This beef penne uses just one pan and goes from stove to table in 30 minutes. The pasta cooks right in the savory tomato beef sauce and is topped with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. It’s a favorite weeknight comfort food dish!
This post and recipe were originally published in Oct 2016.
One Pan Beef Penne
Because it’s Monday and maybe we’re all feeling a little busy with life these days – Halloween, which is just a few short days away, is the kick-off to the holiday season – it’s good timing to share a dinner idea that is easy, fast, hearty, and comforting. Plus, you only need one pan (!) and 30-minutes during which there is exactly just one thing that needs chopping and, you know what? You could probably skip the fresh parsley. I won’t tell.
This hearty beef penne is a weeknight dump-and-stir dinner dream thanks to fast cooking pasta – have you seen it in the stores? I’ve been checking out the no-boil no-drain penne for who knows how long without buying it because I’m old school when it comes to boiling pasta (big pot? check. Lots of water? check) and I was slow-to-warm-up to these new-fangled kinds of pasta.
And now I know I am a fool. You see, this penne is like magic and you really can just dump it in a pot to cook right along whatever you’re making rendering your big old stock pot useless. There is a little bit of science to it, of course, and attention must be paid to the amount of pasta versus the amount of liquid.
I’ve done a few one-pot wonders using regular pasta and it works, but this special stuff cooks in about half the time. This meaty, tomato-y penne took about 12 minutes after the pasta was added to the pot making it entirely possible to get dinner on the table in about 30 minutes without having to wait for a giant pot of water to boil. Yay.
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
- It starts with the meat sauce. I used ground beef, but feel free to substitute ground turkey or chicken or even Italian sausage would work well.
- Sometimes we need a break from chopping so some onion powder, garlic powder, and dried Italian seasoning add all sorts of flavor.
- But, in case you want to chop something, there’s some parsley stirred into the sauce to add a pop of freshness.
- The no-boil no-drain penne cooks in a sauce of diced canned tomatoes and jarred marinara sauce. Since first sharing this recipe in 2016 a few readers have commented that they use regular penne and it works just as well. Check out the comments section on this post to read their comments plus others from folks who have tried this recipe!
- A sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese and thin slices of fresh mozzarella finish it off. I used fresh mozzarella, but you could also use regular shredded mozzarella instead.
And as excited as I am about this low maintenance pasta I’m pretty sure I won’t be breaking up with my traditional pasta anytime soon. I’m loyal like that but it’s nice to have options, right?
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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30 Minute One Pan Beef Penne
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
This is a hearty beef and pasta dinner that is ready in about 30 minutes and uses just one pan for easy clean-up!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup jarred marinara sauce
- ½ tablespoon chopped parsley
- 12 ounces no-boil penne (see note)
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook the beef, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, and parsley and stir to combine. Add the penne and the vegetable stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the penne is tender, stirring frequently. While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to broil.
- Uncover the pan and sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Place the mozzarella slices on top. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted.
Notes
- I haven’t tested this recipe with regular penne, but a few readers have and shared in the comments that it works well, too. Check out the comments section in the post to read their comments!
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 491
- Fat: 15.2g
- Carbohydrates: 50.5g
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Protein: 36.1g
Keywords: one-pan beef penne, easy beef penne recipe
Wendel says
Better known as Hamburger Helper.
My mom made this as a staple on school nights growing up. It kept three kids well fed.
Thanks for the new version.
Can’t wait to give it a try.
April says
Hamburger Helper was a staple in our house, too – I hope you enjoy this upgraded version 🙂
Kristi says
I made this for supper and it was really good! I actually had the no boil penne on hand so I used that. I drained the tomatoes and used the juice as part of my liquid. I didn’t have vegetable stock so I used beef broth instead. I used quite a bit more pasta sauce than 1 cup as my husband doesn’t like sauces too dry. It was such a hot night, I didn’t want to turn the broiler on so I just put cheese on top, covered it and let the cheese melt with the pan on the stove. I would definitely make this again.
April says
So glad you guys liked it, Kristi! Good call on not turning on the oven 🙂
Steve Sunday says
“No boil” penne is the same as regular dried Penne you buy at the store. You just add it in with all that stock.
Took a while to figure out what she was talking about. If it was true “no boil penne”, wouldn’t need all the liquid. Pretty good quick meal.
Joanne says
We’ve made this a few times and love it! So easy to do
★★★★★
Crystal says
I made this last night and we loved it. I used my dutch oven and I did add fresh onion and mushrooms. It was great will make it again.
April says
I like the mushroom idea! So glad you liked it 🙂
Lina Rodriguez says
Looks so delicious and would like to try the recipe for the one pot Beef Penne, but didn’t see the nutritional guide any where in the recipe. I’m on WW and need to figure out the WW sp value.
Thanks, Lina
April says
Hi Lina, I updated the recipe with the nutritional content.
Shannon Kill says
Love this recipe. It’s a weekly staple at the moment!
April says
That’s so great, Shannon! So glad you like it 🙂
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
One pan meals are so great for busy weeknights.
Bailey J. says
This pasta was delicious! I cook for my parents and sister once a week and they all loved it! Even my dad, who is not a fan of red sauce, liked it a lot! Maybe put a tad less liquid in next time, possibly 3/4 the veggie stock.
April says
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Sissy says
I am unable to reach your recipe for the beef penne. I just end up looking at questions, answers, pictures and a paragraph of ingredients without measurements. I click on recipe it goes nowhere. I would really like to make your berf penne. Please help..
April says
I’m so sorry you’re having trouble accessing the recipe! I am not seeing this issue on my end, so including this link – can you try clicking on that to see if it works? http://www.girlgonegourmet.com/lemon-honey-glazed-carrots/ If not, please email me at [email protected] and I will send you the recipe.
Anca says
You know it’s good stuff when both kids, who don’t agree on anything, ask you make it again.
April says
That’s great! 🙂
Jessica says
I tried this recipe with regular penne noodles and had no problem. I used an entire box of penne and used 1.5 cups of vegetable stock and cooked it as this recipe directed for 15 minutes. It came out perfect! It wasn’t too watery and pasta was thoroughly cooked. I didn’t need to prepare boil noodles.
April says
Hi Jessica! Thanks for letting me know – I’m glad it worked well with regular pasta. I haven’t tried it like that yet, so thank you for letting me know 🙂
Karen says
I don’t see the pot size. Video is not working.
April says
Hi Karen, I’m sorry the video didn’t work! I just checked it and it’s playing on my side, so not sure what the issue might be. As far as the pan size, I recommend using a 10-12 inch pan.
Shaunta says
When you work full-time and have children that have to be twelve places at one time, one pot wonders are perfect for my household!! I found this recipe today while searching Pinterest for one pot meals. It was delish, my family and I enjoyed it!! Super easy to make also!!
April says
One-pot dinners to the rescue! So glad you enjoyed this one, Shaunta – thank you for letting me know 🙂
Kelly says
I have to use gluten free pasta, so unfortunately no boil noodles aren’t available. If I added already cooked pasta noodles to this dish, would I just eliminate the vegetable stock?? Looks delish!
April says
Hi Kelly, I would cut the vegetable stock in half and maybe boil your noodles for a couple minutes less than you usually would. Add them to the pan and let them finish cooking in the sauce. Hope that helps!
Vivian | stayaliveandcooking says
I LOVE easy one-pan meals: this suits me so well! It looks delicious, and I’ve gotta find those no-cook no-drain penne. Sounds very convenient.
April says
Look for them! They’re usually right next to the other pastas 🙂