Cheesy Beef Pasta Skillet, Unfussy Style

This Straightforward Cheesy Beef Pasta Skillet recipe is simple and satisfying! Pasta tossed in a simple, light and mild tomato sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese. Don’t have a ton of time? This dish feeds 4 to 6 and is ready in about 30 minutes!

Straightforward dinner alert! You can have this straightforward cheesy beef pasta on the table in about 30 minutes. I kid you not! This is one of my go-to recipes in my arsenal of straightforward-breezy weeknight dinners. It’s important to have recipes like this on hand because this keeps me from hitting up some unhealthy drive-through with a side of fries or something.

#justkeepingitreal

For as long as it takes to heat up a large pot of boiling water, I can sauté onion, garlic and ground beef and throw together a 2 second sauce simply in time to dump all those glorious carb-babies and add in allthecheese!

To cook this Cheesy Beef Pasta Skillet you’ll need:

• 1 pound small shaped pasta
• olive oil
• yellow onion
• lean ground beef
• tomato paste
• Worcestershire sauce
• beef broth
• red pepper flakes
• mozzarella cheese
• fresh parsley

First things first, bring a large pot of salted (use about 2 tablespoons of salt – this will flavor the pasta as it cooks) water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large, 12-inch, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add in 1 diced medium-sized onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until soft and translucent, or for about 5 to 8 minutes. Then add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Once the water is boiling, drop in the pound of pasta around the same time you add in a pound of lean ground beef to the skillet.

Use a wooden spoon to break it up the lean ground beef into small crumbles and cooking until no longer pink. Next, drain and discard any fat, before adding in 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes..

Now season with 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and a pinch of kosher salt. Next, pour in 3/4 to 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth and then a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes.

Once al dente, drain the pasta.

Then add it to the pan with the sauce.

And then gently toss to combine.

Lastly, turn the heat off under the pan and add in 2 cups of freshly grated mozzarella cheese. Because the pasta and sauce is hot, it will melt the cheese almost instantly.

Toss until the cheese is melty and ooey-gooey.

Liiiike so. How dependable is that cheese pull?

Now FYI, I’ve tried this with half provolone and mozzarella – which is good, but the sharp provolone genuinely over took the flavors of this dish. So I usually simply use mozzarella by itself. However, if you have fontina… that would be satisfying as well.

As if this wasn’t cheesy enough…

I sprinkle it with a little freshly grated Parmesan and finely minced parsley for a pop of green and a little freshness.

30 minutes. A handful of ingredients. One sexy, unfussy cheesy beef pasta skillet meal. Simply serve with a leafy green salad and slices of garlic bread.

Do it.

Love straightforward meals? Check out my growing list of one-pan dinners here.

(ps. sooo cheesy.)

Enjoy! And if you give this Cheesy Beef Pasta Skillet recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!