Garlic Butter Beef Pasta with Creamy Parmesan Sauce
By Olivia Hayes
Dinner takes 35 minutes from prep through cooking, using pasta, ground beef, and a straightforward skillet sauce. Garlic, butter, beef broth, cream, and Parmesan coat the pasta in a creamy, savory finish with a small optional hit of red pepper.
Cook the pasta until al dente and save some of its cooking water before draining. Lean ground beef keeps the skillet from becoming overly greasy, while butter softens the chopped onion and carries the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Beef broth forms the sauce base, then heavy cream and grated Parmesan give it a creamy body before the beef and pasta return to the pan.
The sauce should look creamy and coat the pasta as you toss, rather than pooling thinly at the bottom of the skillet. Add the reserved pasta water only as needed, a splash at a time, to loosen it. Watch the garlic closely after it goes into the butter: it needs only about a minute to become fragrant, and frequent stirring helps prevent it from burning.
Finish with chopped parsley, extra Parmesan, and more parsley for garnish. The recipe notes that leftovers reheat well; warm them on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water, or use the microwave until hot. The pasta may absorb some sauce while it sits, so that added liquid helps bring back its coating.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Saves weeknight effort with a 35-minute prep-and-cook schedule, while the pasta boils and the beef, garlic, and sauce come together in one skillet.
- Uses familiar supermarket staples, including ground beef, butter, broth, cream, and Parmesan, so the dinner does not depend on specialty ingredients or equipment.
- Keeps cleanup manageable because the beef, onion, garlic butter base, and finished sauce are all prepared in the same large skillet.
- Offers flexible pasta choices, since spaghetti, linguine, and penne are all listed and each can be tossed directly into the creamy Parmesan sauce.
- Makes portion adjustments straightforward because the listed ingredients can be divided for a smaller batch while preserving the same skillet method and sauce structure.
- Reheats without much fuss because a splash of broth or water loosens the sauce again when the pasta has absorbed it.
Ingredients
- •12 oz pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or penne)
- •1 lb ground beef
- •4 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- •6 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1 onion (medium, finely chopped)
- •1 tsp Italian seasoning
- •0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- •1 cup beef broth
- •0.5 cup heavy cream
- •0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- •2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, plus more for garnish)
- •salt (to taste)
- •black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 2
Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- 3
Drain the pasta and set it aside, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water.
- 4
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- 5
Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
- 6
Drain excess grease if needed, then remove the beef and set it aside.
- 7
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet.
- 8
Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- 9
Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- 10
Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 11
Pour in the beef broth and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 12
Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until creamy.
- 13
Return the cooked beef to the skillet and mix well.
- 14
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce.
- 15
Stir in a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- 16
Stir in the fresh parsley.
- 17
Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper if needed.
- 18
Garnish with extra Parmesan and parsley before serving.
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