Read the package instructions for the cooking time and note that you may need to add a few minutes when cooking in sauce instead of water.
One Beef and Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 28- ounce can tomato puree, or crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth, or water, plus more as needed
- 1 pound pasta of choice, I used medium shells but any small shape works
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Brown the beef in a large high-sided skillet or stock pot over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat.
- Add the Italian seasoning, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the herbs are fragrant.
- Add the tomato puree and beef broth and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook (gently boiling) according to the package directions, until al dente, stirring frequently and adding more water if necessary (you want a thick sauce).
- Fold in the mozzarella cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Serve with parmesan cheese on the side.