Pasta shells with ground beef is a quick skillet dinner of medium pasta shells tossed in a creamy tomato sauce with browned ground beef, onion, garlic and a little chili powder. The shells cup the sauce and the bits of beef, so every forkful is full. It is like a homemade boxed beef and shells dinner, made with real ingredients, and it is on the table in 30 minutes. Kids love it, and it reheats well for lunch.
How to make pasta shells with ground beef: Boil medium pasta shells until al dente and drain. While they cook, sauté onion in olive oil, then brown ground beef. Stir in garlic and chili powder, add tomato sauce and beef broth, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the shells.
Why You’ll Love It
- Thirty minutes. The sauce is made while the pasta boils.
- One pound of beef feeds four. A budget dinner that fills everyone up.
- Creamy tomato sauce. A splash of cream smooths out the tomato.
- No stuffing. The shells are tossed with the sauce, not filled.
- Family-friendly. Mild, saucy and easy to eat.
Ingredient Notes
Medium pasta shells. Eight ounces, uncooked. Use medium shells, not the jumbo ones made for stuffing.
Ground beef. One pound, lean.
Onion and garlic. Half a medium onion, chopped, and 3 cloves of garlic, minced.
Olive oil. One tablespoon, for the onion.
Chili powder. One teaspoon. It adds warmth, not heat.
Tomato sauce. One 14-ounce can. Crushed tomatoes can be used for a chunkier sauce.
Beef broth. A 1/3 cup.
Heavy cream. A 1/4 cup, stirred in at the end.
Salt and black pepper. To taste.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can tomato sauce (14 ounces)
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to Make Pasta Shells with Ground Beef
1. Cook the shells. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the medium shells until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.
2. Cook the onion and beef. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned and the beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer. Spoon out most of the excess fat if there is a lot.
3. Simmer the sauce. Stir in the garlic and chili powder, then add the tomato sauce and beef broth. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Let the sauce reduce slightly, but do not let it cook dry.
4. Add cream and shells. Stir in the cream and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Once the cream is warmed through, toss the drained shells with the sauce and serve immediately.
Medium Shells or Jumbo Shells?
Medium. The words pasta shells and ground beef can mean two quite different dinners, and it helps to know which one you are making before you shop.
| This dish | Stuffed shells | |
|---|---|---|
| Shell size | Medium | Jumbo |
| How the beef is used | Cooked into a sauce and tossed with the pasta | Spooned into each shell as a filling |
| Where it cooks | On the stove, in a skillet | In the oven, in a baking dish |
| Time | About 30 minutes | Much longer |
The dish here is the fast one. The shells are boiled in their own pot and stirred into the sauce at the end. Nothing is stuffed and nothing is baked.
The one thing to watch is the sauce. It simmers for only 4 to 5 minutes, just long enough to thicken a little. If it cooks down until the pan looks dry, there will not be enough to coat the pasta, and the cream will have nothing to blend into. Keep the heat gentle, and add a splash more broth if it gets too thick.
Tips for Success
How do I keep the sauce from cooking dry?
Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer as soon as the tomato sauce and broth go in, and set a timer. Pull it off the heat while it is still saucy.
Why cook the shells only to al dente?
They soften a little more in the hot sauce. Shells cooked until very soft fall apart when tossed.
Should I drain the beef?
If there is a lot of fat in the pan, spoon most of it out. A little left behind adds flavor.
When does the cream go in?
At the end. Stir it in and just warm it through. It does not need to boil.
Is it spicy?
No. One teaspoon of chili powder gives a mild, warm flavor.
How Long Does It Take?
About 30 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking. Start the pasta water first, because it takes the longest to heat.
What Can You Make With Ground Beef and Pasta Shells?
This creamy beef and shells skillet is the quickest answer. With jumbo shells, you can go the other way and make stuffed shells, filled and baked in sauce.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers, and use them within 3 to 4 days. Leftovers can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
What to Serve With It
A green salad and garlic bread are all this needs. For more ground beef and pasta dinners, try ground beef stroganoff, 15-minute Mongolian ground beef noodles or the slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole. For hands-off nights, there are slow cooker Amish ground beef gravy noodles and slow cooker 4-ingredient beef and noodles. And for a creamy pasta from the oven, bake the chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these medium shells tossed with beef sauce or jumbo shells filled and baked?
Medium shells, tossed with a creamy ground beef and tomato sauce on the stove.
What can I make with ground beef and pasta shells?
A quick skillet dinner like this one, with the beef cooked into a creamy tomato sauce.
How do I keep the beef-and-shells sauce from cooking dry?
Simmer it gently for only 4 to 5 minutes and take it off the heat while it is still saucy.
Can I use crushed tomatoes?
Yes. Crushed tomatoes can replace the tomato sauce.
Final Notes
I save a mug of the pasta water before I drain the shells, in case the sauce needs loosening at the end. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Pasta Shells with Ground Beef
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells uncooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion medium, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can tomato sauce 14 ounces; or crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the medium shells until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned and the beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer. Spoon out most of the excess fat if there is a lot.
- Stir in the garlic and chili powder, then add the tomato sauce and beef broth. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Let the sauce reduce slightly, but do not let it cook dry.
- Stir in the cream and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Once the cream is warmed through, toss the drained shells with the sauce and serve immediately.
