This pasta recipe stretches your budget even further with a small portion of beef, and loads of vegetables! If you're looking for an all-in-one quick meal it doesn't get better than this.
Who doesn't love a quick, filling, and delicious meal? If you're feeding a family or just wanting some leftovers this creamy beef rotini is just what you need! Making the noodles is the most time consuming step of the whole recipe, so enjoy the eating, not the time in the kitchen!
Steps for Making this Pasta
- You'll want to get the noodles cooking before anything else. If they're done cooking before the remainder of the dish, just set the cooked noodles aside.
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Prep the vegetables and shred the cheese.
- Lightly sauté the vegetables. You're not going for browning the vegetables, just softening them.
- Add the ground beef and continue cooking.
- Add the sauce and cheese to the skillet. Cover and cook until sauce is thickened and cheese is melted.
- Add red pepper for spice.
Can I use other Noodles?
Of course, so many noodles work well with this recipe. You can use fusilli, penne, bowtie, macaroni, or shell. Rotini works so well because the shape grabs onto the sauce and other ingredients the best.
Adding other Ingredients
Get creative with different vegetables. You can add mushrooms, multi-colored bell peppers, broccoli, mixed vegetables. I chose to keep it really simple, low cost, and quick to prep with the ingredients in the recipe!
Similar Recipes
Creamy Beef Rotini
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked rotini noodles (equal to just over 10.5 ounces or 4 cups uncooked)
- 4 large garlic cloves (dice or slice. Use this method for prepping garlic)
- 1 cup yellow onion (diced)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper (or multi-colored)
For the Sauce
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cup shredded smoked Gouda
- ½ cup low sodium vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Start cooking the noodles before anything else. Cook until al dente.
- Prep all vegetables and combine ingredients for sauce in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté for about 3 minutes, then break apart ground beef into skillet. Cook for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add sauce and cheese, gently combine and cover skillet. Bring to a low simmer until sauce is thickened and cheese is melted (about 4 minutes). Stir while cooking to avoid sticking (use metal spatula if using cast iron).
- Add 4 cups cooked noodles to the skillet and gently combine. If you don’t have room in the skillet then you can transfer all ingredients to a large mixing bowl to combine.
- Top with red pepper flakes.
Leave a comment and rating, I'd love to hear from you!