Description
This creamy ground beef and pasta recipe combines tender short pasta shells with a rich, velvety cheese sauce and savory browned ground beef. Perfect for a comforting weeknight meal, it features a smooth, cheesy sauce made with evaporated milk stabilized with cornstarch, enhanced by cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. The dish comes together quickly in about 30 minutes, delivering a creamy, flavorful pasta that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz short pasta shapes (like shells)
Meat and Aromatics
- 1 to 1½ pounds ground beef
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder (to taste)
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk (cold)
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon
- 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil your pasta according to package directions until al dente, meaning just firm to the bite. Before draining, reserve about half a cup of the starchy pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency later. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Brown and blot the beef: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with diced onion and minced garlic. Season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder as it cooks. Once browned, drain off excess grease if necessary to keep the dish from becoming oily.
- Make the cornstarch slurry: While the beef is cooking, whisk the cornstarch into the cold evaporated milk until completely smooth. This slurry prevents the sauce from splitting when cheese is added, helping it stay creamy.
- Build the sauce: Lower the heat to medium. Add the beef bouillon and the milk-cornstarch mixture to the skillet with the browned beef. Stir well and let the mixture simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until it starts to thicken slightly, making sure not to let it boil to avoid curdling.
- Add the cheese: Turn the heat down to low and gradually stir in both the shredded cheddar and grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce becomes glossy and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- Toss and serve: Add the cooked pasta into the skillet and fold it into the sauce over low heat. Stir until every piece of pasta is evenly coated with the thick, creamy sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken further and cling to the noodles for a few minutes. Serve immediately while hot and velvety.
Notes
- Note 1: Using evaporated milk instead of regular milk gives a richer, smoother sauce.
- Note 2: The amount of cheddar cheese can be adjusted based on your preference for cheesiness and thickness.
- Note 3: Draining excess grease from the browned beef helps prevent the sauce from being too oily and greasy.
- Reserve pasta water is important to adjust sauce thickness without diluting flavor.
- Do not let the sauce boil after adding cornstarch slurry to avoid curdling.
