Description
Creamy Beef and Shells is a cozy, 30-minute weeknight dinner featuring tender pasta shells tossed with seasoned ground beef in a velvety tomato cream sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz medium pasta shells
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the beef: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground beef and onion, cooking until beef is browned and onion is soft. Drain excess grease.
- Season: Add garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Build the sauce: Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add tomato sauce and beef broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Make it creamy: Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add pasta & cheese: Stir in cooked shells and shredded cheese until melted and creamy.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy immediately!
Notes
- For extra richness, substitute half-and-half for part of the heavy cream.
- Leftovers reheat well on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of beef broth if needed.
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey for a lighter version.
- To add a touch of heat, sprinkle in red pepper flakes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
Keywords: Creamy Beef and Shells, creamy beef pasta, beef pasta, cheesy tomato sauce pasta, weeknight dinner, pasta shells, hearty family dinner