Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Skillet
This Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Skillet is the ultimate comfort food. Seasoned ground beef, mozzarella cheese, and a zesty tomato sauce with just a little heat come together to create a filling dish that will leave everyone full and happy.
As an Italian and an honorary Italian (as my family likes to call my husband) we love our beefy, cheesy, tomato flavors. This delicious skillet is our Italian-inspired take on that old boxed stand-by Hamburger Helper. It’s hearty, delicious, and just about the best thing you’ll ever make in a skillet.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses just a few simple ingredients.
- It’s an easy, one-pan dish that’s ready in just minutes.
- It’s hearty and flavorful, satisfying even the biggest eaters.
- It’s a great recipe for family dinners or potlucks.
🛒Ingredients
This is a simple recipe that uses just a few simple ingredients you can find in your kitchen or your local grocery store. We’ve listed them all here, but you can find their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Cooked penne pasta
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ground beef
- Ground black pepper
- Minced garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Worcestershire sauce
- Tomato paste
- White onion – chopped
- Italian seasoning
- Salt to taste
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
🔪 How to Make Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Skillet
Making this recipe is as easy as shopping for the ingredients. It only takes a few simple steps and about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package directions call for. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Step 2: Cook the Beef
Add the oil to a large skillet and cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
Step 3: Add the Sauce Ingredients
Add the salt, pepper, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasonings, and the pasta water and stir. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 4: Add Cheese and Pasta
Add the pasta and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and stir. Top with the remaining cheese, cover, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!
📝Variations
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Meat: Make this skillet with ground beef, ground pork, or Italian sausage.
- Vegetables: Try adding mushrooms and/or green peppers.
- Pasta: Any short, textured pasta will work in this recipe.
If you love easy beef skillet recipes like this one, then try our skillet enchilada pasta.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large skillet
- Large pot
- Strainer
🥫 Storage
Refrigerate this dish for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze it in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible. Defrost before reheating.
To reheat the dish, place it in a skillet with just a bit of water and cook over medium-low heat until heated through.
What to Serve with This Cheesy Ground Beef Skillet
Serve this skillet with some garlic bread, garlic knots, or thick, buttered toast on the side. It also pairs well with your favorite vegetables.
💭 Tips
- Only cook your ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Overcooking makes it tough and bland.
- It’s important to use reserved pasta water for the sauce. The starch in the water thickens the liquid.
- To avoid watery, stinging eyes, refrigerate your onion for about an hour before chopping it.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Pasta water is full of starch released by the pasta as it cooks in the water. The starch in the water helps thicken sauces without adding flour or cornstarch.
Ground beef is fully cooked when it’s no longer pink. It’s important to stop cooking it at that point, or you’ll dry it out.
Pasta should be just a bit undercooked to prevent it from getting mushy. The pasta will continue to cook in the skillet when it’s added to the other ingredients.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy skillets? Then try these delicious recipes:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Skillet
Equipment
- large pot
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked penne pasta
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook penne 1 minute less to package directions and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown ground beef. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, italian seasoning, and 1/2 pasta water and stir. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add pasta and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and stir.
- Top with remaining cheese and cover for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
