Italian nonnas never used cream in pasta—this Americanized version from 1950s Italian-American restaurants horrified traditional cooks.
Creamy Ground Beef Pasta
Indulge in a delightful creamy pasta dish that comes together in a snap! This hearty recipe features succulent ground beef, aromatic garlic, and perfectly cooked penne, all enveloped in a luscious mozzarella sauce that melts in your mouth. Get ready to savor every bite of this comforting weeknight dinner!
✓This video contains 2 recipes.View all →
Prep
10
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Italian herbs (5 ml)
- 1/2 of a large onion or 1 small onion
- Parsley or chives (optional)optional
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 3 1/2 cups (820 ml) chicken stock or broth (840 ml)
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (454 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 1 tbsp butter (14 g)
- 1 tsp of butter (5 ml)
- 1 cup (240 ml) of heavy cream (240 ml)
- grated mozzarella cheese, if usingoptional
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 2 cups (250 g) penne pasta or any pasta of your choice (480 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or chili flakes (optional) (2.5 ml)optional
- salt and black pepper
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Fry 1 tbsp of butter and 1 lb of ground beef for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
- 2
Meanwhile, finely chop 1/2 of a large onion or 1 small onion and add it to the pan.
- 3
Stir well and let it cook for a minute.
- 4
Add 2 garlic cloves and 1 tsp of butter, letting the garlic fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 5
Season with salt and black pepper, and add 1 tsp of Italian herbs and 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes.
- 6
Pour in 3 1/2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- 7
Add 2 cups of penne pasta and simmer for about 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
- 8
Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and let it simmer for another minute.
- 9
Turn off the heat and sprinkle over some grated mozzarella cheese, covering the pan for 1 minute to let it melt.
- 10
Serve with parsley or chives if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown ground beef at medium-high heat without overcrowding to achieve proper Maillard reaction - the proteins need 285-300°F surface temperature to develop complex flavors instead of just steaming.technique285-300°F
- ✓Add onions after the beef has browned for 4 minutes because onions release moisture that prevents browning and drops pan temperature by 50-75°F.timing50-75°F temperature drop
- ✓Use a 1.75:1 liquid-to-pasta ratio (3.5 cups stock to 2 cups pasta) for one-pot cooking because pasta absorbs exactly its weight in liquid while releasing starch for natural thickening.technique1.75:1 ratio
- ✓Temper the heavy cream by adding it off heat or at lowest simmer because cream with 35% fat content will curdle at temperatures above 180°F due to protein coagulation.timing180°F curdling point
- ✓Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions when finishing in sauce because it will continue cooking and absorb flavors while preventing mushy texture.timing1-2 minutes less
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