Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Skillet
This cheesy and meaty skillet dinner is so good that you should invite friends over to eat it.
Lots of meals tout being quick and budget friendly. Taste is often a different story.
This is one of those one-pot meals that tastes great. It has a deep savory taste that’s sure to please the whole family. I found this so good, I’d even serve it to company!
Do you always make too much pasta? I always do that.
I sometimes reheat it and put spaghetti sauce on it, then call it “dinner.” Other times, I like to be creative with it.
The original recipe calls for you to cook it for the recipe. No problems there but then it wouldn’t be a “one-pot” meal. I also thought that the amount called for in the original was way too much. Maybe if it was a lunch without meat. However the amount of meat to pasta was way too much. The meat, and it’s flavor, would be totally lost.
I didn’t bother making any pasta for this because I usually have some left over. The only thing missing would be the bit of pasta water that is called for in the recipe. I used plain water, and it worked well.
Everyone who reads this site knows that I really hate wasting food and use a lot of leftovers in recipes, so I think you might like some of these ideas to use up what you have from Recipe Lion. This one is especially helpful for me because I don’t drink milk, so I always have to use up what I have before it goes bad. I’m sure you’ll find a lot of great ideas in Dessert Recipes That Use Up Milk that you’ll want to use and love.
There is a lot of garlic in the recipe. I love the stuff–and so does anyone who eats my leftovers!
If you’re not so keen on it, cut the amount in half. If you feel likewise about onion, then cut that in half as well. I would say to do this if you are feeding this to younger children. It’ll still taste fine, but will appeal to those who prefer a milder taste. But if you have garlic lovin’ kiddos and adults, then go to town!
Ingredients
- 2 cups ziti pasta cooked see NOTES
- 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- One pound of ground beef
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes optional
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- Add salt to taste.
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Follow the package directions for cooking pasta, but take one minute off.
- Set aside 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta without rinsing.
- In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a big skillet over high heat.
- Add the meat and break it up with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. Reduce to medium heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper to taste.
- Stir in garlic, onions, chili flakes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, parsley, and 1/2 cup pasta (or plain) water.
- Simmer until meat is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta and one cup of mozzarella.
- Cover with the lid and add the rest of the cheese.
- Garish with additional parsley.
I used leftover pasta. If you don’t have any on hand, there are cooking directions in the recipe.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 627kcal | Carbs: 30g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1281IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 338mg | Iron: 4mg
