This is a beef pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. The epitome of easy homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking!
One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta
I’m quite selective about one-pot pasta recipes. I only use it for saucy pastas, like today’s. It just doesn’t work properly with less saucy pastas, like Puttanesca and pesto pasta, because there’s not enough liquid to cook the pasta evenly.
So, any one-pot pasta recipe you see here on my website is saucy and oozy.
I’ve never heard any complaints. Everybody loves sauce! 🙂
Today’s is a beef pasta that comes with a creamy tomato sauce. It’s essentially a variation of Bolognese, with Italian seasonings plus a dash of cream. Total crowd pleaser!
Proof of ooziness:
Ingredients in this One Pot Beef Pasta
Following on from my introduction about the sauciness of one pot pastas, it will be no surprise when I say that the key to cooking one pot pasta recipes is to have plenty of liquid that the pasta can absorb! Dried pasta absorbs more than double its own weight in liquid as it cooks. Today, we use 4 cups of stock plus a can of tomato for 360g/12 ounces of pasta.
Beef mince (ground beef) – I use lean here (90% or 95%) but any fat % will do. Actually, the fattier the beef, the beefier the flavour – because fat is where all the flavour is! If you mix, say, lamb fat into very lean beef mince and cook it up, you’d swear you’re eating lamb. 🙂
Chicken stock/broth – The cooking liquid of choice. Tastier than water! I use the liquid cartons regularly in my cooking so I stock up when it’s on sale. For an economical option, I recommend using Vegeta stock powder or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavour of these over other Western stock powders.
Pasta type – I used the spirals (fusilli), but other similar sized short pastas will work just fine too. Penne, ziti, elbow macaroni, shells. Avoid the really small pastas like risoni/orzo, tiny stars etc. If using long pasta, it’s easiest to break in half. You can also use a little more – increase up to about 400g/14oz.
Cream – Just 3/4 cup, stirred in right at the end transforms a normal tomato sauce into a creamy tomato sauce! You really do only need 3/4 cup to get the flavour and colour impact of the creaminess.
Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base.
Tomato paste and canned tomato – Tomato paste gives a boost to the tomato flavour as well as thickening the sauce a touch.
Italian herbs – Seasoning! I use a store bought mix, it’s a staple in the dried herbs and spices aisle at any grocery store and doesn’t cost any more than other dried herbs. If you don’t have it, use any mix of dried oregano, basil and parsley. Or, a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Just something to add flavour.
Red pepper flakes (chilli flakes) – 100% optional. I like to add a tiny touch of warmth into this to keep things interest but you can just leave it out if you prefer!
How to make One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta
Don’t be alarmed by how saucy it is at the end as you take it off the stove, that’s exactly what you want. Pasta absorbs liquid really quickly, so by the time you ladle into bowls, garnish with parmesan, put the bowls on the table, yell at everyone to sit down then start eating, the pasta will go from a little bit too soupy to the perfect level of ooziness.
Cook beef – Sauté the garlic and onion. Then add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red.
Toast seasoning – Add the Italian herbs then cook for 30 seconds. This really brings out the flavour of the herbs and spices, and improves the flavour by toasting it. Then add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. This cooks out the rawness and also improves the flavour.
Add liquids and pasta – Add the stock, canned tomato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir, then add the pasta.
Cook 15 minutes – Once the liquid comes back up to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is just about cooked. Stir every couple of minutes at the start then more regularly towards the end to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the base of the pot. As you cook, the liquid will reduce and thicken but should still be soupier than you’d expect.
Cream it! Stir in the cream, bring it back up to a simmer then keep cooking for another minute until the pasta is fully cooked. It should still be slightly soupier than you think!
Serving – Remove from the stove, then give it a good stir and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan and a little parsley if using, then devour!
As noted at above, pasta absorbs liquid quite quickly so it will go from a little too soupy to perfect ooziness in the time it takes between taking it off the stove and eating it. In any case, saucier is better than dry. Nobody wants a mound of gluey, stodgy pasta!!!
YUM. That’s a bowl of food that is 100% me. It’s not fancy. It’s fuss free to make. It’s hearty and cosy and easy and rustic and full of flavour.
I know it’s a cliche to say “it’s me on a plate”, but it really is. (Well, bowl).
Love to know what you think if you try it! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
One pot creamy tomato beef pasta
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
- Sauté – Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Cook garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes.
- 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.
- All in – Add crushed tomato, chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir, then add the pasta.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve – Remove from the stove. Give it a good stir then ladle into bowls. Serve with parmesan and parsley.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I caught him snuffling a tub of rice in the pantry so he was made to walk around with a sticker of shame. (Raw rice grains. I think there was a smear of sauce on the tub. It can surely be the only explanation).
I made this tonight and the whole family loved it even my husband who usually doesn’t like pasta absolutely loved it 😊 Thank you Nagi!
Made it yesterday….. literally arrived in my inbox 15 mins before I was about to make a Bolognese (again). Great change for the fam!
This was great quick and easy tasty mid week meal with minimal washing up
My daughter wasn’t keen on the cream so I served hers up before adding cream and I left out the chillies for the lightweights
This was exceptional for a quick meal. The only thing I changed was leaving out the red pepper flakes and adding a diced orange pepper because it’s what I had on hand. This is a keeper for sure as are so many of your recipes. Belly rubs for Dozer even after the rice walk of shame 😁😁🐾🐾
Delicious and the cream does take to the next level 😋
I just made this in the office with wagyu minced beef and everyone loved it. So easy and so delicious !! Thank you
Such perfect timing for me. Hubby likes the frozen equivalent to beef & Mac, which I have been trying to replicate, but mine is very dry. Looking forward to making your recipe.
Very much enjoy your recipes and posts, and antics of Dozer. They brighten my days.
Such perfect timing for me. Hubby likes the frozen equivalent to beef & Mac, which I have been trying to replicate, but mine is very dry. Looking forward to making your recipe.
Very much enjoy your recipes and posts, and antics of Dozer. They brighten my days.
I wonder if I could use low carb pasta here, just cooking most of the liquid out and then putting the pasta in? Recipe looks amazing.
My type of meal. Do you think this would work with gluten free pasta or need to adjust liquid. New to cooking GF as husband has just been diagnosed coeliac. Thanks.
I have made this evening using a bag of the GF spirals from pasta Roma brand from Woolworths
Shorter cooking time for pasta so keep an eye on it!
Ticks all the boxes, simple ingredients, easy to cook, quick to make and tastes delicious.
Excellent recipe, literally just finished eating it 😂🤘
Are there any changes to the recipe if I use gluten free pasta?
I’m in heaven! The rich creamy tomato-y taste with a hint of heat is rockin’ my taste buds! Can’t wait to take leftovers to work! Thank you for another awesome recipe.
Thank you Nagi. You’ve done it again!!! I’m an Aussie living in the US so I love your terms for both US and Australia. I am also a flight attendant and I cook fresh for myself when I’m on a trip – I’m picky and don’t enjoy frozen and reheated meals, which is why I cook from raw. I downsize your recipes for one person and cook it in a mini 5” (12.5cm) skillet in the hotel room. I prep the ingredients in zip locks and freeze. I just grab them from the freezer and go. Quick and easy to cook on the go. I just tested this recipe for one serving and the results were amazing! So tasty. I’m not a fan of Italian herbs so your suggestion of using Worcestershire sauce instead made it incredibly flavorful. Another recipe of yours added to my flight attendant meal rotation. Thank you!!!
Thanks for sharing this quick and easy recipe. What other veggies could you possibly add to this dish which will go well? I like to pack my pastas with veggies.
The only thing I can see wrong with this is you didn’t fill the bowl up enough.
😂 MESSAGE OF THE DAY!
I used mild/sweet Italian sausage instead of ground/minced beef and it was excellent. More flavorful than beef. Never thought of adding cream but it has quite an impact.
Love this with mushrooms added!!
Just make sure you don’t get your mushrooms from Mount Waverley shops.
It’s so interesting that you use 90% lean beef and here in Sweden we say 10% fat beef!
It essentially means the same but just… interesting. <3
Same in the UK – we say 5% fat/15% fat instead of whatever lean percentage. Maybe it’s a European thing?
European thing, yeah, might be!
Same here in the UK, “10% fat” or whatever – seems the Australian marketers have got a head march on us!
Thing is, the part fat % is most important. Easier in my point of view.
Who wants to do reverse maths, right? 😂 90% lean v 10% fat. 10% fat is much easier!!!
Oh yeah!! I didn’t even think of that 🙂 I think they don’t like to use the word “FAT” on labels?? 😂
But that is really what everyone is interested in, right?
Low fat percentage…