30 Minute One Pan Ground Beef Penne
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!
Because it’s Monday and maybe we’re all feeling a little busy with life these days, it’s the best time to share this ground beef penne that is easy, fast, hearty, and comforting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a true one pan dinner. The ground beef, sauce, and pasta all cook in the same pan, so there’s less cleanup at the end.
- It’s the kind of 30-minute dinner you’ll actually want to eat. It’s quick and easy, but still feels like a cozy, hearty pasta dinner.
- A pantry staple adds tons of flavor. Worcestershire sauce adds a savory depth to the beef and tomato sauce that makes the whole dish taste richer.
- It’s simple without tasting basic. It’s easy to make with big flavors.
- This is a good back-pocket dinner. The ingredients are straightforward, and it works well for nights when you want something hearty without much effort.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I recommend using lean ground beef so the sauce doesn’t end up too greasy. You can also use ground turkey.
- Marinara sauce: Use your favorite jarred sauce.
- Diced tomatoes
- Worcestershire sauce: Don’t skip this! It makes the sauce taste like it cooked much longer.
- Penne: I’ve only tested this recipe with penne. Other pasta shapes may take more or less time.
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Vegetable broth or stock
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley
How to Make It
- Brown the ground beef in a large pan or pot. Add all of the seasonings as it cooks and stir well, breaking the beef apart.
- Add the marinara, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and broth. Stir and add the dry pasta and stir again. Bring the liquid to a boil and then adjust the heat to medium and cover the pan. Simmer the pasta for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, or until it’s tender.
- Sprinkle both kinds of cheese over the top of the pasta. You can broil the cheese for a few minutes in the oven or melt it by covering the pan with a lid.
More One Pan Pasta Recipes
30 Minute One Pan Ground Beef Penne
This one pan ground beef penne is a hearty 30-minute dinner with a savory tomato sauce, Parmesan, and melted mozzarella cheese.
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Servings: 6 servings
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 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
Pasta: The pasta should cook in the sauce in about 15 minutes, but be sure to test it and cook it a little longer if it’s not quite tender.
Stir the pasta often: This helps it cook evenly and keeps it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella is nice and melty, but regular shredded mozzarella cheese works great, too.
Ground beef: You can swap the beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage.
Broiling: Make sure your pan is oven-safe before placing it under the broiler to melt the cheese. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, skip the oven and cover the pan with a lid to melt the cheese.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.5g | Protein: 36.1g | Fat: 15.2g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7.1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 86.7mg | Sodium: 771.3mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 5.5g
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More Comfort Food Recipes
- Baked Beef and Bean Tostadas
- Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
- Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese
- Meatball Stroganoff
Happy cooking,
This post was updated from the archives. It was first published in October 2016.
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.
Hamburger Helper was a staple in our house, too – I hope you enjoy this upgraded version 🙂
This recipe is so easy and tastes good! I made it because my son is a picky eater and he likes Hamburger Helper so I wanted a similar recipe (but without the grossness of HH.) And this recipe delivers! I used ground turkey and just regular penne and after 15 minutes, it was perfectly al dente (I didn’t drain the canned tomatoes and added a fresh cut up tomato.) I did add salt and pepper at the end and sprinkled with parm cheese (the mozzarella has mysteriously disappeared.) My son gave me a ‘thumbs up’ after the first bite and the adults liked it too! This recipe is a keeper 🙂
So glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe with me. I did not boil my noodles, and I did not have no boil noodles. All I did was brown the hamburger as you described in your recipe and did everything except for boiled The Panini noodles. Then I put it in a oven safe dish, covered it with aluminum foil, and cooked it for 45 minutes on 400°. Uncover, sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top and wait until it’s melted.
Yum.
So glad you liked it!
Made it on a snowy/rainy spring night and it was perfect-the worcestershire sauce is the secret weapon!
Very good recipe! I used fresh onion and garlic instead of powder and regular penne. Everyone loved it!
So glad you loved it!