Description
This one pot creamy tomato beef pasta is a hearty and flavorful meal perfect for a quick dinner. Ground beef is cooked with garlic, onion, Italian herbs, and tomato paste before simmering with crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and pasta. Finished with rich heavy cream for a luscious sauce, this dish is easy to make and requires only one pot, making cleanup a breeze.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 500g beef mince / ground beef
- 2 tsp Italian herbs (or mix of dried oregano, parsley, basil)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 400g can crushed tomatoes (or tomato passata)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups (1 L) low sodium chicken stock / broth
- 350g fusilli, penne, elbow macaroni or other short pasta
- 3/4 cups thickened / heavy cream
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Add minced garlic and chopped onion, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes until fragrant and softened.
- Cook Beef and Seasonings: Add the ground beef to the pot, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains. Stir in Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds, then mix in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to remove raw flavors.
- Add Liquids and Pasta: Pour in crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Stir well and add the pasta directly into the pot.
- Simmer Pasta: Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes, increasing frequency toward the end to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom. Cook until the pasta is just tender.
- Add Cream: Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until combined. The sauce will remain somewhat saucy to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors.
- Serve: Remove from heat, give a good stir, and ladle into bowls. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Italian herbs can be substituted with a mix of dried oregano, parsley, and basil, or 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce for a different flavor twist.
- Using chicken stock instead of water adds a richer flavor. For economical options, stock powders such as Vegeta or Knorr chicken stock powder mixed with water work well.
- Use any short pasta like macaroni, penne, or fusilli for best results. If using long pasta, break it in half and reduce quantity slightly to 400g.
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days but are not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
