Description

This creamy ground beef pasta recipe offers a comforting and flavorful meal combining tender rigatoni with a rich, herb-infused tomato and cream sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it features browned ground beef simmered with classic Italian seasonings and finished with heavy cream for a luscious texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Vegetables

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small yellow onion, finely diced

Seasonings and Sauces

1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups marinara sauce (or tomato-based pasta sauce)
1 cup beef broth
¾ cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)

Pasta

12 ounces rigatoni (rotini, penne or other medium pasta)

Instructions

Brown the beef and onion: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the lean ground beef and finely diced yellow onion until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is soft. Drain any excess fat from the skillet to keep the dish lean.
Add herbs and garlic powder: Stir in dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder. Cook for about 1 minute, allowing the flavors to infuse into the meat and onions.
Simmer with sauces and broth: Pour in the marinara sauce, beef broth, and tomato paste. Add salt and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly. Then stir in the heavy whipping cream and allow the sauce to simmer an additional 5 minutes until creamy and well-blended.
Cook the pasta: While the sauce simmers, prepare the rigatoni in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. Do not rinse the pasta to retain its starches, which help thicken the sauce.
Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked pasta into the skillet with the creamy meat sauce. Toss well to coat all the pasta evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to adjust the sauce consistency. Let it simmer together for about 2 minutes to meld flavors and thicken further.
Adjust seasoning and serve: Taste and season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve hot for a satisfying and creamy pasta dish.

Notes

You can substitute half and half for heavy cream to reduce fat content, but the sauce may be less rich.
Reserve pasta water is a great trick to help the sauce cling to pasta perfectly and adjust thickness.
For a spicier version, add red chili flakes when cooking the herbs.
Use lean ground beef to avoid excess grease in the sauce.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook the sauce a few minutes longer to reduce further.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian-American

Keywords: creamy ground beef pasta, rigatoni, creamy pasta sauce, Italian pasta, easy dinner, weeknight pasta