Garlic Butter Beef Pasta (Printable version)
Rich garlic butter pasta with savory ground beef, perfect for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner.
# What you need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine
→ Meats
02 - 1 lb ground beef (80/20 preferred)
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dairy
06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry & Seasonings
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more for pasta water)
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# How To:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining through a colander.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until thoroughly browned with no pink remaining, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess rendered fat if necessary.
03 - Add the finely chopped onion to the browned beef and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
04 - Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the skillet, allowing it to melt completely while stirring to coat the beef and aromatics evenly in the rich garlic butter.
05 - Transfer the drained pasta directly into the skillet. Toss vigorously to coat every strand in the garlic butter mixture, adding small splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, cohesive sauce.
06 - Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
07 - Serve immediately while hot, garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley as desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It uses pantry staples you probably already have, which means no emergency grocery runs on a tired weeknight.
- The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand of pasta without needing cream or flour, keeping things simple and deeply satisfying.
02 -
- Do not skip reserving the pasta water because without it the sauce will be dry and the cheese will clump instead of melting evenly.
- Adding the garlic after the onion prevents it from burning and turning bitter, which is a mistake I made more times than I care to admit.
03 -
- Grate your own Parmesan from a block instead of using the shelf stable kind in the green can, because pre shredded cheese contains anti caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly.
- Let the beef sit undisturbed in the skillet for a full minute before breaking it up, because that untouched contact time is what creates the caramelized bits that carry the most flavor.