Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

Creamy tomato beef pasta with ground beef, tomato passata and a splash of cream. Rich, comforting and on the table in about 20 minutes. A family favorite.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword beef pasta, beef pasta recipe, creamy tomato beef pasta, easy pasta with mince, ground beef pasta, tomato beef pasta, weeknight pasta recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 605kcal

Author Alida Ryder

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 lb (500g) ground beef / beef mince
14 oz (400g) tomato passata or blend a can of tomatoes until smooth
1 cup beef stock I rinse the tomato can out with the stock to get every bit of tomato into the sauce
salt and black pepper to taste
4 tbsp (¼ cup) heavy cream
1 lb (500g) spaghetti or pasta of your choice

For serving (optional)

Parmesan cheese
fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt it generously (it should taste like the sea). You want this ready to go so the pasta and sauce finish at the same time.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a large deep skillet or pan over medium heat.
Add the finely diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the ground beef to the pan and break it into pieces with a wooden spoon.
Cook until browned and no pink remains, about 5 to 7 minutes. Don't stir constantly. Let the beef sit in contact with the pan long enough to develop real color and flavor.
Drain any excess fat if there's too much, though some fat in the sauce is desirable for flavor.
Pour in the tomato passata and add the dried herbs then stir to combine with the meat.
Bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the raw tomato taste has cooked out.
Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in the boiling salted water until just al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Reduce the heat to low and stir the cream into the sauce. It will immediately lighten in color from deep red to a warm, pinkish-orange.
Let the sauce simmer gently for another 5 minutes.
Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce and toss until every piece is coated. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it. The starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
Serve in bowls and top with a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves (optional).

Notes

Passata: Use smooth tomato passata for the silkiest sauce. Crushed or diced tomatoes will give a chunkier result. Blend them smooth if you prefer a velvety sauce.
Pasta water: Reserve a cup before draining. The starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta. Add a splash at a time if the sauce needs loosening.
Pasta: Cook 1 minute less than the packet says. It finishes cooking in the sauce.
Freezer friendly: Freeze the sauce without pasta for up to 3 months. Reheat and toss with freshly cooked pasta.

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