Creamy Beef and Shells

A quick and easy ground beef recipe, this pasta dish is creamy and comforting, perfect for a family dinner.

• Prep: 15 min
• Cook: 25 min
• Total: 40 min
• Servings: 4
• Cuisine: American
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $4.89/serving

Dietary

• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein

Tags

• quick
• comfort food
• sauté
• classic
• savory
• one-pot

Ingredients

• 8 ounce pasta shells (medium)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 0.5 sweet onion (medium, diced)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1.5 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cup beef stock
• 15 ounce tomato sauce
• 0.75 cup heavy cream
• 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
• 6 ounce cheddar cheese (shredded, extra-sharp)

Instructions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
2. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Set aside.
3. Add onion to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
6. Gradually whisk in beef stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
7. Stir in pasta, beef and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cheese until melted, about 2 minutes.
8. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 859
• Protein: 43.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 53.3 g
• Fat: 50.3 g
• Fiber: 3.7 g
• Sodium: 1921 mg
• Saturated Fat: 25.8 g
• Sugar: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 198 mg