Description
Hearty Beef Pasta celebrates Italian comfort with rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce and tender meat nestled among perfectly cooked noodles. Savory flavors and simple ingredients promise a satisfying meal you’ll want to enjoy again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef
- Optional: Parmesan cheese for serving
Pasta and Primary Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) spaghetti or favorite pasta
- 28 ounces (794 grams) tomato sauce
- 14 ounces (397 grams) diced canned tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings and Oils:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Optional: Red pepper flakes for heat
Instructions
- Bring a generously salted water reservoir to a rolling boil in a large pot, then immerse pasta and cook until perfectly tender, following package guidelines. Carefully drain and reserve.
- Fire up a skillet with olive oil at medium-high temperature. Introduce ground beef, methodically crumbling while searing. Season with salt and pepper, cooking until richly caramelized and thoroughly browned, approximately 6 minutes.
- Incorporate finely diced onions and minced garlic into the sizzling beef. Sauté until onions transform into a translucent, soft texture, roughly 4 minutes.
- Pour tomato sauce and diced tomatoes into the meat mixture. Sprinkle fragrant basil, robust oregano, and optional spicy red pepper flakes. Allow sauce to gently simmer for 18 minutes, letting flavors meld and intensify.
- Gently fold cooked pasta into the robust sauce, ensuring each strand gets thoroughly coated. Taste and fine-tune seasoning as needed.
- Transfer to serving plates, crowning with delicate Parmesan cheese shavings for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Pasta Perfection: Choose high-quality pasta like rigatoni or penne for better sauce absorption and texture.
- Beef Browning Trick: Pat ground beef dry before cooking to achieve a deeper, caramelized flavor and prevent steaming.
- Herb Enhancement: Fresh herbs can replace dried ones for a brighter, more vibrant taste profile in the sauce.
- Low-Carb Adaptation: Swap pasta with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for a lighter, keto-friendly version of the dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg