Cheesy Italian Pasta
This cheesy Italian pasta is a delicious and hearty ground beef recipe made with perfectly seasoned beef, tender elbow macaroni, lots of mozzarella cheese, sour cream and more. It's a quick and easy dinner recipe perfect for a simple weeknight dinner.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 640kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 12 ounce tomato paste
- 15 ounce diced tomatoes
- 10 ounce Rotel
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red crushed peppers
- ½ cup sour cream
- 16 ounce large elbow macaroni pasta,
- 4 cups Mozzarella cheese, more if desired
Instructions
- In a large skillet or frying pan, add ground beef and onions. Cook until brown, then add minced garlic and cook for an additional two minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, Rotel, beef broth, and seasonings, stir, cover, simmer while pasta is cooking.
- Cook pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain and add to meat mixture. Stir until combined.
- Finally, add sour cream and shredded cheese. Mix well and serve.
Notes
Storage
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight conatiner.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Defrost overnight in the fridge if frozen. Then, reheat the entire dish in a pot over medium-low heat or microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals.
- I use lean ground beef to skip the draining step. However, if you choose a meat like Italian sausage, chorizo, or fattier ground beef, you'll need to drain your mixture to avoid a greasy dish.
- It's important to cook the pasta to al dente and no further. Overcooked pasta will get mushy and break apart when stirred into the hot beef mixture.
- Remove the pasta from the heat before mixing in the sour cream and shredded cheese to avoid curdling.
- Use a folding motion to mix in the pasta to ensure it holds its shape.
Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.
Nutrition
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 1328mg | Potassium: 1410mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1497IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 387mg | Iron: 7mg