Creamy Beef and Shells (30 Minutes)

This easy Creamy Beef and Shells combines a delicious creamy tomato sauce with seasoned ground beef and pasta for perfect a plate of comfort food. The herbs, garlic and cheddar cheese add more flavor and creaminess for an easy dinner recipe to make after a long day.

We enjoy it with my easy house salad, my favorite green salad, herbed beer bread, cheesy garlic bread and air fryer country rolls.

this recipe!

Creamy Beef Pasta with Tomato Sauce

We made our beef and pasta recipe with a store bought spaghetti sauce for its convenience to help make this a simple and quick dinner recipe. Adding heavy cream and sour cream along with the cheddar cheese gives the sauce its delicious creaminess it is known for.

This versatile creamy beef and pasta dish can be easily customized using your favorite herbs and vegetables with different pasta shapes.

Try my sloppy Joe casserole, cheesy taco pasta bake, Cheesecake Factory 4 cheese pasta, and the best easy lasagna roll ups next!!

Ingredients

• Pasta Shells – medium pasta shells cooked
• Ground Beef – 1 pound 97% lean
• Onion – yellow onion diced
• Garlic Gloves – minced
• All-Purpose Flour
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Beef Broth
• Parsley – dried or fresh divided
• Italian Seasoning
• Oregano
• Smoked Paprika
• Cheddar Cheese – grated
• Heavy Cream
• Sour Cream
• Parsley – fresh parsley optional garnish

Substitutions and additions

You can use Greek yogurt or cream cheese in place of the heavy cream and sour cream.

Add in some crumbled bacon for more savory flavor and texture.

How to make creamy beef pasta

STEP ONE – Cook the pasta according to the directions. Approximately 7-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta.

STEP TWO – In a large pot add the ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the juices run clear. Remove any fat if there is any.

STEP THREE – Add the all-purpose flour. Stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour out.

STEP FOUR – Add the spaghetti sauce, beef broth, 1 teaspoon parsley, Italian seasoning, oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook for 6-9  minutes or until the sauce is thicker.

STEP FIVE – Add the pasta to the pot. Stir until combined.

STEP SIX – Add the cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream. Mix until combined.

STEP SEVEN – Taste to see if you need to add salt. I don’t add salt as the spaghetti sauce and cheese provide enough salt for our liking.

STEP EIGHT – Top with fresh parsley.

Variations

Switch up the meat by using Italian sausage instead of the ground beef.

Storage & reheating instructions

You can keep the pasta in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You may need to add more broth when reheating the pasta.

We do not recommend freezing this recipe with heavy cream.

Reheat on a skillet on the stove over medium heat until heated through. Reheat a single serving in the microwave using a microwave-safe dish using 30 second intervals until heated through.

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