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White bowl of creamy beef and shells, medium pasta shells in a creamy orange cheddar tomato sauce with ground beef crumbles and parsley, fork on the side

Creamy Beef and Shells

Ground beef and medium pasta shells cooked right in a tomato and broth sauce, then finished with cream and sharp cheddar, all in one pan.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 810
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the beef
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef 85% lean (450 g)
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the pasta and sauce
  • 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz / 425 g
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth 480 ml, plus extra if needed
  • 8 oz dry medium pasta shells 225 g, about 2 1/2 cups
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar 170 g, grated from a block
  • chopped parsley for serving

Method
 

  1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef and onion, breaking the meat into small crumbles, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Spoon off most of the fat.
  2. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.
  3. Add the tomato sauce and broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the shells, cover, reduce to medium-low and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add broth 1/4 cup at a time if the pan gets dry.
  4. Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the cream, then the cheddar a handful at a time until melted.
  5. Cover and rest 5 minutes. Adjust the salt, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Notes

Storage: refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth or milk in a covered skillet over medium-low heat, or in short bursts in the microwave. Freezing is not recommended.
Pasta swaps: small shells or elbow macaroni (check a few minutes early); cavatappi (may need a few more minutes and a splash more broth). Avoid jumbo shells.
Substitutions: ground turkey or 93% lean beef; whole milk instead of cream for a lighter sauce; pepper jack for half the cheddar.
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.