This is a One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. The epitome of easy homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking! I’m quite selective about one-pot pasta recipes. I only use it for saucy pastas, like today’s. It just doesn’t work properly with less saucy pastas, like Puttanesca and pesto pasta, because there’s not enough liquid to cook the pasta evenly. I’ve never heard any complaints. Everybody loves sauce! It’s essentially a variation of Bolognese, with Italian seasonings plus a dash of cream. A total crowd pleaser!
Ingredients in this One Pot Beef Pasta Include:
Following on from my introduction about the sauciness of one pot pastas, it will be no surprise when I say that the key to cooking one pot pasta recipes is to have plenty of liquid that the pasta can absorb! Dried pasta absorbs more than double its own weight in liquid as it cooks. Today, we use 4 cups of stock plus a can of tomato for 360g/12 ounces of pasta.
- Beef mince (ground beef) – I use lean here (90% or 95%) but any fat % will do. Actually, the fattier the beef, the beefier the flavor – because fat is where all the flavor is! If you mix, say, lamb fat into very lean beef mince and cook it up, you’d swear you’re eating lamb.
- Chicken stock/broth – The cooking liquid of choice. Tastier than water! I use the liquid cartons regularly in my cooking so I stock up when it’s on sale. For an economical option, I recommend using Vegeta stock powder or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavor of these over other Western stock powders.
- Pasta type – I used the spirals (fusilli), but other similar sized short pastas will work just fine too. Penne, ziti, elbow macaroni, shells. Avoid the really small pastas like risoni/orzo, tiny stars etc. If using long pasta, it’s easiest to break in half. You can also use a little more – increase up to about 400g/14oz.
- Cream – Just 3/4 cup, stirred in right at the end transforms a normal tomato sauce into a creamy tomato sauce! You really do only need 3/4 cup to get the flavor and color impact of the creaminess.
- Garlic and onion – Essential flavor base.
- Tomato paste and canned tomato – Tomato paste gives a boost to the tomato flavor as well as thickening the sauce a touch.
- Italian herbs – Seasoning! I use a store-bought mix, it’s a staple in the dried herbs and spices aisle at any grocery store and doesn’t cost any more than other dried herbs. If you don’t have it, use any mix of dried oregano, basil and parsley. Or a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Just something to add flavor.
- Red pepper flakes (chili flakes) – 100% optional. I like to add a tiny touch of warmth into this to keep things interesting, but you can just leave it out if you prefer!
How to make One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta:
Don’t be alarmed by how saucy it is at the end as you take it off the stove, that’s exactly what you want. Pasta absorbs liquid really quickly, so by the time you ladle into bowls, garnish with parmesan, put the bowls on the table, yell at everyone to sit down then start eating, the pasta will go from a little bit too soupy to the perfect level of sauciness.
- Cook beef – Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Sauté the garlic and onion. Then add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red.
- Toast seasoning – Add the Italian herbs then cook for 30 seconds. This really brings out the flavor of the herbs and spices and improves the flavor by toasting it. Then add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. This cooks out the rawness and also improves the flavor.
- Add liquids and pasta – Add the stock, canned tomato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir, then add the pasta.
- Cook 15 minutes – Once the liquid comes back up to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is just about cooked. Stir every couple of minutes at the start then more regularly towards the end to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the base of the pot. As you cook, the liquid will reduce and thicken but should still be soupier than you’d expect.
- Cream it! Stir in the cream, bring it back up to a simmer then keep cooking for another minute until the pasta is fully cooked. It should still be slightly soupier than you think!
- Serving – Remove from the stove, then give it a good stir and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan and a little parsley if using, then devour! As noted at above, pasta absorbs liquid quite quickly so it will go from a little too soupy to perfect ooziness in the time it takes between taking it off the stove and eating it. In any case, saucier is better than dry. Nobody wants a mound of gluey, stodgy pasta!!!
More Recipe Suggestions:
One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Arugula
Basil Pasta with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta
This is a One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. The epitome of easy homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking! I’m quite selective about one-pot pasta recipes. I only use it for saucy pastas, like today’s. It just doesn’t work properly with less saucy pastas, like Puttanesca and pesto pasta, because there’s not enough liquid to cook the pasta evenly. I’ve never heard any complaints. Everybody loves sauce! It’s essentially a variation of Bolognese, with Italian seasonings plus a dash of cream. A total crowd pleaser!
Equipment
- Soup Pot / Dutch Oven (Variety of fun colors)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 lb. beef mince / ground beef
- 2 tsp Italian herbs Note 1
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato passata
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes chili flakes, optional
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups 1 L chicken stock/broth, low sodium (Note 2)
- 12 oz fusilli penne, elbow macaroni or other short pasta (Note 3)
- 3/4 cups thickened / heavy cream
- SERVING:
- Parmesan cheese finely grated
- Parsley finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Sauté – Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Cook garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Cook beef & seasonings – Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you can no longer see red meat. Add the Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw flavor.
- All in – Add crushed tomato, chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir, then add the pasta.
- Cook 15 min – Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes then more frequently towards the end (ensure pasta doesn’t stick to base) until the pasta is just about cooked.
- Creamy – Add cream, then simmer for a further 1 to 2 minutes. It will still be quite saucy – this is what you want! Pasta absorbs liquid quickly, so it will still be nice and oozy when you start eating.
- Serve – Remove from the stove. Give it a good stir then ladle into bowls. Serve with parmesan and parsley.
- Recipe Notes:
- Italian Herbs – Just a store-bought mix, very common at grocery stores. If you don’t have any, just use a mix of dried oregano, parsley, basil. Or sub with a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.
- Chicken stock/broth – Tastier than water! I stock up when on sale. Economical alternative – I recommend using Vegeta stock powder (info here – I use it regularly) or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavor of these over other Western stock powders.
- Any short pasta will work here, like macaroni, penne, etc., but not tiny ones like risoni/orzo. If using long pasta, easiest to break in half and you can cook about 14oz (a little more than short pasta).
- Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.
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