What to Make With Ground Beef and Pasta: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Ground beef and pasta can be on the table before the backpacks are hung up, if you cook the noodles in the sauce instead of waiting on a second pot. These three are a one-pot goulash, a short skillet ragù, and a baked pan for the night you can spare the oven. None of them asks for a long Sunday simmer. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with ground beef and pasta in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 20-minute dinner
20 min
Skillet beef ragù
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Ground beef, tomato paste, and garlic become a short sauce for pasta that is already boiled or leftover.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 12 oz pasta
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Boil the pasta in salted water if it is dry, and save a cup of that water. Skip this if the pasta is leftover.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the salt, breaking it small.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste until the paste turns a deeper red.
- Toss the pasta in with splashes of pasta water until the sauce clings.
- Taste. The pasta water is salty, so you may not need more salt.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. The sauce freezes well without the pasta.
One-pan or sheet-pan option
25 min
One-pot beef and pasta
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Dry pasta cooks in the same pot as the beef and tomatoes, so there is no colander.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 8 oz pasta
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Brown the ground beef with the onion and salt. Pour off the fat.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, water, and dry pasta. The pasta should be mostly under the liquid.
- Simmer, stirring a few times so nothing sticks, until the pasta is tender, about 12 minutes.
- If it looks dry before the pasta is done, add a splash of water.
- Rest 3 minutes. It thickens as it sits.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. It thickens. Loosen it with water.
The other dinner
30 min
Beef pasta skillet bake
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
A shallow skillet of beef and cooked pasta goes under the broiler just long enough to brown the top.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 8 oz pasta
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Cook the pasta in salted water until it is not quite done. Drain it.
- Brown the ground beef in an oven-safe skillet and stir in the salt and tomato sauce.
- Fold in the pasta. Scatter the cheese on top.
- Broil a few minutes, until the cheese browns in spots. Watch it. Broilers scorch.
- Rest 3 minutes so the cheese sets before you scoop.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. The top won't stay crisp, and it still reheats.
Make it with leftovers
Cooked ground beef can start the skillet ragù and the bake. Leftover plain pasta can be stirred into the skillet at the end. The one-pot goulash wants dry pasta so it drinks the tomato liquid. Don't boil a second pot if you already have noodles.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Salt
- Onion
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Oil
No pasta: rice can simmer in the goulash liquid the same way. No ground beef: a can of lentils, rinsed, will stand in for the skillet if you salt them well.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
The goulash is the familiar red bowl. Skip extra garlic for a child who picks around it. Cheese on the side, not melted into a crust, keeps the texture plain.
Use a short pasta and a lean beef, and drain the fat before the tomato goes in. A pile of spinach stirred in at the end wilts and doesn't need its own recipe.
Have something else in the fridge?
Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Snap your fridgeRelated dinners
Questions
What can I make with ground beef and pasta in 20 minutes?
Skillet beef ragù takes 20 minutes, start to plate. Ground beef, tomato paste, and garlic become a short sauce for pasta that is already boiled or leftover.
What's the easiest dinner with ground beef and pasta?
Skillet beef ragù is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 20 minutes. Ground beef, tomato paste, and garlic become a short sauce for pasta that is already boiled or leftover.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked ground beef?
Cooked ground beef can start the skillet ragù and the bake. Leftover plain pasta can be stirred into the skillet at the end. The one-pot goulash wants dry pasta so it drinks the tomato liquid. Don't boil a second pot if you already have noodles.
What else can I add to ground beef and pasta for a full meal?
The cards already use ground beef, pasta, tomato paste. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is ground beef and pasta a healthy dinner?
Use a short pasta and a lean beef, and drain the fat before the tomato goes in. A pile of spinach stirred in at the end wilts and doesn't need its own recipe.
How do I make ground beef and pasta kid-friendly?
The goulash is the familiar red bowl. Skip extra garlic for a child who picks around it. Cheese on the side, not melted into a crust, keeps the texture plain.
Can I make ground beef and pasta in one pan or a sheet pan?
One-pot beef and pasta uses one pot and takes 25 minutes. Dry pasta cooks in the same pot as the beef and tomatoes, so there is no colander.
What if I don't have pasta?
No pasta: rice can simmer in the goulash liquid the same way. No ground beef: a can of lentils, rinsed, will stand in for the skillet if you salt them well.