Description
A creamy and protein-packed pasta dish with lean ground beef, tomato sauce, cream cheese, sour cream, and fresh basil. Comforting and balanced for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 oz chickpea or lentil pasta (or any high-protein pasta)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 lb lean ground beef (90% lean or higher)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce (passata)
- ½ cup light cream cheese
- ½ cup light sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 6–8 fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1–2 cups of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and bell pepper, cook 3–4 minutes until soft.
- Cook Beef: Add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Build Sauce: Stir in tomato paste and tomato sauce. Simmer 4–5 minutes. Add cream cheese and sour cream, stirring until smooth and creamy.
- Combine: Add pasta and toss to coat. Use reserved pasta water if needed to thin sauce.
- Finish & Serve: Sprinkle with fresh basil. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.
Notes
Swap ground beef with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner version. For extra veggies, add spinach or zucchini to the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: creamy tomato basil pasta, beef pasta skillet, high protein pasta recipe, ground beef dinner