Warm, creamy, and comforting, this one-pot meal is perfect for a cozy night in. With tender ground beef and hearty shells, it’s a delicious twist on a classic comfort food dish.
So many of our favorite dinners are quick and easy pasta recipes. If you like this recipe, try creamy chicken and orzo, chicken mushroom pasta, and beefaroni.
If your family is anything like mine, dinner can get hectic. And somehow, the dog always finds his way into the middle of the kitchen right about cooking time.
This quick and easy one-pot beef and shells recipe will make dinner a breeze. I guess you could call this a one-pot recipe even though I prepare it in one deep skillet. Deep pot, deep skillet—it’s all about the same, right?
Ingredients Needed
- Ground beef: with a little fat in it for flavor
- Onion: sweet yellow preferred
- Garlic: fresh, of course
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, fresh thyme, or fresh parsley
- Tomato sauce: canned or homemade
- Beef broth: low sodium or beef stock
- Pasta: think shells, rotini, rigatoni, ziti, cavatappi, mostaccioli, or penne pasta.
- Cream: heavy or whipping cream
- Cheese: freshly grated. A good substitute is Pecorino Romano Cheese.
How to Make Creamy Beef and Shells
This is just the nutshell version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and full directions.
- Brown the ground beef. Add the onions, garlic, and seasoning and cook them with the beef.
- Add the tomato sauce and beef broth and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until tender.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Season with kosher salty and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs like parsley and thyme.
Serving Suggestions
- Bread or rolls: I like serving it with easy-peasy garlic knots or beer bread.
- Salad: If we are on a low-carb kick, I serve it with a garden salad or Italian salad.
- Beverage: Or serve it with a cool and refreshing drink like strawberry lemonade or blueberry lemonade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any medium pasta works well with this recipe. Think rotini, rigatoni, ziti, cavatappi, mostaccioli, or penne pasta.
Make this recipe with ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken. Or use ground pork sausage or Italian sausage.
If you like everything cheesy, stir in shredded cheddar or Monterey jack, or cubed cream cheese or pepper jack until melted.
More One Pot Recipes
Creamy Beef and Shells Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef with a little fat in it, like 85/15
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 12 ounces medium pasta shells uncooked
- 1/2 cup heavy cream warmed to room temperature
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- grated parmesan for garnish
- chopped fresh thyme or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When the ground beef is about halfway browned, and the onion and continue cooking until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Add the tomato sauce and beef broth. Bring it to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until tender; approximately 15-18 minutes. Add a little more beef broth if needed to keep the pasta submerged.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or thyme.
Notes
- Make this recipe with ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken. Or use ground pork sausage or Italian sausage.
- Any medium pasta works well with this recipe. Think rotini, rigatoni, ziti, cavatappi, mostaccioli, or penne pasta.
- If you like everything cheesy, stir in shredded cheddar or Monterey jack, or cubed cream cheese or pepper jack until melted.
Anna Smith
I am all about pasta and comfort food and so is my family! This was easy to make and we ate the entire pan. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Anna!
Khush
Great recipe. The family really enjoyed it and I loved how easy it was to make. Thanks for sharing, Beth!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Khush!
Candie
I’ll save the recipe for the sauce. I always love a great sauce with pasta! For me the dish is all about the sauce.
Sienny
I love beef pasta recipes! I am going shopping for all these ingredients amd get myself busy this weekend to prepare this recipe, thanks for sharing this. Cheers!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sienny! Enjoy!
Tisha D
This recipe is just what I needed for my comfort food craving! So delicious
Yvonne
This is definitely one of my family’s favourite comfort meals. They love the pasta shells together with the mince and the creamy sauce. It is so easy to put together and always goes down a treat!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Yvonne! So happy that you and your family like the pasta!
Tammy Dean
A perfect weeknight meal for the family. They all loved it and I loved that is was quick and easy to make. Thanks for sharing, Beth!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure was all mine, Tammy!
Violet W
Thanks for sharing this creamy beef and shells recipe, Beth! It’s a lifesaver for busy evenings, and my family absolutely loved it. Plus, your tips make it so versatile—I might try it with some shredded cheddar next time.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Violet! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
Samantha D
Great pasta recipe! I loved the cream sauce and so did the kids. So easy to make and it reheats very well.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, so glad thay you all liked it!
Janey
I am a huge fan of this skillet pasta dish! This was really flavorful and delicious – thank you for the recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Janey!
Laura N
Is there anything better than a big bowl of delicious pasta! It is the ultimate comfort food for my whole family.
Janelle
Oh my goodness, we absolutely loved this recipe. Thanks so much!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Janelle!
Ben
This is really good! The only thing I changed was adding some red pepper flakes for some heat. I’ll be making it again.
Sandra Kohen
Made this for dinner last night and it was a hit! We loved it! Perfect on busy weeknights!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Sandra! I am so glad that you liked the creamy beef and shells!
Catalina F
The Creamy Beef and Shells turned out to be the comfort food I didn’t know I needed! It was so hearty and flavorful, and even my picky eaters asked for seconds.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Catalina! So glad that you liked it!
Erica
I recently made this, and it was absolute delight! It was such a comforting and satisfying meal, so it will definitely be a go-to recipe for me!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Erica! I am so glad that you liked it!