If you’re looking for a delicious and hearty pasta meal look no further than this amazing one-pot pasta with meat sauce. No worries about filling up the kitchen with lots of bowls and dishes, everything will be made all in one pot! This meal is perfect for busy weeknights or anytime you want a fuss-free, easy-to-make dinner for the whole family.
This recipe features rigatoni and ground beef, seasoned to perfection and all cooked in one pot. No draining, no straining, just delicious pasta cooked to perfection with a rich and creamy meat sauce you will absolutely love.
Why I Love this Recipe
I really enjoy a good pasta dinner. Our recipe for Best Damn American Goulash is one we enjoy in heavy rotation in our house. And this recipe for one-pot pasta is another one we love!
The ingredients blend perfectly and taste even better than if you cooked everything separately. As the pasta cooks, it absorbs all these great flavors, and the liquid turns into a tasty sauce. Then, we add some cream at the end to make it even richer. I think this recipe is fantastic, and I bet you’ll think so too!
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
We said it was one-pot and we mean it! You’ll need a big pot. Lol. A Dutch oven is perfect for a recipe like this. I have a standard 6-quart Dutch oven which is ideal. But any large pot that’s generally 5-7 quarts in size should work.
Other than a good, sharp knife to dice the onion and mince the garlic, that’s all the equipment you’ll need.
For our ingredients, we’re gonna make a lot go a long way in terms of flavor and by using very pantry-friendly ingredients.
For the pasta, I like to use a round pasta such as rigatoni. You can also use penne, ziti, mostacolli or any other round tubular pasta of your liking.
The meat sauce will consist of ground beef, generally an 80/20 mix, but feel free to use leaner if you prefer. You can also use ground turkey. The meat will be seasoned with Italian seasoning blend, diced onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Our liquid will be a combination of beef broth and water. At the end, we’ll add some heavy cream.
We’ll also need just a bit of olive oil to sauté the onion, then some fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley at the end (optional) for topping.
Preparation
We start by adding the oil to the pot and setting the heat to medium. When hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until it starts to become translucent. Now, we add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning and garlic and sauté for another 1 minute. You might get some of the tomato paste sticking to the bottom of the pot, that’s ok.
Why Sauté Tomato Paste and Seasonings?
It may seem odd to be adding the tomato paste and seasonings so early in the process, but we’re actually bringing out a ton of flavor by doing so! Sautéing tomato paste and seasonings before adding liquids enriches the sauce in various ways. This process caramelizes the tomato paste, intensifying its rich flavor, while toasting the seasonings releases their aromatic oils, enhancing the overall taste. The heat promotes the Maillard reaction, deepening the sauce’s flavor profile.
The ground beef then goes in and gets browned while it mixes with the other ingredients. Add the salt and pepper to the meat while it browns. The moisture and fat content from the ground beef will help to release any stuck-on bits from the tomato paste on the bottom of the pot. Use a wooden to help scrape it up. This is called deglazing and is a big part of the flavor profile. There are lots of great flavors in those stuck-on bits!
When the beef is browned, add the water, broth, crushed tomatoes, stir and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta. It will be just peaking over the liquid line, which is fine. Now reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 12-17 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente (see pasta package for recommended cooking time) and the sauce has thickened. If the noodles still need some cooking and the sauce has thickened, go ahead and add some additional broth or water, about ½ cup at a time. The noodles will absorb the liquid, leaving us with a delicious sauce and perfectly cooked noodles!
The last step can be optional but I’ve included it anyways. At the very end, stir in the heavy cream. Adding heavy cream to pasta sauce gives it a creamy consistency and rich flavor. It counteracts the sauce’s acidic bite, resulting in a well-balanced taste. The cream also changes the sauce’s bright red appearance to a more subtle rose shade, enhancing its visual appeal.
Serving
The pasta dish is now ready to serve right away. I like to add some fresh chopped Italian parsley and fresh grated parmesan cheese for additional flavor.
Goes well with…
I like a green vegetable as a side dish with my past,a and two of my favorites are both easy air fryer recipes: Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini and Air Fryer Roasted Asparagus. The vibrant, fresh green flavors perfectly complement the rich pasta experience.
Storage and Reheating
Pasta makes great leftovers the next day or after. Simply let your pasta cool down before storing it in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze for up to 4 months.
Reheating the pasta with meat sauce in the microwave is my preferred method. I like to add just a little water – a couple of tablespoons and reheat for 2 minutes, stir, then in 1-minute increments until heated through.
You can also reheat it on the stovetop by placing it in a medium pot or saucepan, adding two tablespoons of water, and heating over medium-low heat, stirring often, until heated through. Usually about 5-7 minutes.
Recipe
One-Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce: Comfort Food Made Easy
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
This easy recipe for one-pot pasta with meat sauce is classic comfort food made easy. Use just one pot to make the most delicious, homemade pasta meal that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 lb gound beef
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 lb pasta (rigatoni or penne)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese and fresh Italian parsley for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and tomato paste and sauté an additional 1 minute.
- Add ground beef, salt and pepper and cook until beef is completely browned, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. Scrape any stuck-on bits on bottom of pot with wooden spoon.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth and water and bring to a boil. Add pasta. The liquid should just cover the pasta, but there may be some noodles peaking out above the liquid. This is fine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) for recommended time for al dente according to package instructions (usually about 12-17 minutes). Stir often while cooking. Add additional water or broth in ½ cup increments if sauce thickens too quickly along the way. When done, the liquid will be mostly absorbed.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with optional Parmesan cheese and parsley.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Tina says
I loved this recipe, it is delicious and a quick home cooked meal. I pared it with your air fryer asparagus recipe a glass of dry red and my southern garlic cornbread, lol.
peggy J stivason says
Hi Jason , should the meat be drained of after cooking it up ? Thank you
RecipeTeacher says
Basically I just use a couple of paper towels and mop up any excess fat from the meat.
Anne says
Absolutely delicious. Love that the pasta cooks in the sauce. Might add more Italian seasoning. Have passed the recipe on to family.
Bonnie DuimstrA says
If using ground chicken, also use chicken broth?
RecipeTeacher says
Either will work but chicken broth would great.
Carm says
After a long day I dont want to have to clean multiple pots. Excellent meal. The cream makes it a little different from regular pasta and tomatoes. I used fresh penne from the store instead of dried which soften more quickly in the sauce.
Diana says
I have been wanting to try this so tonight I wanted something easy and we really liked this
Tasted like it took a lot to put together but it was so quick and easy
Thank you for your recipe