Easy Cheesy Pasta with Ground Beef
Rich, creamy cheesy ground beef pasta made in one skillet with rotini, cream cheese, pasta sauce, and broiled mozzarella. A viral recipe ready in 30 minutes.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 686kcal
Equipment
- 12-inch ovenproof skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 24 oz pasta sauce
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 12 oz rotini pasta cooked and drained
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley optional for serving
Instructions
- In an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, stirring and breaking apart until no longer pink. Drain grease and return beef to skillet.
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the beef and stir well to combine.
- Add cream cheese and pasta sauce to the skillet. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until cream cheese is completely melted and sauce is smooth. Do not rush this step or crank the heat — low and slow gives you a silky, lump-free sauce. For best results, set your cream cheese out 30 minutes before cooking so it softens and melts in easily.
- Stir in cooked rotini and mix until fully coated in sauce. Cook your pasta just to al dente before adding — it will continue absorbing sauce in the skillet and you don't want it to get too soft.
- Top evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Broil for 2 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until cheese is bubbly and melted. Stay at the stove — broilers vary and it can go from perfect to overdone fast. If you do not have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the pasta mixture to a deep 9x13 baking dish before topping with cheese and broiling.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 686kcal