Easy Alfredo Ground Beef Pasta ~ with Homemade Sauce
Say hello to my Easy Alfredo and Ground Beef Pasta! This dish is your weeknight superhero—creamy, cheesy Alfredo sauce meets savory ground beef and pasta, ready in a flash. Perfectly cooked pasta is coated in a rich, creamy, cheesy alfredo 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.
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!
