The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
This Ground Beef Pasta recipe is an easy 30 minute meal that you can make with any kind of pasta. Your family will love the creamy, cheesy, Italian sauce!
Be sure to serve this with a side of Garlic Bread with Cheese!
Ground Beef Pasta
You know the Italian-style version of Hamburger Helper? This is about 60 times better than that, and literally takes the same amount of time to make.
Hamburger Helper looks tasty to me, but always comes up short. I promise, this ground beef pasta recipe does not disappoint. Once you try it, you’ll be making it all the time. I think my family eats it about once a week.
Easy ground beef recipes are the best. The ingredients in this one are super simple, so let’s start there:
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook and crumble the ground beef and onions. Drain grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add salt, Worcestershire sauce, and flour. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Bring a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for 15 minutes while you start boiling water for the pasta. Boil the pasta for 7 minutes or per package instructions.
Slowly stir in the half and half to the sauce. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle in the cheese. Stir to combine.
Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Serve with garlic bread with cheese.
Pro Tips
- Shred the cheese first and set it aside along with the half and half, they shouldn’t be cold when added to the sauce.
- If possible, shred your cheese from a block, it melts and tastes better than packaged shredded cheese. I like to use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow.
- Penne, Rigatoni, Ziti, Bowtie, or Cavatappi are good pastas with this meal as well.
- Optional ingredient additions include drained diced tomatoes, frozen peas, carrots, and/or corn.
- Milk can be used instead of half and half, but the sauce won’t be quite as thick and creamy. Reduce the heat to low prior to adding to avoid curdling it, whole milk works best.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 136!
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Try These Next
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- Homemade Hamburger Helper
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- Chicken Scallopini
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- Swedish Meatballs
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- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
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- Chicken Parmesan
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- Stuffed Bell Peppers
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ground Beef Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 + ½ lbs. ground beef, 85% lean
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons flour, optional-helps thicken the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 16 oz tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup half and half, (half cream, half milk)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ pound Rotini pasta
Instructions
- Shred the cheese and set it aside along with the half and half. We don’t want those to be cold when we add them to the sauce.
- Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium heat. Add the onions halfway through and cook until softened.
- Drain grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add salt, Worcestershire sauce, and flour. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes to remove raw flour taste.
- Add chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to clean the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Bring a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes while you start boiling water for the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes or per package instructions.
- Slowly add in the half and half to the sauce, stirring as you go.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly sprinkle in the cheese. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Serve with garlic bread with cheese.
Notes
- If possible, shred your cheese from a block, it melts and tastes better than packaged shredded cheese. I like to use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Yellow.
- Penne, Rigatoni, Ziti, Bowtie, or Cavatappi are good pastas with this meal as well.
- Optional ingredient additions: Drained diced tomatoes, frozen peas, carrots, and/or corn.
- Milk can be used instead of half and half, but the sauce won’t be quite as thick and creamy. Reduce the heat to low prior to adding to avoid curdling it, whole milk works best. Conversely, heavy cream may also be used.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 136!
Storage: Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Delicious
-I seasoned my meat before draining, garlic powder, onion soup packet, sea salt, and pepper. I followed the rest of the instructions as is, but used milk instead of half and half since that’s what I had. I also added green peppers shortly after the onions.
Nice work! Thanks so much for the review, I’m so happy it was a success!💖
Hi there! I am prepping for maternity leave and this look quick and easy as a freezer meal. If freezing what are the thaw/baking details once were ready to cook it?
HI Becca! I usually microwave it from a thawed state, you can also bake it at 350 for 20 minutes or so! The thawing/reheating instructions can vary slightly based on how much is being prepared 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few times for my family and it’s always a hit. I’m pretty sure it’s my husband’s favorite pasta dish! He always has seconds. Thanks for the great recipe!
My pleasure Mel, I’m so happy your husband is enjoying it so much! My husband and daughter ask for this one a lot. Thanks for the review!💖
Just made this for the first time . And thank you!
I divided 3 lbs of ground beef in half so I could freeze half in a 13×9 inch pan for later. Cooking it in separate large skillets I added 1/2 canned carrots and corn to the sauce. And added bay leaves and chicken bouillon to the pasta water and kept some aside for the sauce as it thickened. I only had whole milk so I added butter to the cooked pasta after strained for richness instead of cream or half and half. What I liked about this recipe was the exact amts and simplicity of ingredients most of which are in the pantry and made substitutions easy.
I’m so happy you were able to make some extra for the freezer Jackie, it makes a great freezer food! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!🩷
My family loved it!!!! Thank you!
That’s excellent Jennifer!! I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for the review! ❤️
Excellent recipe! I have a heavy hand when it comes to seasonings and cheese so mine was really flavorful and cheesy. I didn’t have any half and half, Worcestershire sauce or cheddar cheese so I used 2% milk and a little soy sauce and the mixed shredded cheese I have on hand. My kid rated it a 10/10! Based off the other comments, I could see where this is comparable to hamburger helper, but this is sooo much better! Thanks for the recipe!!!
You’re very welcome Chelsea, I’m so happy your kiddo rated it a 10! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
Awesome and fast. Husband loves it so it’s a keeper. Thanks. Love the Italian flavor. I just made it and we are enjoying it as I text. Thanks.
I’m so happy it’s a keeper Tracie! I agree, it’s a quick one but still delicious. Thanks so much for the great review, enjoy the rest of your meal!💗
I found this recipe when I asked Siri what I could make with hamburger meat and leftover cooked fusilli pasta.
I liked that all of the ingredients for straightforward and I had everything in my pantry. I’m not sure about the Worcestershire sauce and might’ve put a little too much. My husband thought it looked like homemade hamburger helper but it tastes homemade. Quick, easy, and satisfying.
I really appreciated that you included the information that it could be frozen.
I thought this tasted like a homemade hamburger helper. Not impressed
Hi Maria, I have a Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe that’s similar but not tomato based like this one. I think the pictures, video, and ingredient list make it pretty clear as to what one should expect the final outcome to be like, not much room for surprise here!
Delicious
I’m so happy to hear that Tessa!! Thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie