Description
A hearty, comforting pasta dish with seasoned ground beef, tender noodles, and a rich three-cheese sauce that comes together in just 30 minutes for the ultimate weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds ground beef
2 cups elbow macaroni
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ yellow onion, diced
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon garlic powder.
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.
- Add onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add marinara sauce and simmer 5 minutes.
- Stir in cooked pasta, all cheeses, heavy cream, and basil. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce.
- Cook 2-3 more minutes until cheeses are melted and sauce is creamy.
- Garnish with additional fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- For extra richness, stir in 2 oz cream cheese with the heavy cream
- Substitute ground turkey or Italian sausage for variation
- Add 1 cup sliced mushrooms with the onions if desired
- Leftovers reheat well with a splash of milk to refresh the sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 95mg