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
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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).
Amazing, this is now on rotation at our house…I have added a small bag of baby spinach stored in before serving yum!
I too never post a recipe review, this is a first! This recipe is amazing, I can’t get over it – I am a terrible cook but this turned out perfectly! Absolutely delish – next time I will be using Quinoa pasta, hopefully that cooks the same way as regular pasta. Only change I made was to add some chopped peppers when I sauted the onions.
Going to search more of your recipes Nagi, you’re helping me be a better cook ☺
I thought I’d share my adaptation to this recipe that my kids are loving – instead of adding the mince, I follow the rest of the recipe but add store bought Ravioli or similar pasta like spinach and ricotta ravioli for a vegetarian option. The pasta cooks in the sauce/broth. It’s a little “saucier” than the original recipe, but it still tastes great.
Hello Bec! Just wondering if the ravioli worked well here for you?
Less cook time since it’s fresh? I want to use tortellin but a bit nervous about it LOL
It worked well. I dont recall the exact cook time, but I used the fresh Ravioli from the fridge section if that helps.
Made as per recipe instructions. This was quick, easy and a crowd pleaser.
Nagi! Thank you! Oh man, this recipe was so simple and easy. It tasted sooo good afterwards. This has to be maybe the 5th or 6th recipe I have tried from you. I have both your cookbooks and am going to try your Beef Stew next. Thank you for making me feel like the chef i was meant to be. 🤣
This was so easy to make. Absolutely divine!!
I am a pasta lover and this dish superseded my expectations. so good!
Oops- forgot to rate this recipe- happy to give it a 5 star ⭐️
Having this for dinner, since we have a gluten intolerance in our family, I let it thicken up first, and just cook the pasta separately. It’s delicious and kids loved it.
Easy and delicious. My husband loves it!
Can never have too many good one pan/pot dinners in one’s repertoire. I tried this for the first time last night. I had no beef mince (unusual) so I scissored a six pack of pork sausages into the pan instead. Scrumptious nonetheless. Definitely a recipe that will be on high rotation in our household.
Love this recipe!!! Made it for my neighbor and her family and it was a hit 😋. I loved the addition of the cream.
Quick, easy, delicious 😋
So glad I found this recipe!!!
I made this for our neighbors that had just returned from the hospital.
It was a hit with the whole family 😋
Love this one pot meal and will be making it again soon.
This was amazing. I cooked it tonight to take as work lunches this week. My 2 fussy eaters told me it smelt great and they would like some. 2 bowls each later and not as many lunches left.
Will definitely be making this again!
I followed the instructions the 1st time I made it and it was way too runny with 4 cups. I had to remove a lot of liquid cause it turned out like soup. Made it the next day with 3 cups only and half a cup of parmesan cheese to thicken it up more and it was perfect! My family loves it.
Quick and easy and so full of flavour. Nagi’s site is my go-to for dinner ideas.
Just made this! Daughter took one look and said “dibs – I’m eating it all!” I can’t wait to see if the leftovers are even better! Thanks Nagi.
This is a go to in our household. Born and raised Italian so one pot pasta weren’t a thing in our household but for a busy mum who didn’t have all day to slave over a proper Bolognese. This is a faithful, never fail moment..ran out of cream but whisked some milk through cottage cheese and used protein pasta today 👌
P.s. made this again, from memory (so I forgot the cream!) but I tried adding some lemon zest while simmering and lemon juice to finish, with a sprinkle of sugar to mellow the flavor. Yummo and now thinking of other flavor enhancement variations – red wine? anchovies?
It’s been a while since I posted a review not because I haven’t made anything but because I haven’t been able to stop licking my fingers from all the yummy food so that I could type! As usual this was so easy and so tasty !
Made this for the first time tonight and doubled the recipe. The first of us who ate thought “This is really good!” We all had seconds. There were two that ate 2 hours later and RAVED about it. Don’t know what changed but maybe it sat in the sauce and the noodles got all that flavor…we’ll have to fight for the leftovers.