Description
A rich, creamy pasta dish featuring tender rotini noodles tossed in a luscious garlic butter and cheese sauce, with savory ground beef for heartiness. Perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner or a special family meal.
Ingredients
1 pound rotini pasta
1 pound ground beef
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rotini pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain excess fat and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Pour in heavy cream, stirring to combine with garlic butter. Warm through, then add cheddar and mozzarella. Stir until melted and smooth.
5. Return beef to skillet, add cooked pasta, and toss. Add pasta water as needed to loosen sauce and coat pasta evenly.
6. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Toss to combine.
7. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.
Notes
Use freshly shredded cheese for the smoothest sauce texture.
Reserve pasta water—it’s the key to silky, clingy sauce.
Don’t overcook pasta; it will continue to cook slightly in the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
Keywords: pasta, cheesy rotini, garlic butter pasta, ground beef recipe