This one pot creamy beef pasta is SO simple to make in just under 30 minutes. A high protein, family friendly, meal that is perfect for batch cooking. Easy to adapt and add in different vegetables, it is proper comfort food. Everything done in one pan, as even the dried pasta gets mixed in with everything else. Beef pasta in a creamy sauce is just the kind of mid-week comfort food that you need.
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For us, it has to be a creamy sauce when it comes to a pasta dish. Usually, beef and pasta recipes are cooked in a marinara type sauce, so we thought why not combine the two? There is a still a tomato based sauce that compliments the beef, but then some crème fraiche and Parmesan cheese are stirred in at the end to make it really creamy.
This creamy ground beef pasta is such a favorite in our house, with our kids saying it is even better than Bolognese, which is really saying something. Just a few simple ingredients is all you need and it's all done in one pot, which is a win for us. You also need very little cooking skills to make this beef pasta recipe, as it's as simple as just dumping it all in.
This is also a pretty budget friendly meal, which I think, with the current world climate, is very much needed. It uses pantry staples, and although meat can be expensive, we have made it go a long way by adding canned beans as well.
It means you still get plenty of protein, and the beef stretches further. We have this as serving 6 people, but that's pretty generous - you could get more portions if you bulked it out with sides.
Looking for more beef pasta recipes? Why not try our easy Slow Cooker Meatballs, comforting Bolognese Pasta Bake or our delicious Slow Cooker Beef Ragu?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pasta - Anything goes here. We used spiral pasta, as it looks so good. But you could use fusilli, penne, farfalle (bow tie) or rigatoni. It needs to be pasta shapes rather than spaghetti. Use whole wheat for added fiber.
- Beef mince - We used 5% fat lean beef mince to keep this recipe lower in fat. But any fat percentage would work and the higher fat would have more flavor. You could use ground chicken or ground turkey too.
- Onion - We used a brown onion, but you could swap it for red onions or even shallots for a sweeter flavor. Save time by using frozen onion.
- Garlic - Use frozen garlic to save time.
- Herbs - We used an Italian seasoning blend, as this meat pasta recipe is all about saving time. You could make your own with dried parsley, oregano, rosemary, paprika, fennel etc.
- Tomatoes - This is where the bulk of the sauce comes from. We used canned diced tomatoes and then tomato paste (tomato puree) for a more intense tomato flavor.
- Beans - Always our favorite way to bulk out meat dishes. We used white kidney beans (cannellini beans), and when mixed amongst the pasta you have no idea they are there. Our 5 year old can be a bit hit or miss with beans and he had no idea!
- Stock - This is added because the pasta cooks in the sauce, so there needs to be enough liquid to cook in. You can use vegetable or beef broth.
- Crème fraiche - This is where the creamy sauce comes from in this cream beef pasta recipe. We used reduced fat to keep it light.
- Parmesan - This adds extra creaminess. You could use a reduced fat sharp cheddar to keep it lighter.
- Herbs - Some fresh parsley before serving really lightens it all up.
Variations
Veggies - We love any dish that we can add plenty of extra vegetables into, and this creamy beef pasta is just that. You can add some diced mushrooms at the same time as the onions or you could stir in some spinach when you are adding the crème fraiche at the end. For hidden vegetables, you could shred broccoli stalk or zucchini (courgette) and mix that it.
Cream - We have used light crème fraiche to keep it light, however you could stir in some light or heavy cream to make it a bit more indulgent.
Cheese - You can swap theParmesan for mozzarella instead, but it would get a bit stringy when melted.
Sausage - If you wanted to change things up a bit, you could swap the beef mince for ground sausage.
How To Make Creamy Beef Pasta - Step by Step
- Step 1: In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Step 3: Once the beef has browned, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, pasta and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to a low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Step 4: When the sauce has thickened and the pasta is al dente, add the beans and creme fraiche.
- Step 5: Cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Step 6: Top with the Parmesan and chopped parsley before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This is quite a heavy dish, although it tastes far more indulgent than it actually is. So, we like to serve it with some greens. We like our Garlic Spring Greens or Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli to accompany this dish.
You can't go wrong with a side salad and garlic bread either. Why not try our Little Gem Salad or Rocket Salad and some Air Fryer Garlic Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread?
Extra Tips
- Depending on how high you are cooking this, you may need to add a bit more stock to make sure that the pasta has enough liquid to cook in.
- Make sure you use a very large pan to make this, as it makes as big batch and everything is cooked together.
- You can swap the canned tomatoes for passata (tomato sauce) if you want a smoother sauce, but we like the added texture.
- To give this a kick of heat, you could stir some red pepper flakes/chili flakes into the mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers can be stored in airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze this, however it will go a little bit mushy when reheated. Make sure it is fully defrosted before reheating, and add a little water to the pan and reheat on low until piping hot through.
Yes, you can, but there is a small change you need to make. This can go mushy when reheating, so if you are planning on making this in advance, then undercook the pasta a little. So, when you reheat it that pasta will be perfectly cooked.
More Pasta Recipes
If you've tried this beef and pasta recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
One Pot Creamy Beef Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- 1 Onion - small; diced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Ground beef - 5% fat
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 400 g (14 oz) Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 2 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 250 g (9 oz) Pasta shapes
- 750 ml (3 cups) Vegetable stock
- 235 g (1.33 cups) Cannellini beans - canned; drained weight
- 150 ml (0.66 cups) Reduced fat crème fraîche
- 30 g (0.25 cups) Parmesan - grated
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon Olive oil and cook 1 Onion and 2 Garlic cloves until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add 500 g Ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Add 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 pinch Sea salt and 1 pinch Ground black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Once the beef has browned, add 400 g Chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoon Tomato puree, 250 g Pasta shapes and 750 ml Vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- When the sauce has thickened and the pasta is almost cooked, add 235 g Cannellini beans and 150 ml Reduced fat crème fraîche.
- Cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Top with 30 g Parmesan and Fresh parsley before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Depending on how high you are cooking this, you may need to add a bit more stock to make sure that the pasta has enough liquid to cook in.
- Make sure you use a very large pan to make this, as it makes as big batch and everything is cooked together.
- You can swap the canned tomatoes for passata (tomato sauce) if you want a smoother sauce, but we like the added texture.
- To give this a kick of heat, you could stir some red pepper flakes/chili flakes into the mix.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Julie Alderton says
I made this today but minus the basil not really fussed on basil, it was delicious
Lesley says
Made this for the first time tonight. Grated a carrot into it, for some extra veg, amd added half a cup of water. My picky grown up son absolutely loved it, as did I! I got 7 portions out of it though, as 6 would have been too big a portion! Lovely dosh. Thank you Danni!
Dannii Martin says
I love the hidden vegetable addition. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah says
Made this for my picky family and they said said it was the best thing I had made in a long time! So easy and real food! Thank you!