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Ground Beef Pasta

A hearty and flavorful ground beef pasta dish that's perfect for a weeknight meal. This recipe combines rigatoni pasta with a rich tomato and beef sauce, finished with cream and parmesan cheese.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 12 oz rigatoni
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (85–90% lean)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • to taste Salt and black pepper
  • 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 0.5 cup beef broth
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Fresh parsley chopped (optional, for garnish)
  • Extra parmesan (for serving)

Method
 

  1. Cook rigatoni until just shy of al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
  2. Sauté onion for 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Add ground beef, break it up, and season. Cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
  4. Stir in tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in heavy cream and parmesan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  6. Add cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding pasta water as needed. Simmer for 2–3 minutes more.
  7. Garnish with parsley and more parmesan. Serve hot.

Notes

For a richer flavor, use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage.