One-pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

Original Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

Prep 10 minutes

Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 2 tsp Italian herbs I put in 1 to 2 tbsp
• 2 tbsp tomato paste I put in 3 to 4 tbsp
• 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 & 1/2 tsp cooking salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 5 cups (1.25 L) chicken stock
• 500g fusilli, penne, elbow macaroni or other short pasta
• 300g thickened cream

Serving

• Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Parsley, finely chopped, (optional)

Instructions

1. Sauté - Heat the oil on high heat in a large heavy-based pot. Cook garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes.

2. Cook beef & seasonings - Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you can no longer see red meat. Add the Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to cook out the raw flavour.

3. All in - Add crushed tomato, chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir, then add the pasta.

4. Cook 15 min - Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes then more frequently towards the end (ensure pasta doesn't stick to base) until the pasta is just about cooked.

5. Turn stove top off and let sit for 2 minutes. Add cream and wait a further 1 to 2 minutes. It will still be quite saucy - this is what you want! Pasta absorbs liquid quickly, so it will still be nice and oozy when you start eating.

6. Serve - Remove from the stove. Give it a good stir then ladle into bowls. Serve with Parmesan and parsley.