Creamy Beef And Shells Pasta
Creamy beef and shells pasta is an easy one pan comfort food dinner featuring pasta shells, seasoned ground beef, and a rich, cheesy sauce. The whole family will love this easy weeknight dinner!
I’m always looking for dinners that are easy, filling, and guaranteed to make everyone happy.
This creamy beef and shells pasta checks all those boxes.
It’s a one skillet meal with simple ingredients that is ready in 30 minutes.
So you can get a dinner on the table that gets everyone to the table even on busy days!
And they’ll come happily when they know this is on the menu.
We’re talking seasoned ground beef, pasta shells, rich and creamy sauce, and of course cheese!
No one will be able to resist.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Medium shell pasta– Cooked to ‘al dente’ and drained.
- Olive oil– Extra virgin olive oil. You could sub canola oil if that’s what you have on hand.
- Ground beef– Go for a leaner variety like 90/10 or 93/7 so you don’t have as much grease.
- Onion– A small yellow onion, peeled and diced.
- Seasoning– Italian seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper
- Flour– All purpose flour to thicken the sauce
- Broth– Beef broth or stock.
- Tomato sauce– The kind in a 15 ounce can.
- Heavy cream– Don’t substitute! The pasta won’t be nearly as creamy if you do.
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar.
How to Make
Creamy beef and shells pasta is so easy to make!
Just heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium high heat.
Once the oil is shimmery and the skillet is hot, add the beef and onion.
Cook the beef and onions, crumbling the meat as you go until it’s completely browned and the onions have started to soften.
Strain off the grease.
Stir in all of the seasonings and let everything cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Then work the flour into the browned beef to make a base for the sauce.
Let it cook for 60 seconds to cook out the flour taste.
Slowly pour in the broth and tomato sauce, stirring as you go.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
As soon as it boils, turn down the heat so the sauce just simmers for 10 minutes or just until it thickens.
Stir it occassionally.
Add the cream and cheese to the skillet, stirring them in until evenly combined and melted.
Then stir in the pasta.
Remove it from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Give it a final stir, serve, and enjoy!
Storing
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat them in the microwave until they are warmed through, stirring and thinning the sauce with a little beef broth or heavy cream if needed.
Tips and Tricks
- Want to sneak in some veggies? Add a diced bell pepper, diced zucchini, or even sliced mushrooms to the skillet with the beef and onions.
- You can substitute ground chicken or turkey if you prefer, though it will be a little lighter tasting.
- Don’t have shells? Use elbow macaroni for a Hamburger Helper kind of vibe or even bow ties.
- Letting it sit will help the sauce thicken a little more so don’t skip the 5 minute cooling time.
Other Easy 30 Minute Meals
Creamy beef and shells pasta is an effortless dinner, perfect for the busiest of days.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other easy 30 minute meal ideas?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this CREAMY BEEF AND SHELLS PASTA, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Creamy Beef And Shells Pasta
Ingredients
- 10-12 oz medium shell pasta cooked to 'al dente' and drained
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion peeled & diced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large skillet, or Dutch oven, set over medium high heat. Add the beef and onion. Cook and crumble until the meat's completely browned, then strain off the grease.
- Add all of the seasonings, stirring to evenly combine, then cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour evenly out over the dish, stir to combine, and cook for 60 seconds.
- Slowly pour in the broth and tomato sauce, stirring to combine, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Immediately reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionnaly, for 10 minutes- just until the sauce has thickened some.
- Add the cream and cheese to the skillet, stirring them until evenly combined and melted.
- Add the pasta, stirring again until evenly coated. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Stir well, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Want to sneak in some veggies? Add a diced bell pepper, diced zucchini, or even sliced mushrooms to the skillet with the beef and onions.
- You can substitute ground chicken or turkey if you prefer, though it will be a little lighter tasting.
- Don't have shells? Use elbow macaroni for a Hamburger Helper kind of vibe or even bow ties.
- Letting it sit will help the sauce thicken a little more so don't skip the 5 minute cooling time.
Nutrition
