Most creamy pastas need a pot for the pasta, a pan for the sauce, and a colander in between. This creamy Tuscan beef pasta cooks the noodles directly in the sauce, so there is one pot to wash and the sauce thickens itself.
The Science Behind It
Boiling pasta separately throws away the starch that leaches out of it. Cooking it in the sauce keeps that starch in the pot, where it thickens the liquid into something that clings to every piece. This is why the recipe works with milk instead of heavy cream: the starch does the thickening that fat would otherwise have to do.
That milk holds up for a second reason. Dairy curdles when acid and heat meet, and this sauce is built on two tablespoons of tomato paste rather than a full can of crushed tomatoes. Keep the acid low and milk behaves.
Sun-dried tomatoes are doing more work than their quantity suggests. Drying removes water and concentrates what stays behind, including glutamates, the compounds responsible for savoury depth. Use the oil from the jar too, since it carries the same flavour.
Add the Parmesan off the heat. Above a simmer, the proteins in hard cheese tighten and squeeze out their fat, which turns a smooth sauce grainy.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | 1 lb | 80/20 |
| Campanelle pasta | 12 oz | Penne or rotini work too. Ridged shapes hold the sauce |
| Beef broth | 2 cups | Low-sodium |
| Whole milk | 2 cups | Not skim |
| Sun-dried tomatoes | 1/3 cup, plus 1 tbsp of their oil | Roughly chopped. Oil-packed |
| Spinach | 2 cups packed | Stirred in off the heat |
| Parmesan | 1 cup | Freshly grated |
| Onion, garlic, tomato paste, butter | 1 medium onion, 6 cloves, 2 tbsp paste, 2 tbsp butter | Onion diced, garlic minced |
| Seasoning | 2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning; 1 tsp paprika; 2 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper | Salt divided: 1 tsp with the beef, 1 1/2 tsp with the pasta |
Instructions
- Heat a large deep skillet or pot over medium-high. Add the ground beef with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, the paprika, 1 tsp salt, and the black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces with a spatula.
- Add the onion, garlic, butter, sun-dried tomatoes, their oil, and the tomato paste. Sauté 5 minutes.
- Add the pasta, beef broth, milk, remaining 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, the Italian seasoning, and the remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt. Stir, then spread the pasta into an even layer so it stays submerged.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 to 12 minutes on medium-low. At 10 minutes lift the lid, stir, and check the pasta. Cook longer if needed.
- Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then the Parmesan until the sauce turns creamy.
Tips
- Spread the pasta flat before covering. Pieces sitting above the liquid stay hard.
- If it looks too thick before the pasta is done, add a splash of broth. If it looks too thin at the end, leave it uncovered for a few minutes and it thickens on its own.
- Grate the Parmesan yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to stop it clumping in the bag, and that coating stops it melting smoothly.
- Hold back a little cheese for the top. A drizzle of the sun-dried tomato oil over each bowl finishes it.
Leftovers
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The pasta keeps absorbing sauce as it sits, so reheat with a splash of broth or milk to loosen it.
Creamy Tuscan Beef Pasta, One Pot in 30 Minutes
A one pot creamy Tuscan beef pasta in 30 minutes. Ground beef, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a milk and beef broth sauce that thickens on its own as the pasta cooks in it, finished with freshly grated Parmesan. One pot to wash and no draining.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef, 80/20
12 oz campanelle pasta
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 cups whole milk
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
2 cups spinach, packed
1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic powder, divided
2 tsp onion powder, divided
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
2½ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
Heat a large deep skillet or pot over medium-high. Add the ground beef with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, the paprika, 1 tsp salt, and the black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces.
Add the onion, garlic, butter, sun-dried tomatoes, their oil, and the tomato paste. Sauté 5 minutes.
Add the pasta, beef broth, milk, remaining garlic powder and onion powder, the Italian seasoning, and the remaining 1½ tsp salt. Stir, then spread the pasta into an even layer so it stays submerged.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 10-12 minutes on medium-low. At 10 minutes lift the lid, stir, and check the pasta. Cook longer if needed.
Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then the Parmesan until the sauce turns creamy.
Notes
Spread the pasta into an even layer before covering. Pieces sitting above the liquid stay hard.
If it looks too thick before the pasta is done, add a splash of broth. If it looks too thin at the end, leave it uncovered for a few minutes and it thickens on its own.
Grate the Parmesan yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to stop it clumping, and that coating stops it melting smoothly.
Hold back a little cheese for the top, and drizzle a little of the sun-dried tomato oil over each bowl.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth or milk to loosen the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American