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One pot creamy tomato beef pasta

Recipe video above. This is a beefy pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. Epitome of homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking! Love how the pasta absorbs the flavour of the sauce.For more, see the full One Pot Pasta recipe collection.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 4 - 5 people
Calories: 610 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian , American

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 1 onion , finely chopped
  • 500g/ 1 lb beef mince / ground beef
  • 2 tsp Italian Herbs (Note 1)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 400g/ 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (or tomato passata)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (chilli 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)
  • 350g/ 12oz 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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Sauté - Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Cook garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes.
  2. 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 flavour.
  3. All in - Add crushed tomato, chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir, then add the pasta.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Serve - Remove from the stove. Give it a good stir then ladle into bowls. Serve with parmesan and parsley.

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 flavour 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 400g/14oz (a little more than short pasta).
  • Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings using 90% lean beef.

Nutrition Information

Calories 610cal (31%) Carbohydrates 64g (21%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 24g (37%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 0.3g Cholesterol 97mg (32%) Sodium 988mg (41%) Potassium 1013mg (29%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 868IU (17%) Vitamin C 11mg (12%) Calcium 105mg (11%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4- 5 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 610

% Daily Value*

Calories 610cal 31%
Carbohydrates 64g 21%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 24g 37%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 0.3g 15%
Cholesterol 97mg 32%
Sodium 988mg 41%
Potassium 1013mg 22%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 868IU 17%
Vitamin C 11mg 12%
Calcium 105mg 11%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.