This is a beef pasta cooked with Italian seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. The epitome of easy homemade comfort food with the convenience of one-pot cooking!
One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta
I’m quite selective about one-pot pasta recipes. I only use it for saucy pastas, like today’s. It just doesn’t work properly with less saucy pastas, like Puttanesca and pesto pasta, because there’s not enough liquid to cook the pasta evenly.
So, any one-pot pasta recipe you see here on my website is saucy and oozy.
I’ve never heard any complaints. Everybody loves sauce! 🙂
Today’s is a beef pasta that comes with a creamy tomato sauce. It’s essentially a variation of Bolognese, with Italian seasonings plus a dash of cream. Total crowd pleaser!
Proof of ooziness:
Ingredients in this One Pot Beef Pasta
Following on from my introduction about the sauciness of one pot pastas, it will be no surprise when I say that the key to cooking one pot pasta recipes is to have plenty of liquid that the pasta can absorb! Dried pasta absorbs more than double its own weight in liquid as it cooks. Today, we use 4 cups of stock plus a can of tomato for 360g/12 ounces of pasta.
Beef mince (ground beef) – I use lean here (90% or 95%) but any fat % will do. Actually, the fattier the beef, the beefier the flavour – because fat is where all the flavour is! If you mix, say, lamb fat into very lean beef mince and cook it up, you’d swear you’re eating lamb. 🙂
Chicken stock/broth – The cooking liquid of choice. Tastier than water! I use the liquid cartons regularly in my cooking so I stock up when it’s on sale. For an economical option, I recommend using Vegeta stock powder or Chinese chicken stock powder (Knorr) plus water. I prefer the flavour of these over other Western stock powders.
Pasta type – I used the spirals (fusilli), but other similar sized short pastas will work just fine too. Penne, ziti, elbow macaroni, shells. Avoid the really small pastas like risoni/orzo, tiny stars etc. If using long pasta, it’s easiest to break in half. You can also use a little more – increase up to about 400g/14oz.
Cream – Just 3/4 cup, stirred in right at the end transforms a normal tomato sauce into a creamy tomato sauce! You really do only need 3/4 cup to get the flavour and colour impact of the creaminess.
Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base.
Tomato paste and canned tomato – Tomato paste gives a boost to the tomato flavour as well as thickening the sauce a touch.
Italian herbs – Seasoning! I use a store bought mix, it’s a staple in the dried herbs and spices aisle at any grocery store and doesn’t cost any more than other dried herbs. If you don’t have it, use any mix of dried oregano, basil and parsley. Or, a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Just something to add flavour.
Red pepper flakes (chilli flakes) – 100% optional. I like to add a tiny touch of warmth into this to keep things interest but you can just leave it out if you prefer!
How to make One Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta
Don’t be alarmed by how saucy it is at the end as you take it off the stove, that’s exactly what you want. Pasta absorbs liquid really quickly, so by the time you ladle into bowls, garnish with parmesan, put the bowls on the table, yell at everyone to sit down then start eating, the pasta will go from a little bit too soupy to the perfect level of ooziness.
Cook beef – Sauté the garlic and onion. Then add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red.
Toast seasoning – Add the Italian herbs then cook for 30 seconds. This really brings out the flavour of the herbs and spices, and improves the flavour by toasting it. Then add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. This cooks out the rawness and also improves the flavour.
Add liquids and pasta – Add the stock, canned tomato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir, then add the pasta.
Cook 15 minutes – Once the liquid comes back up to a simmer, cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is just about cooked. Stir every couple of minutes at the start then more regularly towards the end to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the base of the pot. As you cook, the liquid will reduce and thicken but should still be soupier than you’d expect.
Cream it! Stir in the cream, bring it back up to a simmer then keep cooking for another minute until the pasta is fully cooked. It should still be slightly soupier than you think!
Serving – Remove from the stove, then give it a good stir and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan and a little parsley if using, then devour!
As noted at above, pasta absorbs liquid quite quickly so it will go from a little too soupy to perfect ooziness in the time it takes between taking it off the stove and eating it. In any case, saucier is better than dry. Nobody wants a mound of gluey, stodgy pasta!!!
YUM. That’s a bowl of food that is 100% me. It’s not fancy. It’s fuss free to make. It’s hearty and cosy and easy and rustic and full of flavour.
I know it’s a cliche to say “it’s me on a plate”, but it really is. (Well, bowl).
Love to know what you think if you try it! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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One pot creamy tomato beef pasta
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 500g/ 1 lb beef mince / ground beef
- 2 tsp Italian herbs (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 400g/ 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (or tomato passata)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (chilli flakes, optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups (1 L) chicken stock/broth , low sodium (Note 2)
- 350g/ 12oz fusilli, penne, elbow macaroni or other short pasta (Note 3)
- 3/4 cups thickened / heavy cream
Serving:
- Parmesan cheese , finely grated
- Parsley , finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Sauté – Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Cook garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Cook beef & seasonings – Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you can no longer see red meat. Add the Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw flavour.
- All in – Add crushed tomato, chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir, then add the pasta.
- Cook 15 min – Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes then more frequently towards the end (ensure pasta doesn't stick to base) until the pasta is just about cooked.
- Creamy – Add cream, then simmer for a further 1 to 2 minutes. It will still be quite saucy – this is what you want! Pasta absorbs liquid quickly, so it will still be nice and oozy when you start eating.
- Serve – Remove from the stove. Give it a good stir then ladle into bowls. Serve with parmesan and parsley.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I caught him snuffling a tub of rice in the pantry so he was made to walk around with a sticker of shame. (Raw rice grains. I think there was a smear of sauce on the tub. It can surely be the only explanation).
This had great flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
This was an amazing tasty recipe! I had no idea what to cook for dinner and was super hungry! I love the explanations in it! My daughter enjoyed it too, so glad!
Really enjoyed this! Also the fact that it comes together so quick and easy.
Just made this, it was absolutely delicious. I think it will feed me for the week lol.
I absolutely love!!! all your recipes, I love how you use fresh ingredients and conscious and ideas with cost, your recipes don’t have heaps of ingredients. Please keep doing what you do…
Loved this in its original form the first few times but made it Tuscan style last night by adding sun dried tomatoes, spinach and Parmigiano Reggiano. To die for!
Hello Nagi!
This recipe is AMAZING, it was so tasty and delicioius, and I love the one pot method!
I’ve printed it off and it’s my ‘special’ recipes binder’.
My question is: will this work for Tortellini?
Thank you☺
So easy and cleaning up is easy too with these one pot ideas. Will definitely try again
So delicious! I did add a splash of red after cooking mince and before cooking off herbs and tomato paste and half a massel beef stock cube.
Next time will add a little less chilli for my son; but absolutely delicious! Thanks Nagi x
Delicious and creamy. I thought the ratio of meat to pasta would not be enough, but it was good. Husband enjoyed the addition of worcestershire sauce.
This was easy and the whole family loved it. I made it last week and have been craving it ever since. Will definitely make this again.
Would this work with fresh pasta? What alterations would be needed?
SOO easy and delicious. Loving the minimal clean up a one pot wonder brings and was super easy and quick to make. Fussy kids both asked for seconds and declared it one of their favourites now.
Thank you for sharing!
Delicious and simple. Hubby volunteered to make dinner tonight and I’d already been planning this. He’s not a cook and was able to follow this recipe easily. We both loved it!
This is a go-to in our household, plenty to feed hungry teenage boys! So delicious, cheap and easy, especially in the winter months. After lots of experimenting, the only small changes I make is to use beef stock and reduce the amount I use of it slightly and up the pasta a little as we prefer it less wet/liquid.
Made it with slightly less stock and cream (as none of us like our dinners too wet…), but….yum !
Another hit with the soon-to-be three-year-old granddaughter so this one will go into the saved recipe folder.
Great, easy meal. Since we had minced pork in fridge we used that instead of beef and subsquently swapped the Italian herbs to sage & thyme. This recipe would make a great base for a lasagne, Make it as is the into a baking dish, cover with bechamel sauce and breadcrumbs/shredded cheese for a crunchy topping.
I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner tonight. Went to the website for an unrelated search on how to make Pita bread. This recipe was at the top as a 1 pot meal. I check it out, I’ve got all the ingredients. Made it for dinner and the kids loved it. My son said, “Mom, you always make the best food.” Thank you for this easy, family meal. I’ll definitely make it again.
I just wanted to know if I could substitute the Italian herbs for chillies? I am not a great fan of getting little wooden bits in my teeth!
Made this last night. We loved it! First thing my husband said to me this morning was “What was that pasta last night? It was so good.” I think he dreamt about it. Will definitely make it again and again. Might add some mushrooms next time. Nagi, your recipes constantly delight us. Thx