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Ground Beef Pasta

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!

A wooden spoon full of creamy Ground Beef Pasta with Rotini noodles.

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.

Ground beef in a skillet with tomato sauce being added to make Ground Beef Pasta.

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.

Adding cream and cheese to meaty tomato sauce for Ground Beef Pasta.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Serve with garlic bread with cheese.

Adding rotini pasta to creamy sauce and combining it for Ground Beef Pasta.

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.

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A close up view of Beef Pasta on a plate with creamy Rotini noodles.

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Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A wooden spoon full of creamy Ground Beef Pasta.

Ground Beef Pasta

4.98 from 99 ratings
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!

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

Pro Tips:
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 668kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 55g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 146mg, Sodium: 1738mg, Potassium: 1303mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 902IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 316mg, Iron: 7mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!

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240 comments on “Ground Beef Pasta”

  1. 10/10!! Delicious and easy recipe- I highly recommend! Thank you!!

    • I’m so happy you liked it Rachel! I make this one a lot. It checks all the boxes: Easy, Quick, budget friendly and Delicious!😋 Thanks so much for the review!

  2. Vegetarian here! I was excited to discover that Impossible meat really does turn out in most ground beef dishes in a way that really makes you not miss the ground beef, so I was looking for a good pasta ground beef recipe and I saw the words “Hamburger Helper” and was sold! It’s much better than hamburger helper made with real sauce and cheese and easily able to be made vegetarian. I subbed Impossible for ground beef, vegetable stock for chicken stock and vegetarian Worcestershire (Annie’s brand) for regular. DELICIOUS! Tastes like childhood. Thank you! If you do sub impossible, lower the kosher salt, maybe by 1/4-1/2. There’s a lot more sodium in impossible meat and it’s noticeable in the end result. 

  3. Yummy! Can’t wait to make this tonight. I have to use bowtie pasta though as I didn’t have anymore rotini. Hope that will still be ok! 

  4. This was delicious love creamy sauce and I made it with spegetti it was what I had thank you so much for recipe 

  5. This was great. I was looking for a recipe using ground beef and came across this one. I used some leftover jarred pasta sauce in place of the tomato sauce, shell pasta instead of rotini, Colby jack cheese in place of cheddar, and added some leftover petite diced tomato. My 11 year old said, “This might be one of my new favorite dinners!” She and my husband both asked to take the leftovers for their lunch tomorrow, I had two helpings, and my super picky 7 year old ate his without complaint. Bravo! Not many recipes please this picky crowd and I am excited to add a new one to our repertoire. Thanks so much for sharing!

    • Hi Julia, I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and that it will be a new addition to your rotation! I love when that happens 😉 Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback! -Stephanie

  6. We enjoyed this!! It was pretty simple to make. 

  7. Just made this dish for  all the picky eaters in the house and it was a huge hit!!! No leftovers at all!! I served with twisted garlic bread and salad.
    Another great, simple, and quick dinner! 
    I’ve never gone wrong with any of your recipes and once again you’ve proven yourself with another good one!
    Kudos to you, Stephanie and thanks for a great and easy dinner recipe!!
    Yum! Yum!!

    • Hey Courtney! I am sooo happy that you enjoyed this recipe and have been enjoying my others- you really made my day and I SO appreciate you taking the time to leave this review, thank you so soooo much! (If you haven’t tried my creamy beef and shells yet, your picky eaters would love that too!)–Thank you again Courtney! -Stephanie

  8. I am so glad I stumbled upon your recipes! I love to cook but have been un-inspired lately. I was needing recipes that came together quick and would please my family. This was a hit tonight and I am already planning other recipes you have out there. This was easy to put together and it is nice to have all ingredients already on hand. Thank you! Made recipe as it was stated, no changes to the recipe.

    • You’re very welcome Shannon! I’m so happy you stumbled upon my site!😃 I totally know what you mean about getting uninspired. It’s so important to look around and find recipes that are fun and easy! Thanks so much for the review!❤️

  9. Delicious! Made this for my boyfriend tonight and he said this was waay better than hamburger helper!

  10. Hey Stephanie,

    I’ve made this a few times and my family and I love it so much. Making it for dinner tonight!! Love how budget friendly this is 🙂 Thank you!

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