One-Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta — Easy Dinner To Make With Ground Beef

Easy Dinner To Make With Ground Beef — One-Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

If you’re hunting for an Easy Dinner To Make With Ground Beef, this one-pot creamy tomato beef pasta is your new weeknight hero. It’s saucy, comforting, and done in one pan — no fuss, no extra dishes, just big bowls of cozy goodness.

Brief intro — why this recipe wins

This recipe takes humble ground beef and turns it into a rich, slightly creamy tomato sauce that cooks the pasta right in the pot. It’s basically Bolognese’s laid-back cousin: same savory vibes, fewer steps, and a happy, saucy finish every time. Want something family-friendly, cheap, and fast? Yep — this ticks those boxes.

Bold tip: saucier is better — for one-pot pastas you want extra liquid so the pasta cooks evenly and finishes with the perfect ooze.

Why you’ll love it

• It’s a total one-pot meal: less cleanup, more time for the important stuff (dessert, scrolling, whatever).
• Uses inexpensive pantry staples — a perfect pick for Easy Cheap Dinner Meals.
• It’s flexible: double it for a crowd, halve it for two, or swap ground beef for another protein. Great for Meals To Make With Beef or even to adapt for venison.
• The little addition of cream at the end gives the sauce silk without weighing it down — comfort food that doesn’t feel heavy.
• Because it’s saucy and comforting, it qualifies as a reliable Tasty Easy Dinners option for busy nights.

Rhetorical question: Who doesn’t want a dinner that tastes like it took hours but actually took under 30 minutes?

The Key Ingredients (and Why You Need Them)

Below I list the main ingredients (no amounts here — the printable card has those). I’ll explain what role each plays so you understand how and why to tweak things.

Ground beef (your base protein). Lean or slightly fatty — both work. Fat equals flavor, but lean keeps it lighter. Ground beef provides savory depth and the classic meaty backbone for Good To Make With Ground Beef recipes.

Stock / broth. This is the liquid that cooks the pasta. Use chicken or beef stock for depth; water will work, but stock gives a richer sauce.

Canned tomatoes + tomato paste. Tomatoes give acidity and body; tomato paste amps tomato flavor and helps thicken the sauce just a touch.

Pasta. Short shapes that hold sauce (fusilli, penne, rigatoni) work best. Long pasta can be used if broken in half.

Onion & garlic. Building blocks of flavor — don’t skip them.

Italian seasoning (or oregano + basil). Brings the classic Italian profile that complements beef and tomato.

A splash of cream. A little cream stirred in at the end turns a red sauce into a luscious, slightly pink, creamy tomato finish — the “ooze” factor.

Chili flakes (optional). A pinch keeps the dish interesting with a whisper of heat, but leave them out for kids or spice-shy eaters.

This mix is simple but very forgiving — tweak freely.

How to Make It

This is the step-by-step method I use; it’s written so you can copy–paste into a recipe card.

1. Sauté aromatics and brown beef. Heat oil in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until no pink remains and some brown bits form — those browned bits = flavor. Drain excess fat if the meat is very fatty.
2. Toast the herbs and add tomato paste. Sprinkle in Italian seasoning and toast for 30 seconds to bring out the fragrance. Stir in tomato paste and cook for a minute — this removes raw tomato taste and deepens flavor.
3. Add liquids, tomatoes, and pasta. Pour in stock and a can of crushed or diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer. Add the dried pasta, pushing it into the liquid so it’s mostly submerged.
4. Simmer until pasta is almost done. Cook, uncovered, at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally to keep pasta from sticking. Time will vary by pasta type — usually 12–15 minutes. The sauce should reduce and concentrate but still be a touch loose. Stir more often toward the end so nothing foams or clumps.
5. Cream it and finish. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream until the sauce turns silky and slightly pink. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and herbs. Let the pot rest a minute so the sauce sets to the perfect saucy consistency.
6. Serve. Spoon into bowls and top with grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley. Eat immediately.

Bold tip: stir the pot regularly as it nears doneness — one-pot pastas can stick if ignored.

Pro tips for perfect results

• Use enough liquid. Your pasta will absorb a lot — start with the recommended stock amount and resist the temptation to skimp.
• Toast the seasonings for a few seconds before adding liquid — it brightens the herbs.
• If your pasta releases a lot of foam, lower heat and stir — this prevents boil-overs.
• Reserve a splash of extra stock before adding cream. If the sauce tightens too much after resting, loosen with a spoonful or two.
• Choose pasta wisely. Mid-sized shapes (penne, fusilli, ziti) work best here. Avoid tiny pastas that absorb too fast.
• Want this for two? This recipe adapts perfectly to double or halve — it also fits the Easy Dinners For Two Ground Beef brief when scaled down.
• Fat level matters. Use 90/10 or 85/15 ground beef depending on how rich you want the final sauce. More fat = more flavor, but you might drain excess.

FYI: This recipe also checks the box for Easy Meals For Husband To Make — it’s straightforward, forgiving, and earns big praise.

Variations — make it yours

• Veg boost: Add mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers during the simmer. Great for sneaking veg into Lunch Recipes Ground Beef or family dinners.
• Cheesy: Stir in shredded mozzarella or finish with ricotta for extra creaminess.
• Spicy: Add chili flakes or a splash of hot sauce while simmering.
• Herby bright: Stir in fresh basil or lemon zest at the end for a fresh lift.
• Venison swap: Replace ground beef with ground venison for a lean, earthy twist — a smart adaptation for Dinner Recipes Venison lovers. You may want a touch more fat or a splash of oil to keep the sauce glossy.
• Budget friendly: Use spaced-out pantry items (tomato passata instead of diced tomatoes; stock powder + water) and you’ve got a top Easy Cheap Dinner Meals option.

These tweaks let you adapt the dish to seasons, taste, and pantry status.

Best ways to serve

• Pile it into big bowls, top with Parmesan and parsley — simplicity wins.
• Serve with a crisp green salad and crusty bread for scooping.
• Make it a weeknight family bowl alongside roasted vegetables for balance.
• For a date night twist, finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and extra parm.

This pasta also makes excellent leftovers — perfect for Good To Make With Ground Beef batch cooking. Reheat gently and add a splash of water or stock if it thickens.

Storage & leftovers

• Refrigerate: Cool and store in an airtight container up to 3–4 days.
• Reheat: Warm on the stove with a splash of stock to loosen; microwave in short bursts for single-serve.
• Freeze: You can freeze portions, but texture of the pasta may change. Freeze only if necessary; thaw overnight and reheat gently.
• Make-ahead tip: Cook the sauce base, chill, then cook the pasta fresh on the day you plan to serve — this keeps texture ideal.

Bold tip: always loosen with hot stock or water when reheating — it keeps the sauce glossy and the pasta from clumping.

FAQs (quick answers)

Final thoughts — a keeper for busy nights

This One-Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta is exactly the kind of recipe you want on repeat: fast, forgiving, inexpensive, and wildly satisfying. It lands squarely in playlists like Tasty Easy Dinners and Easy Cheap Dinner Meals, and it’s brilliant for batch cooking or feeding a hungry household.

If you’re compiling a list of Meals To Make With Beef or hunting for reliable Easy Dinner To Make With Ground Beef ideas, add this one — it’s simple enough for a weekday but tasty enough for guests.

Now grab a big pot, brown some beef, and let the pasta soak up all that saucy, creamy goodness. Dinner’s about to get very, very good.

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One-Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta — Easy Dinner To Make With Ground Beef

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Comforting, saucy pasta cooked with seasoned ground beef and finished with a splash of cream — all made in a single pot for minimal fuss and maximum flavor. The pasta simmers right in the tomatoy broth so every bite soaks up that meaty, herby sauce.

• Author: Irma
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 500 g (1 lb) ground beef (mince)
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning (or mixed dried oregano/basil/parsley)
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
• 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) crushed tomatoes or passata
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
• 1½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 350 g (12 oz) short pasta (fusilli, penne, elbow macaroni, etc.)
• ¾ cup heavy/thickened cream
• To serve: grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley (optional)

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Instructions

1. Warm the oil & soften aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté briefly until fragrant and slightly softened (about 1–2 minutes).

2. Brown the beef and add seasonings. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Cook until the meat loses its pink color. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, stir for 30 seconds, then work in the tomato purée and cook another minute to remove any raw tomato taste.

3. Combine liquids and pasta. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and the chicken stock. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir everything together, then add the pasta, pressing it down so it sits mostly submerged.

4. Simmer until pasta is almost done. Bring the pot to a steady simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes at first and more often as it nears completion to prevent sticking. The sauce will reduce but should remain looser than you might expect — that’s correct for this one-pot method.

5. Finish with cream. Stir in the cream, return to a gentle simmer for 1–2 minutes, then remove from the heat. The mixture will stay saucy; as it rests a moment the pasta will thicken to a perfect, saucy consistency.

6. Plate and garnish. Give the pot a final stir, portion into bowls, and top with grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley if you like.

Notes

• Notes & tips
  • Italian seasoning: Use a store-bought blend or make your own with equal parts dried oregano, basil and parsley. A splash of Worcestershire can substitute in a pinch.
  • Stock choice: Chicken stock adds depth; if you’re short on cartons, a good stock powder dissolved in water works fine.
  • Pasta selection: Medium-sized short pastas hold the sauce best. Avoid very small shapes like orzo; for long pasta, break strands in half and increase the pasta amount slightly if desired.
  • Leftovers: Store chilled in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Not ideal for freezing; reheating may change texture.
  • Don’t panic if it looks too thin right off the stove — the pasta will absorb more liquid while it rests and when plated. Bold tip: keep stirring more frequently in the last few minutes to prevent sticking.
• Variations you can try
  • Stir in vegetables (spinach, mushrooms, or bell peppers) during simmering for extra color and nutrition.
  • Swap half the beef for Italian sausage for a bolder flavor.
  • For a lighter finish, use half-and-half or plain Greek yogurt (off heat) instead of full cream — add gradually and whisk to combine.

Nutrition

• Calories: 610cal
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 988mg
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 64g
• Fiber: 5g
• Protein: 35g
• Cholesterol: 97mg