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    You are here: Home / Dinner / Simple Ground Beef Pasta Skillet

    Simple Ground Beef Pasta Skillet

    Last Updated May 27, 2021. Published June 2, 2019 By Lorie 25 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Bowl of beef pasta skillet and then past in skillet with napkin.
    Simple ground beef and shells in bowl.
    Bowl of beef pasta skillet and then past in skillet with napkin.

    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 in cast iron skillet with cheese.

    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.
    Bowl of pasta with fork and skillet in background.

    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.
    Ingredients to make recipe.

    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:

    Process photos of skillet with oil, onions and ground beef being browned.
    • 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)
    Process photos showing addition of spinach, tomatoes, parmesan to beef skillet.
    • 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)
    Process photos showing pasta added and final dish.
    • 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.
    Overhead view of simple ground beef recipe in skillet.

    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

    HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all the latest!

    Simple ground beef pasta skillet in bowl.

    Simple Beef Pasta Skillet

    This Simple Beef and Shells skillet is a perfect ground beef pasta recipe the whole family will love! Ready in 30 minutes, this easy cheesy pasta dinner is packed with spinach, tomatoes and just the right amount of Italian Seasoning. Who wants seconds?
    4.85 from 40 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 556kcal
    Author: Lorie Yarro

    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

    *I used salad shells as pictured above. If you use a smaller sized pasta, you will not want to use the entire box as it may be too much. You can start by adding ⅔ of the pasta and then adding more as desired.
    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1087IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 3mg
    Did you try this recipe? I would love to see it! Mention @LemonsAndZest or tag #LemonsAndZest!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa says

      April 11, 2022 at 7:09 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicous, I switched the ground beef out for left over roast beef. So much flavor, loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        April 12, 2022 at 8:00 am

        Ohhhh now I will need to try that as well. So happy you loved it!

        Reply
    2. Lindsay says

      July 10, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      Have used your recipe so many times this year! My kids love it. We use elbow noodles because my kids are kids 🤣 anything elbow and they'll eat it. But this! Amazing. Something great that even my kids like is a win. And we have branched the recipe out to basically everyone we know because it seems like we're always making this! 😍😍 Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 14, 2021 at 9:41 pm

        Awwww Lindsay this makes me so so happy. It is one of our faves and knowing that kiddos love it too makes me ten times more excited. Thanks so much for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Rachel says

      February 02, 2021 at 4:08 am

      When do you add the garlic? I don’t see it in the directions. I went ahead and added it with the onion but I think I may have overcooked them.

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        February 02, 2021 at 8:55 am

        Hi Rachel! It was in step 3 which I originally said “seasonings” but I just updated it to say garlic too. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for pointing it out!

        Reply
    4. Carmen Camacho says

      January 20, 2021 at 7:11 pm

      3 stars
      I was disappointed. It left a lot of want in flavor. I hope it turned out better for someone else.

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        January 22, 2021 at 10:33 am

        Sorry to hear that Carmen—would love to know more as to what you felt was missing!

        Reply
      • Ane says

        February 02, 2021 at 5:15 pm

        4 stars
        Hi Carmen , my came out with a lot of flavor, I did season the meat with salt and pepper and shift méritos meat seasoning this brought out the flavor on the ground meat.

        Reply
        • Lorie says

          February 03, 2021 at 1:37 pm

          That's great to know Ane! Thanks so much for sharing!

          Reply
    5. Maggie says

      December 30, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      Made this. It was so good got a request to make again next day due to leftover shortage. Lol

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        December 30, 2020 at 5:06 pm

        So happy to hear this Maggie! Double batch next time?!

        Reply
    6. Christine Daiber says

      September 25, 2020 at 7:12 pm

      5 stars
      Super yummy. Didn't have red pepper flakes so had to sub with cayenne pepper. Gonna be making this again!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        September 26, 2020 at 3:08 pm

        So great to hear! And now I think I will be adding cayenne as well to mine next time!

        Reply
    7. Jeanette Gleason says

      September 01, 2020 at 7:09 pm

      5 stars
      I made it...use corn instead of spinach( didnt have spinach)???? ... we love it.... next time spinach!!!????oh I didnt use the pasta water either....

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        September 03, 2020 at 9:47 pm

        Whatever works, right? As long as it tasted good then that sounds like a win to me!

        Reply
    8. megan says

      May 22, 2020 at 10:31 pm

      5 stars
      Holy mother of food goodness, this is amazing. I added the full 3/4 cup of pasta water accidentally (cooking while drinking wine leads to slip ups) so I sprinkled some corn starch while it simmered. I also used fresh tomates because I have an abundance. This. Is. SO. So. Good! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        May 22, 2020 at 11:07 pm

        Oh my gosh, HAAAAA I totally get that. Good call on the corn starch, and if you loved it fresh, I hope you have leftovers cause this one tastes INSANE e next day! Thanks so much Megan!

        Reply
        • Megan says

          May 23, 2020 at 9:59 am

          Yessss this will for sure be put in the meal prep rotation! Thank you again!

          Reply
    9. Amy says

      January 04, 2020 at 8:31 pm

      5 stars
      My family raved about this. It will become a regular on our family menu. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        January 05, 2020 at 9:53 pm

        Yay!!! I love love love hearing this. My hubby is a tough critic and he loves this one so I figure that has to be a winner for many others too!

        Reply
    10. Brittany says

      November 29, 2019 at 10:07 pm

      What is a serving size for this recipe

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        November 30, 2019 at 10:39 pm

        Hi! Sorry for the delay. If basing the recipe off of 8 servings, then the serving size is about 1 1/2 cups. The nutrition info is based on 6 servings so a serving size is a bit closer to 2 cups. Sometimes it's hard to decide what the realistic serving size is!

        Reply
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    Hello! I’m Lorie, welcome to lemons + zest! If you love to eat, and you love delicious, simple recipes, then you are in the right place. When it comes to cooking these days, I firmly believe that if it takes too long, or too much work to make, then it’s not for me. Read More…

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