Description
Hearty beef pasta recipe blends rich flavors with comforting Italian-inspired ingredients. Creamy cheese sauce and tender beef create a satisfying meal you’ll savor to the last delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 grams) ground beef
- 4 oz (113 grams) velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1.5 cups (340 grams) shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 oz (226 grams) pasta of choice (farfalle recommended)
- 2 cups (473 ml) beef broth
- 1 (8 oz/226 grams) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (75 grams) onion, diced
- ½ cup (75 grams) bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps (16 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Brown ground beef in a spacious skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked, removing any pink traces. Reserve 2 tablespoons of beef drippings and set meat aside.
- Vegetable Infusion: Sauté diced onions and bell peppers in reserved beef fat, cooking until vegetables become translucent. Add minced garlic and allow aromatics to develop for 30 seconds.
- Sauce Foundation: Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture, creating a light roux. Gradually pour beef broth, whisking to eliminate potential lumps. Introduce tomato sauce, Italian herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper for depth of flavor.
- Pasta Integration: Submerge pasta completely in the liquid, covering and simmering. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking until pasta reaches al dente texture.
- Creamy Cheese Finale: Reduce heat and blend heavy cream into the sauce. Melt cheddar and Velveeta cheeses until achieving a smooth, velvety consistency. Fold reserved ground beef back into the cheesy pasta, ensuring complete temperature distribution and even protein integration.
Notes
- Meat Browning Technique: Ensure ground beef is thoroughly cooked without burning, leaving no pink areas for food safety and enhanced flavor depth.
- Vegetable Sautéing Secret: Cook onions and peppers until translucent to release natural sweetness and develop rich underlying taste profile.
- Flour Roux Mastery: Stir flour continuously to prevent burning and create smooth sauce base, which helps thicken and bind ingredients perfectly.
- Cheese Melting Pro Tip: Add cheese gradually off direct heat to prevent separation and achieve ultra-creamy, silky sauce consistency without graininess.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg