This Italian Creamy Beef and Shells recipe is a simple one-skillet meal that your entire family will. It's so easy to make, and it's perfect for busy weeknights when you need a family-friendly meal on the time in no time at all. Even the picky eaters in your household will love this dish.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Skip the processed box pasta at the local grocery store and make this creamy beef pasta recipe from scratch instead.
- Not only does this recipe tastes better it is also budget-friendly!
- A creamy and hearty dish that is perfect for chilly nights when you want to warm up from the inside out.
I'm not sure what's more comforting: the cheesy noodles or the beefy sauce. But together, they make a perfect winter meal. This Italian creamy beef and shells recipe is easy to make and so delicious. You'll love it!
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- medium pasta shells -- may use other short pasta.
- olive oil
- lean ground beef
- butter unsalted
- onion, diced
- garlic, minced
- Italian seasoning
- red pepper flakes
- paprika
- mustard powder
- all-purpose flour
- tomato sauce
- beef stock
- heavy cream
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Italian parsley, chopped
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Add butter to the skillet and add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, paprika, and mustard powder then cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook until lightly browned about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in beef stock.
- And then tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced and slightly thickened about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the heavy to the tomato mixture.
- Then in pasta shells, and beef until heated through all the way about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in cheese until melted. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley and serve warm.
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Pasta pot
- Large Skillet
- Wooden Mixing spoon
- Sharp knife
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making Italian Creamy Beef and Shells.
If you don't have beef stock on hand, you can use beef broth or even water and beef bouillon to make this recipe.
Yes, you will need to double the sauce, if you want to have creamy beef pasta. If you don't double the sauce you will have dry beef pasta.
If you don't have heavy cream, you can use milk and melted butter to make the same. Add about ⅛ cup melted butter to milk or heavy cream. In a pinch, you could also use evaporated milk.
Yes, you can use any shape of pasta that you have on hand. Though, I've found that round shapes really work best in this recipe.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Make sure that the beef is cooked all the way through before you add it to the pasta.
- I like to cook my pasta until it is al dente so that it doesn't overcook when you add it back to the creamy sauce.
- If you want some extra cheesy pasta, add in more cheddar cheese.
- I've found that using cheddar cheese that I've shredded myself really works best for this recipe because it melts the best.
📚 Variations
- Instead of ground beef, you can use ground turkey or even Italian sausage for this recipe.
- You can use any shape of pasta that you have on hand to make this beefy pasta recipe. I like the shells, but penne or rigatoni would also work.
- Add a little spice to this recipe by adding a dash of red pepper flakes to this creamy pasta.
🥫 Storage
Store leftover creamy shells and beef in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a skillet on medium heat until heated through. I don't recommend freezing this dish as the pasta will be mushy once thawed.
📗 Related Recipes
- Fried Ravioli is crispy and so delicious and very easy to make. If you are looking for a family-friendly Italian appetizer then this toasted ravioli recipe is for you.
- White Lasagna Ravioli is a delicious and tasty pasta dish that is loaded with cheese, fresh spinach, and a creamy alfredo sauce. The next time you are craving a twist on lasagna you can give this recipe a try.
- If you are looking for another skillet meal to try for busy nights, then this Cheesy Baked Ravioli recipe a try! You can't go wrong with this hearty meal.
- Another hamburger recipe that is a big winner at our house is this Ultimate Ground Beef Noodle Casserole recipe. The beef is savory, the pasta is creamy and delicious, and the family always leaves the table happy and satisfied.
🍽 Serve with
- Are you looking for a delicious appetizer to serve before this meal? If so, this Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms recipe is a flavorful way to kick this meal off right.
- You can't have a creamy pasta recipe like this one without garlic bread, and this Garlic Cheesy Bread recipe is the perfect side dish to serve with this comfort food meal.
- If you love the taste of a classic chocolate eclair, this Italian Love Cake is soon to become a favorite choice of cake! It's great made ahead and is a delicious way to end this meal.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
I remember when my children were younger and there were crazy busy weeknights when I needed to get something on the table fast. I didn't want to feed my family additive-filled meals, so I turned to simple skillet meals like this one.
We're nuts about creamy pasta dishes, if you are too, try out our copycat Pasta Roni recipe Creamy Garlic Angel Hair Pasta. It's out of this world good.
And if you're looking for another quick and easy beef and pasta recipe, you have to try our fabulous Ground Beef Stroganoff. It's guaranteed to be a family favorite.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
This Italian Creamy Beef and Shells is full of comfort food taste, and the sauce is so creamy and flavorful, and the beef is tender and delicious. You won't regret making this simple meal recipe!
Another fantastic beef and pasta dish is our delicious Chili Macaroni and Cheese recipe. This is a family friendly dinner that is hearty, tasty, and so very satisfying.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Italian Creamy Beef and Shells Skillet Dinner
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons butter unsalted
- ½ medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef stock
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded (about 1½ cups)
- Italian parsely chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta to al dente. (This is about 1 minute less than the lowest package directions time. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce.)
- Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Add butter to the skillet and add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, paprika, and mustard powder then cook about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in beef stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in pasta shells, beef, and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in cheese until melted. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley and serve warm.
Nutrition
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