Marry Me Ground Beef Pasta (Printable)

Creamy pasta with seasoned ground beef, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan in a luscious sauce.

# Ingredient List:

→ Meat

01 - 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean recommended

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
06 - 1 cup baby spinach (optional)

→ Dairy & Cream

07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

→ Liquids

09 - 1 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth

→ Seasonings

10 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
11 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until browned and fully cooked, approximately 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
03 - Add diced onion to the skillet and sauté for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Mix in chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook for an additional minute to incorporate flavors.
05 - Pour in beef or chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Allow liquid to reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
06 - Reduce heat to medium-low. Add heavy cream, parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes. Stir continuously until cheese melts and sauce reaches a creamy consistency, approximately 2–3 minutes.
07 - Add cooked pasta and baby spinach if using to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with additional parmesan and fresh basil if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in under 10 minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
  • Sundried tomatoes add this incredible sweet tangy depth that makes people think you're secretly a chef
  • Everything happens in one skillet so cleanup is almost suspiciously easy
02 -
  • The sauce will thicken as it stands, so don't panic if it looks slightly looser than you want in the skillet
  • Reserving pasta water is nonnegotiable—that starchy liquid is what binds everything into a cohesive dish
  • Room temperature cream incorporates more smoothly than cold cream straight from the fridge
03 -
  • Grate your own parmesan—the pre grated stuff has anti caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly
  • Don't skip the step of reducing the broth before adding cream—that concentration is what makes the sauce taste complex

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