Description
A comforting and quick pasta dish packed with protein and cheesy goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 14 oz. penne pasta
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1.5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions but reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Return pasta to pot after draining.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add ground beef, seasoning with salt and Italian seasoning.
- Cook beef undisturbed until browned underneath, about 4-5 minutes.
- Break up beef and cook until fully cooked and no longer pink, about 3-5 more minutes. Drain excess grease if desired.
- Add chopped onions and minced garlic to the beef. Cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, combine well.
- Add diced tomatoes and cook until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in heavy cream and stir for 30 seconds; then add shredded cheese and mix until melted.
- Add beef mixture to the pasta in the pot and stir to combine.
- Mix in 2-4 tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking water for a silkier sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
For a creamier sauce, add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream before serving. You can also mix in some spinach right before serving for added nutrition.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 100mg