Cheesy. One-pan. No chopping. Ready in 30 minutes. If that sounds like your perfect dinner, you’ll love this recipe. It’s got a rich, creamy tomato sauce and a layer of golden, bubbly cheese. Even your pickiest eaters will ask for it again and again.
Really keep an eye on this at the end under the broiler. You don’t want it to burn.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
We’re using simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. And if you don’t have something, it’s easy to swap. Swap the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey. Use whatever cheeses or pasta noodles you have on hand. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe.
If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, you can transfer everything to a baking dish and broil it in that.
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This will make six servings and will fill the skillet. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, make separate batches to not to overfill your skillet. But just know it doesn’t freeze well. You can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Equipment
- Oven-proof skillet (see notes if you don’t have one)
Ingredients
- ¾ pound penne pasta
- 1 pound ground beef (85% or 90% lean is best)
- 24 ounces of jarred marinara sauce (nice quality, such as Rao’s)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup parmesan
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup salted butter
How to Make Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta
Step One: Cook the Pasta
Get your pasta water going and cook the penne until it’s almost done – like one minute less than the box says. It’s going to keep cooking in the sauce, so don’t worry about it being perfect yet.
Step Two: Brown the Beef and Add Sauce
While that’s happening, brown your ground beef in an oven-safe skillet. Break it up as it cooks. If there’s a bunch of grease (there shouldn’t be much if you got good beef), drain some off. Now dump in your marinara sauce and let everything bubble together for a few minutes.
Step Three: Make It Creamy
Add the cream and parmesan, stir it up, and let it get hot again.
Step Four: Get Ready to Broil
Turn on your broiler – make sure your oven rack is about 2 inches from the top.
Step Five: Combine Everything
Add your drained pasta to the skillet and stir everything together. Let it simmer for a minute so the pasta can soak up some of that sauce.
Step Six: Add the Cheese
Sprinkle all that mozzarella on top, then dot little pieces of butter all over the cheese.
Step Seven: Broil Until Golden
Pop it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. DO NOT walk away from this – it goes from perfect to burnt FAST.
Serving & Storing
Serve this with some garlic bread, Caesar salad, and a triple berry sangria for a full meal. But serving this by itself is perfectly fine too.
Put any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a bit of cream or milk to keep it creamy. Heat it on the stove or in the microwave until it’s warm. This doesn’t freeze well.
More Easy Pasta Dinners
If I could, I would eat pasta every night. Here are some of my favorites.
- These stuffed shells are cozy and filling, and a perfect make-ahead freezer meal.
- Shrimp alfredo pasta is creamy and smooth without being heavy.
- Just layer and let the slow cooker do the work for this slow cooker baked ziti.
- Everyone wants a good mac and cheese recipe, and my cast-iron skillet mac and cheese puts all others to shame.
Printable Recipe
Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta (With Creamy Tomato Sauce)
Equipment
- Oven-proof skillet (see notes if you don't have one)
Ingredients
- ¾ pound penne pasta
- 1 pound ground beef (85% or 90% lean is best)
- 24 ounces jarred marinara sauce (nice quality such as Rao's)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup parmesan
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup salted butter
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Instructions
- Cook the pasta. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the penne pasta until al dente or one minute less than al dente, as it will continue cooking in the sauce. Drain and set aside.
- Cook meat and add sauce. In an oven-proof skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. If there is excess grease, drain some of it off (if using 85-90% lean beef, this step may not be necessary). Next, add the jarred marinara sauce to the cooked beef in the skillet. Stir well and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Add cream and Parmesan. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix until the sauce is heated through and begins to simmer again.
- Preheat and add pasta. Adjust the oven rack so that it is 2 inches away from the broiler and preheat it to high. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce.
- Layer cheese on top. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top of the pasta mixture. Cut the salted butter into small pats and distribute them evenly over the cheese.
- Broil until golden. Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes, keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
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