Make Ground Beef Pasta Recipe | R Recipe Easy (2024)

If you’re wondering how to put that spare box of pasta in your pantry and the ground beef tucked away in your freezer to good use, we’ve got some fantastic news for you: the dynamic duo of Ground Beef Pasta Recipe is here to make your family dinners a hit. Our curated collection of recipes seamlessly marries two of our favorite weeknight staples, resulting in comforting and mouthwatering dishes.

Not only are these ground beef pasta recipes incredibly delicious, but they’re also incredibly easy to prepare. With readily available ingredients, minimal hands-on time, and many one-pot wonders, these recipes consistently earn top marks from busy home chefs.

Even with discerning young eaters at the table, dishes like Taco Dinner Mac and Cheese, Sloppy Joe Casserole, and Homemade Baked Lasagna are sure to leave empty plates all around. These hearty ground beef pasta recipes are not only easy on the wallet but also deliver the ultimate in comfort food, making them fast contenders for family favorites.

Table of Contents

Creating Savory Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef Pasta Recipe

Crafting a restaurant-quality spaghetti sauce with ground beef is just a few steps away. While the full recipe is provided below, here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

Sauté Beef and Vegetables

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté ground beef along with garlic, onion, and green pepper. Stir until the beef turns brown and crumbly, and the vegetables become tender.

Incorporate Tomato Products and Seasonings

Blend diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste into the beef mixture. Add oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to infuse flavor. Simmer until the sauce thickens and releases its aromatic charm, then serve generously over cooked spaghetti noodles.

Troubleshooting Your Spaghetti Sauce

If your spaghetti sauce doesn’t quite meet your expectations, fret not! There are simple solutions for common issues.

How to Achieve the Desired Thickness

This recipe is designed to yield a perfectly thick spaghetti sauce. However, if you find your sauce too thin, there are a couple of remedies. Extend the simmering time to reduce excess liquid and achieve the desired thickness.

For a quicker fix, create a slurry using equal parts water and cornstarch. Gradually incorporate the slurry into the sauce until it reaches your preferred thickness.

Experimenting with Herbs in Spaghetti Sauce

This highly-rated recipe calls for garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Nevertheless, you have the creative freedom to customize your spaghetti sauce. Consider adding parsley for freshness or introducing a dash of crushed red pepper to spice things up. Remember to taste the sauce as you go to ensure you strike the perfect flavor balance, avoiding accidental over-seasoning or under-seasoning.”

Perfecting the Simmering Time for Spaghetti Sauce

Achieving the ideal texture and flavor of our spaghetti sauce is an art, and we’ve found that a one-hour simmering time works wonders. However, your culinary canvas is yours to paint, so feel free to adjust the simmering duration to suit your taste. If a slightly thinner sauce appeals to you, shorten the simmering time a tad. Conversely, for a richer, thicker sauce, extend the simmering process to your liking.

Pairing Perfection: What to Serve with Spaghetti Enhance your spaghetti and meat sauce experience with these delectable pairing suggestions:

  • Toasted Garlic Bread
  • Panzanella Salad
  • Caesar Salad Supreme
  • Quick and Easy Garlic Broccoli with Parmesan
  • Sautéed Zucchini

Preserving Spaghetti

Refrigeration Guidelines For optimal freshness, store your cooked noodles and ground beef sauce separately. Cooked spaghetti noodles will retain their quality for up to five days when securely sealed in an airtight container within the refrigerator. Meanwhile, the ground beef sauce can be refrigerated for three to four days, maintaining its flavors when stored in an airtight container.

Maximizing Leftover Potential

Can You Freeze Spaghetti Sauce? Certainly! Freezing spaghetti sauce is a savvy solution for managing leftovers and streamlining meal preparation. To freeze your spaghetti sauce effectively, portion it into zip-top freezer bags in servings. Remove excess air, seal the bags securely, label them with the date, lay them flat in the freezer, and enjoy them within a generous six-month window.

Reviving Frozen Spaghetti Sauce:

A Reheating Guide Bringing refrigerated spaghetti sauce back to life offers multiple convenient methods. You can opt for the microwave, heating it in 10-second intervals (stirring between each), or choose the stovetop approach, ensuring you stir frequently for even, delightful reheating.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 small green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 can (28 ounces) of diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (16 ounces) of tomato sauce
  • 1 can (6 ounces) of tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons of dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper”

Top 5 Beloved Ground Beef Pasta Recipes

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Sloppy Joe Casserole

Transforming the beloved classic summer camp sloppy joe into a hearty dinner casserole is a culinary triumph. Few dishes can match the universal appeal of a good old sloppy joe, and we’ve made it even more convenient for you.

This family favorite, with its delectable sweet-savory sauce and ground beef, is a surefire way to have kids asking for seconds, ensuring they are well-fueled for the week ahead. Our homemade sloppy joe casserole may forgo the buns, but it retains all the cherished flavors and excitement of the traditional sandwich.

It takes the essence of homemade sloppy joes—flavor, fun, and ease of preparation—and transforms it into a straightforward weeknight dinner. Besides the delightful family reactions, you’ll also appreciate the quick preparation time. It brings a touch of summer camp nostalgia to the dining table, even if there’s a geometry homework session waiting in the wings.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of elbow macaroni
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck
  • 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup of chopped medium onion
  • 3/4 cup of chopped carrots
  • 1 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic
  • 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
  • 2 cups of shredded Muenster cheese
  • 2 hamburger buns, finely chopped
  • Fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Cook the macaroni for three minutes less than suggested by the packet. Empty and put aside.
  3. In a Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. After adding, sauté the ground beef for approximately 6 minutes, or until browned. After removing the fat, put the meat back in the pan.
  4. Add the garlic, bell pepper, onion, carrots, and salt and pepper, and stir. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring often, or until the peppers are cooked.
  5. Stir in the dry mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix everything together, bring to a simmer, and then turn down the heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring periodically, or until thickened.
  6. Stir the pasta into the meat mixture after adding it. Transfer mixture to a 7 x 11-inch casserole dish that has been gently buttered.
  7. Add cheese on top and then crumble in the chopped bread.
  8. For 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and gently golden brown, bake it at 375°F.
  9. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves

Make Ground Beef Pasta Recipe | R Recipe Easy (2)

Extra Easy Lasagna

Extra Easy Lasagna We’ve all had those days when our energy is waning, hunger is growing, and dinner is overdue by an hour. In such moments, turn to this effortlessly simple lasagna recipe.

When time is short and motivation is scarce, this foolproof recipe will come to your rescue. It offers all the elements of a classic lasagna: ground beef, tomatoes, noodles, and a delectable trio of cheeses (mozzarella, cottage cheese or ricotta, and Parmesan). However, what sets this recipe apart is its efficient method.

Our culinary experts have diligently sought out ingredients and shortcuts that minimize the effort required to assemble this lasagna, without compromising on flavor. Browning the ground beef, the most time-consuming step aside from baking, takes just 5 to 7 minutes. Once all the sauce ingredients are incorporated with the beef, a mere few minutes of simmering is needed, as opposed to the hours typically required for lasagna recipes.

There’s no need to boil lasagna noodles either; we recommend using the no-boil variety that softens during baking. In essence, your only limit is how quickly you can layer all the ingredients.

Integrate this easy lasagna recipe into your meal rotation, or reserve it for a stress-free family Sunday dinner. Plus, remember this crucial detail: you can freeze any leftovers for future enjoyment.

Ingredients for Extra Easy Lasagna

Chances are, you probably have many of the ingredients for this easy lasagna recipe already stocked in your kitchen, which will expedite the cooking process.

Ground beef: We prefer using ground beef for this recipe, but feel free to substitute with ground turkey if it’s your preference or what you have available. Even ground venison would work if it’s in your freezer.

Canned tomatoes: There’s no need to go through the hassle of stewing your own; canned tomatoes work perfectly. If you happen to have a 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes, use it instead of the two smaller cans listed in the ingredients. Simply chop the whole tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces with your kitchen shears.

Sauce ingredients: Preparing the sauce for this easy lasagna is straightforward and quick. Alongside the ground beef, you’ll add tomato paste, traditional seasonings such as garlic powder and Italian seasoning, with a hint of crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick.

No-boil noodles: While you can use regular lasagna noodles if you have them and are willing to boil them, we recommend the no-boil variety, which soften as the dish bakes.

Cheeses: This recipe boasts a triumphant trio (or quartet, if you’re feeling creative) of cheeses that elevate the dish beyond the ordinary. Pasta and sauce are stacked with shredded mozzarella, ricotta or cottage cheese, and Parmesan cheese, with fresh mozzarella slices crowning the dish just before it enters the oven.”

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Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole

Casseroles are a lifesaver for busy families, and this hearty ground beef casserole is no exception. With just 23 minutes of hands-on prep time, you can let the oven do the work in creating this comforting dish, perfect for a hectic weeknight or your next potluck gathering.

If you find the total recipe time—just under an hour and 20 minutes—a bit long for your busy day, don’t worry. You can prepare it over the weekend and freeze it until the night before you plan to serve it. Just follow the make-ahead tip from our Test Kitchen at the end of the instructions.

Serve this meal with some delicious garlic bread and a simple green salad, and you’re sure to dazzle a crowd.

Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce over Pappardelle Pasta Recipe

Harness the power of your slow cooker to create a rich Bolognese sauce that simmers all day without the need for constant stovetop attention. If you happen to have pappardelle on hand, use it; otherwise, wide fettuccine makes an excellent substitute.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pound pappardelle pasta or wide fettuccine
  • Freshly shaved or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

In a large pan over medium-high heat, sauté the first three ingredients in heated oil for 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and heat for 30 seconds, stirring all the while. Spoon into a 6-quart slow cooker.

When the meat is crumbled and no longer pink, add it to the pan and simmer, turning often, for 7 minutes. Then, drain. Add the next five ingredients plus the kosher salt and stir. Add the wine and heat for 7 minutes, stirring now and again, until nearly all of the liquid evaporates. Stir to blend after adding to the slow cooker.

Save the juice when you drain the tomatoes. Using your hands, smash and crush the tomatoes. Stir to blend after adding to the slow cooker.

Cook for six hours on LOW with a cover on. Mix in the cream. Examine the sauce; it ought to be creamy and thick. If it’s too soupy, simmer it for a further half hour with the lid on. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of the saved canned tomato juice to thin the sauce if it’s too thick. Throw away the bay leaf.

Pasta should be cooked as directed on the box, drained thoroughly, and combined with 4 cups of the sauce. Keep the leftover sauce for a different use. Transfer to serving trays and top with appropriate quantity of cheese. Serve right away.

Make Ground Beef Pasta Recipe | R Recipe Easy (4)

Spaghetti Casserole

Take your favorite spaghetti recipe and transform it into a convenient slow-cooker casserole. This spaghetti casserole recipe simplifies the process, making it perfect for busy evenings. Southerners are known for turning anything into a casserole, and this slow-cooker version of the beloved spaghetti casserole is no exception.

It’s a convenient way to enjoy a classic pasta dish with the added bonus of leftovers throughout the week. This meal simplifies your cooking process since it uses canned tomatoes and store-bought tomato sauce. Plus, it requires just eight simple ingredients. To top it off, we’ve combined Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses for a cheesy, gooey finish. Once you serve it with some crusty garlic bread, you won’t have to worry about what to have for supper.

Ingredients:

  • two pounds total weight
  • 1 medium-sized chopped onion
  • One big clove of minced garlic and eight ounces of raw spaghetti, cut into pieces
  • One 26-oz jar of pasta sauce with tomatoes and basil
  • Diced fire-roasted tomatoes, one (14.5-oz
  • 1 tspn of dried Italian spice
  • Two cups (8 oz) of strong Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • freshly grated cheese Parmigiano

Directions:

  1. In a large pan, cook ground round and onion until the meat is no longer pink and crumbles. After draining, add the meat back to the skillet.
  2. Spoon half of the beef mixture into a well oiled 5-quart slow cooker. After adding spaghetti on top, cover with the remaining meat mixture.
  3. Italian seasoning, chopped tomatoes, ½ cup water, and spaghetti sauce should all be combined. Cover the meat with this mixture and top with cheddar cheese.
  4. Cook for 4 hours on Low with a cover on. Before serving, let it stand for ten minutes and top with Parmesan cheese. Have fun!”

Conclusion

Regardless of how ground beef looks when cooked, For consumption, it has to be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160°F. Ground beef can be a healthy choice, as it provides high-quality protein essential for muscle growth and repair, along with a significant source of iron for maintaining healthy red blood cells.

For optimal health, it’s recommended to limit the consumption of red meat, including ground beef, to no more than three portions per week, with minimal intake of processed meat. When cooking ground beef, it typically takes approximately 7 to 10 minutes to brown it evenly on most stovetops. Ground beef that is lean is a great source of protein, delivering 22 grams in just 3 ounces, along with essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.

To enhance the flavor of ground beef, the classic combination of salt and pepper is essential, as salt brings out sweetness and savoriness, while pepper adds subtle heat and pungency, making them indispensable seasonings in the kitchen.

How should ground beef be cooked?

Cook ground beef until it achieves an internal temperature of 160°F to assure safety for eating, as measured with a food thermometer. The appearance of cooked ground beef can vary, with a safely cooked patty appearing as brown, pink, or a combination of both colors at this temperature.

Is ground beef a healthy choice?

It is an excellent source of high-quality protein, which is required for both muscle growth and good general body development. Additionally, ground beef provides a significant amount of iron, a vital mineral for maintaining healthy red blood cells and preventing anemia.

How often is it recommended to consume ground beef?

It is recommended that those who consume red meat restrict their intake to no more than three servings per week. Three portions correspond to approximately 350–500g (about 12–18oz) of cooked weight. Additionally, it is wise to minimize the intake of processed meat.

How long does it take to cook ground beef?

When browning a pound of ground beef on most stovetops, it typically requires around 7 to 10 minutes. It's crucial to consistently stir and break the meat into uniform pieces using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to ensure even cooking.

Is lean ground beef a good source of protein?

Yes, lean ground beef is a valuable source of high-quality protein. Just 3 ounces of lean ground beef delivers 22 grams of protein, along with essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.

How can you enhance the flavor of ground beef?

Enhancing the flavor of ground beef is easily achieved with the use of salt and pepper. Salt amplifies the natural flavors of food by accentuating sweetness and savoriness, while pepper adds a subtle heat and pungency, making them essential seasonings in any kitchen for good reason.

Make Ground Beef Pasta Recipe | R Recipe Easy (2024)

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