One Pot Creamy and Spicy Beef Pasta
Your favorite bolognese pasta, meets creamy Alfredo, and spicy Arrabbiata. I know, Italians will be mortified but don’t knock this One Pot Creamy and Spicy Beef Pasta before you have tried it!
One pot pasta recipes are a go-to in our house when dinner needs to be ready in under 30 minutes and I don’t want to clean up the kitchen for hours afterward. Which is most days really to be honest!
Serve it with a simple side salad or throw in some fresh or frozen vegetables alongside the liquids to make this a complete meal. Dinner sorted!
Check out my marry-me meatball pasta and beef Alfredo pasta for more easy all-in-one pasta dishes.
Don’t miss the handy recipe tips after the recipe.
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Creamy and Spicy Beef Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tbsp chili paste sambal oelek or harissa paste
- 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 2 cups dried pasta rigatoni or similar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup parmesan shredded, optional for serving
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large preheated pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown it for 5 minutes, breaking it up as you're cooking it. Season it with salt and pepper. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 1 lb ground beef
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant for 1 minute. Add chili paste (sambal oelek or harissa paste). Stir to fully combine.2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tbsp chili paste
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and beef stock. Stir to combine and bring everything to a boil. Add the pasta and reduce the heat to low – you're after a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally to make sure the pasta doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pan.14 oz fire roasted tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups beef stock, 2 cups dried pasta
- Once the pasta is just al dente, typically 6-7 minutes into cooking it, add the cream, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. The pasta will continue to cook in the sauce so make sure to remove it with plenty of bite left in the pasta.1/2 cup heavy cream
- Season to taste and garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley or basil. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1/4 cup parmesan
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Beef – I use ground beef with 20% fat for this recipe but a leaner mix would work well too. Opt for ground chicken or turkey for an even leaner option.
- Pasta – Short pasta shapes such a rigatoni, macaroni, penne, or fusilli work well for this dish but orzo is a great option too. I don’t recommend using spaghetti unless you break them up before.
- Chili paste – Harissa is my go-to chili paste at the moment but sambal oelek, Korean Gochujang sauce, or Thai red chili paste works well too.
- Tomatoes – Diced or crushed fire-roasted tomatoes add extra flavor but any tinned tomatoes work well.
- Cream – Heavy cream takes some edge off the heat and creates a creamy sauce. I use full-fat cream but you can opt for lighter options too.
Key steps: One Pot Beef Pasta
1. Brown the seasoned beef slightly before adding the onion.
2. Add the diced onion and cook until softened lightly. Both don’t have to be fully cooked at this stage.
3. The mixture will be very liquid. Don’t fret, the pasta will absorb it. Keep the heat on low to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pan.
4. Add the heavy cream at the end as you don’t want it to boil.
My top 5 one pot pasta tips
- Salty stock: Some store-bought stocks are very salty. Taste the dish towards the very end of cooking, just as the pasta is reaching al dente, and then adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and extra chili paste. Remember, you can always add more salt and heat, but you can’t easily take it away!
- Stir often: Stir the dish frequently (every 2-3 minutes) to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan and to ensure even cooking.
- Undercook pasta: You want the pasta to be just al dente (firm to the bite, not mushy) when you take it off the heat. It will continue to cook and soften in the warm sauce as it rests.
- Say cheese: Serve the creamy and spicy pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh herbs such as parsley or basil.
- Reheat with extra stock: When reheating one-pot pasta, always add a splash (or more!) of extra stock, water, or even milk (depending on the sauce) to the pot or microwave-safe dish.
