This ground beef pasta recipe is for you if you want a particularly tasty and filling dinner or lunch. It's a really simple, easy and quick dish to prepare. The dish is not difficult to make, but in order to make this pasta perfectly tasty, you need to know a few tips, which you will find in this article.
Ground beef pasta recipe history
The recipe for ground beef pasta is believed to have originated in America in the 1880s and 1910s, when immigrants from Italy began looking for a way to have a hearty and tasty meal without spending a lot of money.
Meat was relatively inexpensive in America at the time, so the Italians decided to season ground beef with tomato sauce and mix it with pasta.
Since then, this recipe has become one of the most popular in the world, not only because of its extraordinary taste but also because it is easy to prepare. It is also really cheap to prepare.
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Ground beef pasta recipe
First of all, you need to know how much pasta you will cook. This also determines how much water to add to the pot.
If you are cooking 300 grams of pasta (2-3 portions), add about 2,5 quarts of water to the pot.
So for 2-3 servings we will use 300 grams of pasta and 2,5 quarts of water.
Pour the water into the pot and turn on the heat. When the water comes to the boil, turn the heat down to just above medium, but don't use the highest heat. We want the pasta to cook and absorb the right amount of moisture.
When the water has boiled and you have reduced the heat to the required temperature, add one teaspoon of salt to the pot of water.
Even if you like to eat salty food, do not add more than 1 teaspoon of salt. You can add the salt later, before eating.
Do not add the pasta to the pot yet. One important thing to do beforehand is to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot of water. Why is olive oil needed? The reason for adding olive oil is to prevent the pasta from sticking together during cooking and to give it a little flavour and aroma.
When you add the salt and oil, stir in the water. And now we can put the pasta in the pot.
So, while the pasta is boiling we need to peel and finely chop 1 medium sized white onion.
Also peel 3 cloves of garlic.
Once you have chopped the onion and peeled the garlic cloves, heat a large frying pan. The whole dish should fit in the pan, including the pasta. So choose a large frying pan so that it is comfortable to cook the dish in.
Preheat a frying pan to medium heat. The temperature should not be too high. Add a large tablespoon of butter to the hot pan. Wait until the butter is spread all over the pan. Then add the chopped onion and squeeze/crush the garlic cloves into the pan with the oil.
The onion and garlic should be fried until they turn yellow and soften.
When the onion and garlic have softened, add the ground beef to the pan.
Preparation continues. Add the ground beef to the pan. The ground beef will be glued together into a solid meat mass. We need to break this mass into small pieces. And we have to do it immediately, as soon as we put the meat in. Break up the meat with a spatula.
When you have broken the meat down into small pieces, it will be slightly browned. Then mix the meat, onion and garlic well. Fry the meat until it is cooked through and has a brown colour. Cook on a medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes. Make sure that the meat does not overcook and become too dry.
When the meat is browned and all the contents of the pan are mixed, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/3 teaspoon black pepper and 3 tablespoons tomato sauce to the pan. After adding the spices and tomato sauce to the pan, stir everything well again and sauté for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
So, when the meat and the sauce are mixed, it's time to add the cooked pasta to the pan.
Pour the pasta directly over the meat.
As mentioned, the pan should be large enough to accommodate both the pasta and the sauce, so that you can mix everything comfortably.
When you pour the pasta into the pan, reduce the heat to minimum, just enough to keep the pan warm.
When you add the pasta, stir it well with the sauce.
When the pasta have been stirred with the ground beef sauce, the dish is almost ready to eat.
However, we recommend that you also add some grated cheese on top of this dish. The grated cheese will add even more softness and flavour to this extremely tasty pasta.
So, remove the pan from the stove. Add 1 glass of grated cheese to the pan. Parmesan cheese is best. It is best suited to Italian dishes and has a great taste. The cheese will melt when you pour it on the pasta.
And before serving the dish on the table, sprinkle the greens over everything. Parsley or basil are the most suitable.
Enjoy!
Ground beef pasta ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 250 grams / 9 oz pasta
- 200 grams / 7 oz ground beef
- 50 grams / 2 oz grated cheese
- 3 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- A pinch of parsley
- Salt and black pepper
Which tomato sauce to use for the ground beef pasta?
For this recipe, natural Italian tomato sauce is most suitable. You can buy it in all supermarkets. We advise you to choose Italian tomatoes, the quality is usually really good. The sauce should be natural and made from quality tomatoes.
If you want to make this dish even tastier and fattier, you can add half a glass of sour cream to the pan. This will give the dish a creamy colour and taste. Really tasty!
We do not add the cream this time and continue cooking.
How much ground beef to use in this dish?
Since we are using 250 grams of pasta, we have to use half the weight of the pasta in ground beef. So for the Ground Beef Pasta recipe we will use 200 grams of minced beef. Correspondingly, if you use 500 grams of pasta, use 400 grams of beef. Do not forget that the meat contains a significant amount of water, which will evaporate when the meat is cooked, so that the meat will be less rich.
How long do you need to cook the pasta to get it perfect?
We cannot answer this question precisely. The cooking time will depend on the type of pasta you choose. So, it is best to read the cooking time recommendation on the pasta packaging and cook for the length of time recommended by the manufacturer.
However, always keep an eye on the pasta, stir it regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and sticking together. Also make sure that the pasta does not overcook. Our spaghetti will cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
What type of pasta is best with ground beef?
This dish is traditionally, in Italy, made with spaghetti pasta. On the other hand, if you don't have spaghetti pasta, other types of pasta such as vermicelli, macaroni, rotini, etc., are also suitable. We will make this dish using spaghetti.
Do you need to rinse the pasta before cooking?
We often hear the question: do I need to wash the pasta before putting it in the pot? The answer is simple - no, you don't really need to wash the pasta. Just unwrap them and go ahead and put them in the pot.
How long will cooked pasta last? How long is pasta with ground beef good for?
Pasta and ground beef have different shelf lives. Cooked pasta can keep for about 5 days if stored in the fridge, while cooked ground beef can keep for about 3 days if stored in a fridge where it is not exposed to the air. If you do not want to eat the whole dish at once, we recommend that you keep the cooked pasta and the roasted ground beef in separate containers. Before eating, mix the pasta and ground beef and fry them in a pan for a while.
Can pasta be undercooked?
We do not recommend eating undercooked pasta. It is best to cook the pasta properly, according to the recommendation and cooking time on the package. Once cooked, the pasta should be sufficiently soft but not too wet. Just keep an eye on the cooking of the pasta, tasting it over and over again.
Can pasta be left out?
Yes, the pasta can be eaten for up to 5 days after cooking. However, the shelf life of cooked ground beef is shorter, which is about 3 days.
What kind of pasta can you make with ground beef?
You can use any kind of pasta with ground beef, but traditionally spaghetti pasta is used for ground beef pasta.
What kind of ground beef is best for a ground beef pasta dish?
You can use both lean and fatty beef for ground beef pasta, but the tastiest version of this dish will be made with fattier ground beef.
Is pasta with ground beef healthy?
If you want to make ground beef pasta healthier, use whole-grain pasta and do not use cream when making the ground beef sauce. Also read the ingredients of the tomato sauce you will use. You should avoid tomato sauces that are high in sugar.
Can I make ground beef pasta without sauce?
Yes, you can make ground beef pasta without using tomato sauce and cream, but the dish will be a little dry compared to what you would make with sauces.
What meats can be cooked with pasta?
You can choose whatever meat you want to eat with pasta. You can use chicken, turkey, pork, beef. In our opinion, pasta with ground beef is the tastiest.
How to season ground beef for pasta?
In this ground beef pasta recipe, we season the ground beef with salt and pepper and also use onion and garlic, which we fry in a pan and then mix with the ground beef. We also use tomato sauce, where the spices also add flavour to the ground beef.
Do you choose fatty beef or lean beef when making ground beef pasta?
Traditionally, fatty beef is used for this dish, but if you are avoiding fatty foods, use leaner meat. The fattier the meat, the tastier, but not necessarily the healthier. In this dish we will use traditional, fatty ground beef.
If you would like to see the preparation of this dish in video format, here is the full video recipe:
