Description
A warm, hearty, and impossibly simple one-pot creamy beef and shells dish featuring browned ground beef, tender shell pasta, and a rich, cheesy sauce. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups shell pasta
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or your choice)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients first: chop the onion, mince the garlic, measure the broth and cream, and shred the cheese if it isn’t pre-shredded.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot, sautéing until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pot, breaking it up and cooking until browned through, about 6–8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the shell pasta, then pour in the beef broth and heavy cream, stirring gently to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer, covering partially with a lid, and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8–10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted and creamy. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve hot in bowls and enjoy immediately.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, omit ground beef and use mushrooms or tofu; for a Tex-Mex twist, add diced tomatoes with green chiles.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: one-pot meal, beef pasta, creamy pasta, comfort food, weeknight dinner