This Simple Ground Beef Pasta Skillet recipe is a perfect pasta recipe the whole family will love! Ready in under 30 minutes, this easy cheesy pasta dinner is packed with spinach, tomatoes and just the right amount of Italian Seasoning. Who wants seconds?
Ground Beef Pasta Skillet--it's what's for dinner!
If a dinner recipe can't be ready in 30 minutes or less, then I want no part in it whatsoever.
Who's got time, or the energy for that--unless of course it's something in the slow cooker. I want my dinners quick and I want them easy. And I don't want the same three or four recipes on repeat. Is that too much to ask?
Why this recipe is the best:
- It is so simple to prep. There is really not a lot to prepping this beefy pasta skillet. Cook your pasta and while it cooks, brown the meat and then add in veggies. Toss everything together with cheese in the end and dinner is served.
- Leftovers are the best! I love this ground beef pasta skillet even better the second day. When the flavors and spices really have time to soak in and meld together, it's so so amazing.
- Ready in 30 minutes. Who can be bothered with anything more? Not us! We want dinner as quick as possible.
- Uses kitchen and pantry basics. Nothing crazy or out of the ordinary in this recipe. Everything in this dinner is in the kitchen for us at all times. Its a great recipe when I pull out some beef to thaw and need an idea of what to whip up because I know a grocery run won't be necessary.
Do you have to use ground beef in this recipe?
Technically no. But I guess if you use turkey, you will want to call it a Turkey and Shells Skillet dinner, right? I don't do a lot of beef in our house for two reasons: One, beef is pricier than turkey. And two, I like skipping the draining part when it comes to cooking.
One less thing to do is what am all about in the kitchen. But this simple ground beef recipe is sooo worth it.
You can honestly use ground turkey or even ground chicken to replace the beef in this grouch beef pasta. You could even use a meatless ground meat substitute. There are a lot of options for ways to modify this delish dinner to meet anyone's needs or taste.
What you will need to make this simple ground beef pasta recipe:
- Pasta: I typically use what are called "salad shells," and they are perfect bite sized shells. If you use a smaller sized pasta, you will not want to use the entire 16 oz.box as it may be too much. You can start by adding ⅔ of the pasta and then adding more as desired.
- Pasta Water: Not pictured but very important. The starchy water is key to helping seal the deal on this ground beef pasta. It adds flavor and helps to thicken things up in this pasta dish.
- Italian Seasoning: I use an Italian seasoning that does NOT include garlic. If your seasoning does have garlic, lessen the amount of garlic powder you add to the recipe and then adjust to taste.
I have all of these ingredients more often than not around the house. I don't always have ground beef in the freezer so I make this recipe with ground turkey sometimes and find it to be great as well. The bonus of using ground turkey is that you don't have to drain any oil.
How to make this recipe:
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Don't forget to reserve about ¾ cup of the pasta water before draining the shells. If you are a meal prepper, you can easily make the pasta ahead of time to save a few minutes when putting this ground beef and shells recipe together. Bonus!
- Heat olive oil in skillet. When it is glistening, add in onion. Cook until the onions start to become translucent. (steps 1 and 2)
- Scoot the onions to the side and add in ground beef. Break it up into chunks and cook until browned (there will be no red in meat at this point), stirring regularly. Drain the excess oil if desired. The onions should be almost clear at this time. (steps 3 and 4)
- Add in spinach, diced tomatoes and spices. I drain the tomatoes before adding. It is not necessary but I prefer it that way. If you don't drain the tomatoes, just add a little less pasta water to start and add more as desired. Stir to combine and allow the spinach to wilt. (steps 5 and 6)
- Turn heat to medium low and add in the parmesan and ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Stir to combine. Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken slightly. (steps 7 and 8)
- Add pasta into the ground beef mixture and toss to combine. Add more reserved pasta water if desired. If your skillet is small, you can opt to add the beef mixture into the pasta pan instead for easier mixing. The skillet I used in these photos was small and it was a super tight squeeze to add the pasta. Top with more cheese and some fresh parsley and serve! (steps 9 and 10)
Expert Tips:
- Meal prepping tip: make your pasta ahead of time over the weekend. All you will have to do is stir it in when the rest has cooked up. That is one less thing you will need to worry about when making dinner.
- Feel free to swap the ground beef for turkey or even chicken. Either will work well and give the recipe a new level of flavor.
- Reserved pasta water--this is the secret behind so many pasta recipes. That starchy water does its magic on this pasta recipe and is a great ingredient to use when making pasta dishes.
Other simple dinners:
- Parmesan Crusted Steak and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
- Instant Pot Carnitas
- Baked Cashew Chicken
- Simple Chicken and Biscuit Skillet Dinner
- One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
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Simple Beef Pasta Skillet
Ingredients
- 16 oz box of pasta shells*
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2-3 c baby spinach
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- ¾ c grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (or about 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 T olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- ¾-1 c reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to pasta directions. When draining, reserve about ¾ cup of the past water for later. Toss pasta with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. When glistening, add onion and cook 1-2 minutes. Add in ground beef and brown, stirring regularly. (about 7-9 minutes) Drain any excess oil.
- When beef is cooked, add in spinach, tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted and ingredients are combined. Turn heat to medium low and add in ½ cup reserved pasta water and parmesan. Stir to combine and simmer for several minutes to allow to thicken.
- Add in pasta and toss to combine.
- Add freshly shredded mozzarella and chopped parsley when serving if desired.
Notes
- Meal prepping tip: make your pasta ahead of time over the weekend. All you will have to do is stir it in when the rest has cooked up. That is one less thing you will need to worry about when making dinner.
- As mentioned before, feel free to use another ground meat! Turkey, chicken, a meat free substitute.
- Reserved pasta water--this is the secret behind so many pasta recipes. That starchy water does its magic on this pasta recipe and is a great ingredient to use when making pasta dishes.
Lisa says
This was so good! I used ground turkey and one can of diced tomatoes, and it was perfect. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Lorie says
Oh yes, turkey subs really well too. So glad you loved it, Lisa!