Description
This hearty beef pasta skillet is a comforting and flavorful dish made with lean ground beef, whole wheat pasta, and a variety of vegetables. Perfect for a family dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (cut into 1/2-inch dice)
- 2 medium carrots (scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves (minced, about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can reduced sodium beef broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 8 ounces whole wheat elbow (mini shells, or similar short pasta)
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel, at room temperature, cut into a few pieces)
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or similar large, sturdy pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil, onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Let cook until the onion turns brown and soft, about 10 minutes (don’t shortcut this step; it builds a lot of flavor).
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Let cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. With a wooden spoon, sturdy spatula, or better yet a meat chopper, break the meat into small pieces. Continue to brown, stirring periodically, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the beef broth. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan.
- Add the tomato sauce. Fill up the empty sauce can halfway with water then pour it into the pot. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Once the liquid is at a strong boil (not just simmering at the edges), stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente according to package instructions, stirring often and scraping a spoon along the bottom of the pan to keep it from sticking. If at any point the pasta becomes too dry, add more water as needed.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream cheese. Stir until it’s melted and smoothly combined. Stir in the Parmesan and half the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Enjoy hot, with additional parsley and Parmesan on top.
Notes
- This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated for quick meals during the week.
- Feel free to add other vegetables to the mix for added nutrition.
- If you like it spicier, increase the amount of red pepper flakes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg