Description
A comforting dish that combines tender pasta shells with savory beef and a rich, creamy sauce, perfect for family dinners or cozy nights in.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small sweet onion (diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 (15oz can) marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (freshly grated)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain well.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Drain excess fat and set aside.
- Add diced onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef stock and stir to combine. Add marinara sauce and stir in Italian seasoning, dried parsley, oregano, and paprika.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in cooked pasta and add back the beef. Next, stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. After that, stir in the sour cream.
- Fold in the cheddar cheese until melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if you’d like.
Notes
For a creamier sauce, add more heavy cream or sour cream. Customize by adding vegetables like spinach or bell peppers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: creamy beef and shells, pasta, comfort food, family dinner