Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta

I love a creamy pasta, especially with a bunch of fresh veggies packed into it! This Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta was full of tomato, juicy beef, garlicky flavor, tender broccoli, and a silky gouda cheese sauce! This was really easy to make, and it featured some pantry staples, which made this meal pretty affordable and practical! It’s perfect for a busy weeknight, when you’ve got low energy and a hungry family! It was packed with nutrients and there was plenty of leftovers to go around. My kids love bowtie pasta too, it’s such a fun, underrated shape!

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How do these flavors work together in a pasta?

This flavor profile works so well because you’ve got that juicy, hearty ground beef. Then the fresh tomato and broccoli lighten things up a bit, offering some crunch and even more juicy components. Then you’ve got that creamy, rich gouda sauce which clings perfectly to the bowtie pasta. You can scoop everything up into the best loaded bite! The spices gave extreme flavor, and the herbs brought some depth. It was great!

Did you know?

Gouda cheese gets its name from the Dutch city, Gouda. But it actually wasn’t produced in that city at all! Gouda was a market hub where people from the surrounding villages would bring their wheels of cheese to be inspected, weighed, and then, sold!

This cheese also has a pretty rich backstory, no pun intended! It has been around for what feels like forever! It’s actually one of the oldest cheeses, with records of it being made all the way back in the 1100’s! Gouda is like total medieval comfort food. How fun is that?!

What ingredients do I need to make this?

For the creamy tomato beef pasta:

Ground Beef
Bowtie Pasta
Broccoli
Tomato
Onion
Garlic
Gouda Cheese
Heavy Cream
Tomato Paste
Olive Oil
Pasta Water
Salt
Black Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Red Pepper Flakes

For serving:

Parsley
Parmesan
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

What equipment do I need?

• Large Skillet
• Spatula
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Cheese Grater
• Strainer
• Stockpot

How do I make it?

To prep the ingredients:

To get started on this recipe, first let’s prep the ingredients! Dice the onion, deseed and dice the tomato, then mince the garlic and parsley. Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces and shred the gouda.

Next, get a large pot out and fill it with some salted water, then boil the pasta to package instructions, making sure to reserve some starchy pasta water before draining.

To make the creamy tomato beef pasta:

In a large skillet on medium heat, cook the ground beef, sprinkling with a bit of salt and pepper, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks and cooking until no longer pink. Drain and move to a plate covered with foil until ready to use.

In the same pan with some of that leftover grease, heat oil on medium and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook that for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the tomato.

Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become jammy. Next, stir in the tomato paste and allow that to cook for about a minute – this helps to deepen that tomato flavor! Stir in the cream and the rest of the seasonings and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.

Next, turn the heat down to low, and stir in the shredded cheese until melty. Add the cooked pasta and beef back into the skillet, stirring to combine, using the hot starchy pasta water to thin the sauce if you feel like it’s too thick. I barely needed any, but the consistency is up to you!

Remove from heat.

To serve:

Garnish creamy tomato beef pasta with fresh parsley, parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

Tips:

• Add whatever other veggies you want to this! Mushroom would be super yummy too!
• If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you could always use a can of drained diced tomatoes. Draining it will keep that subtle tomato flavor and allow the cheese sauce to shine through!
• Swap the pasta for whatever you’ve got on hand, if you choose a longer pasta, use a bit less to ensure a nice ratio. You can also swap the cheese out if you don’t have gouda, just remember to shred your own or the sauce may become grainy!
• This creamy tomato beef pasta will keep for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is not freezer friendly.

Love bowtie pasta too? Check out some of my other family friendly recipes using this fun shape!

• Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Bowtie
• Creamy Beef Bowtie

Have some more broccoli to use up?

• Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts
• Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice