One-Pot Creamy Minced Meat Pasta
Discover our excellent recipe for one-pot creamy minced meat pasta. Cook this delicious, satisfying and easy dish for your family dinner today!
Servings6
Preparation Time30 m
DifficultyEasy
Calories680 kcal
Discover our excellent recipe for one-pot creamy minced meat pasta. Cook this delicious, satisfying and easy dish for your family dinner today!
Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil (or canola oil) in a large skillet or wide pot. Add the minced meat and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon until deeply browned. Leave the cooking fat in the pan – it carries great flavor!
Toss the finely chopped onion in with the browned meat. Stir well and fry for another 3-4 minutes until the onion softens, becomes translucent, and releases its sweetness.
Now toss a tablespoon of butter and the finely chopped garlic into the pan. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly (be careful not to burn the garlic, or it will turn bitter). Stir in the black pepper, Italian herbs, and optional chili flakes.
Prepare hot broth. The best choice is obviously real, homemade chicken stock or a frozen homemade bouillon cube. If you don't have those, use a good quality jarred broth (paste). We strongly advise against standard bouillon cubes as they are very unhealthy! Note: jarred broths are often very salty, so absolutely do not add any salt at this stage.
Pour in the prepared broth (start with about 800-900 ml) and bring the whole thing to a boil. Once it's vigorously bubbling, toss in the dry penne pasta straight from the box and mix everything thoroughly, ensuring the pasta is submerged in the liquid.
Reduce the heat to a minimum, cover the pan, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove the lid occasionally to stir, making sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom. If it absorbs all the liquid but is still hard, add the remaining hot broth.
When the pasta is al dente (soft but slightly firm to the bite), pour in the heavy cream. Simmer uncovered for 1-2 minutes. During this time, the sauce should thicken nicely and coat the pasta in a velvety sauce.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the grated parmesan (or similar hard cheese) and mix gently to melt it into the sauce. Finally, squeeze in a splash of lemon juice to cut through the richness and balance the creaminess of the dish.
Only now, after adding the salty broth and parmesan, taste the sauce. Add salt if necessary. Garnish the whole dish generously with fresh parsley or chives and serve immediately.
Cooking dry pasta directly in the meat broth releases starch straight into the liquid. This naturally thickens the sauce, making it incomparably creamy.
The word 'penne' in Italian means 'quills' or 'feathers', which is a direct reference to the diagonally cut ends of this pasta, resembling old writing quills.
Looking for a quick and incredibly satisfying dinner idea for the whole family that won't leave a mountain of dishes behind? This one-pot creamy minced meat pasta is an absolute hit! The combination of juicy meat, aromatic Italian herbs, and a melt-in-your-mouth, thick cream sauce creates a composition that is hard to resist. The real magic of this recipe lies in the one-pot cooking technique. The pasta cooks directly in the flavorful liquid, absorbing all the rich flavors, while the released starch naturally thickens the sauce, giving it a velvety texture. Finished with sharp parmesan cheese and a splash of bright lemon juice, this is ultimate comfort food at its finest.
Cooking dry pasta directly in the meat broth releases starch straight into the liquid. This naturally thickens the sauce, making it incomparably creamy.
The word 'penne' in Italian means 'quills' or 'feathers', which is a direct reference to the diagonally cut ends of this pasta, resembling old writing quills.
Looking for a quick and incredibly satisfying dinner idea for the whole family that won't leave a mountain of dishes behind? This one-pot creamy minced meat pasta is an absolute hit! The combination of juicy meat, aromatic Italian herbs, and a melt-in-your-mouth, thick cream sauce creates a composition that is hard to resist. The real magic of this recipe lies in the one-pot cooking technique. The pasta cooks directly in the flavorful liquid, absorbing all the rich flavors, while the released starch naturally thickens the sauce, giving it a velvety texture. Finished with sharp parmesan cheese and a splash of bright lemon juice, this is ultimate comfort food at its finest.