6 Ground Beef and Pasta Recipes
A pound of ground beef and a box of pasta is the definition of a stocked kitchen with no plan. These six recipes are all one-skillet or one-pot, all under 45 minutes, and all built to survive substitutions — penne for rotini, jarred sauce for canned tomatoes. First recipe fully open; the widget builds a custom version from your exact pantry.
The short answer
Ground beef and pasta cook in a single skillet in about 30 minutes, serving 5. Brown 1 lb of beef for 7 minutes and drain, stir in tomato paste and mustard, then add 3 cups beef broth, 1 cup milk and 12 oz of dry pasta and simmer covered for 10–12 minutes until the pasta is tender. Off the heat, stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar until creamy. The pasta cooks directly in the sauce, so there is no separate pot to drain.
One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
Serves 5 · 30 min total · 33g protein / 44g carbs / 19g fat per serving
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
- 12 oz elbow macaroni or shells, uncooked
- 3 cups beef broth; 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- Salt, pepper; pickles and green onion to top
Instructions
- Brown beef in a deep skillet, 7 min; drain. Season, stir in tomato paste and mustard.
- Add broth, milk, and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered 10–12 min, stirring twice, until pasta is tender.
- Off heat, stir in cheddar until creamy.
- Top with pickles and green onion.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make these with whole wheat or protein pasta?
Yes — protein pasta (chickpea/lentil) adds 8–12g protein per serving; reduce simmer time by ~2 minutes.
How do I keep one-pot pasta from sticking?
Stir at the 4- and 8-minute marks and keep the simmer gentle. Starch does the sauce work — don't rinse anything.
Freezer-friendly?
Recipes 2, 4, and 5 freeze well up to 3 months. Cheese-sauce recipes are best fresh.