This Easy Alfredo and Ground Beef Pasta is a lifesaver on a busy weeknight, but so good you will want to make it for a crowd. It’s creamy, cheesy, hearty, and comes together so quickly you will be adding to the menu every week!
Need a dinner that’s quick, delicious, and guaranteed to please even the pickiest eaters? Say hello to this Easy Alfredo and Ground Beef Pasta with an easy homemade alfredo sauce! This dish is your weeknight superhero—creamy, cheesy Alfredo sauce meets savory ground beef and pasta, ready in a flash. No more stress, just pure comfort in a bowl. Get ready to watch those dinner plates get licked clean!
Dive into a bowl of pure comfort with this Ground Beef Alfredo Recipe! Perfectly cooked pasta is coated in a rich, creamy, cheesy alfredo pasta sauce goodness. The ground beef brings a savory, meaty depth that complements the smooth, garlicky sauce. Every bite is a mouthwatering blend of creamy, savory, and satisfying flavors that will have you coming back for seconds. It’s like a cozy hug in a bowl!
Do you meal plan your dinners? It makes weeknights so much easier! Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Pasta Sundays!
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Why The Keyword Is Special
- Time-Saving Simplicity: This is one of the easiest beef pasta recipes. No need to fuss with making a roux—just a quick cornstarch slurry, and your Alfredo sauce thickens in no time, perfect for busy weeknights.
- One-Pot Wonder: Fewer dishes to wash means more time to relax after dinner. This recipe keeps things easy with minimal cleanup.
- Family-Friendly: The combination of cheesy Alfredo sauce and savory ground beef is a crowd-pleaser that even picky eaters will devour.
- Budget-Friendly: Using affordable ingredients like ground beef and pantry staples, this dish delivers comfort without breaking the bank.
- Versatile: Whether you’re serving it on a busy weeknight or jazzing it up for a casual dinner with friends, this recipe is adaptable for any occasion.
- Make-Ahead and Reheat: Make it ahead of time or enjoy leftovers—this pasta reheats beautifully, so busy moms can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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- Linguine pasta – I love linguini for this recipe, but you can use any long or short cut pasta that you want.
- Ground Beef – I used 95% lean Ground Beef, but you can use any fat content. You can substitute in ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil – This helps really lean beef from sticking. To cook ground beef with a high fat content, you may not need extra oil. You can sub in vegetable oil.
- Garlic – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced or garlic puree sold in a jars or tubes or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Milk 1%, 2%, or whole – I went with 2% for this recipe, but you can use any that you have. You can also substitute half and half or heavy cream for a richer and creamy alfredo sauce.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with cold water to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this sauce.
- Chicken base – Chicken base is a paste that’s easy to mix into sauces. You can sub Chicken bouillon powder or crush a cube. Beef base can be used, but will likely make the color of your alfredo darker. You can also use chicken or beef broth, but reduce or eliminate the pasta water and or milk initially or the sauce will be too thin. Reserve the pasta water though and add it later if needed.
- Parmesan Cheese – Fresh grated parmesan cheese will mix in the best. If you only have shredded parmesan cheese, you can pulse it in a food processor to grind it or make sure to continuously stir the sauce when its added to ensure it doesn’t clump.
- Optional Garnish: extra Parmesan and fresh Italian parsley
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment
For this recipe, you need a large pot for cooking the pasta and a large skillet, large frying pan, or wide-bottom pot or dutch oven for cooking the beef and making the sauce.
I used my absolute favorite large nonstick skillet, my 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.
Oh, and mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
Mince the garlic and chop the parsley. Store separately in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
Preheat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add the ground beef, salt and pepper.
While the beef is cooking, boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Add olive oil and salt. Be sure to reserve a cup of pasta water.
Make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch into the cold milk, then stir in the parmesan cheese.
Add garlic, the reserved 1 cup of pasta water plus chicken base to the ground beef in the skillet.
Whisk in the cornstarch slurry with parmesan cheese.
Continue to whisk while it heats through and starts to thicken (about 2-3 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.
Either add the pasta to the beef and sauce or the sauce to the pasta pot, whichever pot/pan is big enough to combine everything. Stir to combine.
Garnish with Parmesan and Parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Substitutions
When making Alfredo Ground Beef Pasta, you can customize the dish by substituting various ingredients based on what you have on hand or dietary preferences. Here are some substitution ideas:
- Protein – Ground turkey, ground chicken, or bulk Italian sausage will all be great in this recipe.
- Pasta – You can use gluten free pasta, whole wheat pasta, zoodles or even spaghetti squash.
- Cheese – mozzarella cheese can be substituted for Parmesan or nutritional yeast is a nutty flavored option for vegans.
Even if your reader doesn’t follow a specific diet (eg. gluten free), they may have friends or family that they’re cooking for that could use this. This is also a great idea to link out to another blogger with a similar recipe that fits a different diet.
Variations
Alfredo Ground Beef Pasta is a versatile dish that can be customized in many ways. Here are some variations you can try to give the dish a new twist the next time:
- Add Heat – Incorporate crushed red pepper flakes, diced jalapeños, or spicy ground sausage.
- Add Veggies – Add in mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, green onions, or broccoli florets.
- Vegetarian Version – Replace the ground beef all together with slice or diced portabella mushrooms.
- Extra Cheese – Mix in different cheeses like cheddar cheese, mozzarella, provolone, Asiago, or even cream cheese for an extra creamy and cheesy sauce.
See this lighter and gluten free alfredo version on my website!
Storage
As this sauce contains dairy, it will last about 3 to 4 days after it’s prepared. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Easy Ground Beef Pasta FAQs
Can I use non-dairy milk in this Alfredo sauce recipe?
You can use Plain Unsweetened Almond Milk, Soy Milk, or other non-dairy milk in this alfredo sauce recipe.
What can I add to Alfredo Ground Beef to make it taste better?
Fresh herbs brighten the flavor of the easy sauce. You can chop up to two tablespoon of fresh herbs such as chives, oregano, or thyme. You can also use dried herbs, such as Italian seasoning or oregano.
What can I serve with this Alfredo Ground Beef Pasta?
You could pair this easy recipe with roasted broccoli, a simple green salad, a tomato and cucumber salad, or Easy Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots, or these Roasted Carrot with Avocado Crema. Or try this amazing Grilled Halloumi & Tomato Salad!
Want More Recipes like this?
If you have ground beef or pasta to use up in your pantry, then you will love these family dinner recipes too!
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Easy Alfredo Ground Beef Pasta ~ with Homemade Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 oz Linguini pasta or favorite pasta
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
- 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Water (use the pasta water after pasta cooks)
- 1 cup Milk, 1% 2% or whole also work
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Chicken base (or powder bouillon or crushed bouillon cube) I used Better than Bouillon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- Optional Garnishes: extra Parmesan and fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
Pre-Ahead Steps
- Mince the garlic and chop the parsley (parsley is an optional garnish). Grate parmesan if not already grated. Store separately in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
Cooking Steps
- Preheat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add the ground beef (if you are using 90-95% lean, you may need a teaspoon of olive oil to keep from sticking). Season with salt and pepper and cook through until no longer pink.
- While the beef is cooking, boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Once the pasta water is boiling, add a splash of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and stir so that it all is immersed in the water and doesn’t stick it itself. Boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce and then drain the pasta. Leave the pasta in the strainer until the sauce is ready.
- Make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch into the cold milk, then stir in the parmesan cheese.
- To the ground beef, add the minced garlic and stir to combine.
- Add the reserved 1 cup of pasta water plus chicken base. Heat to simmer and dissolve the bouillon. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry with parmesan cheese and continue to whisk while it heats through and starts to thicken (about 2-3 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.
- At this point, you can either add the pasta to the beef and sauce or the sauce to the pasta pot, whichever pot/pan is big enough to combine everything. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat and then mix in the parmesan cheese and Parsley. Garnish with Parmesan and Parsley. Serve and enjoy!
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