Pasta Shells with Ground Beef

Looking for something meaty and delicious? If so, you might like to make this beefy pasta recipe. The flavors are really good and some of the ingredients are a nod to South American cuisine to add that fantastic flavor that will make your taste buds want to dance the tango!

It couldn’t be easier to make either. You just need to cook the pasta and cook the rest of the ingredients, combine them and cook on the stove in a skillet. That’s right – you don’t even need to have the oven on.

The serrano chili peppers add a wonderful kick of flavor, as does the Sazon seasoning, an ingredient often used in Mexican cuisine. If you can’t find it you can just add a pinch each of salt, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander. Sazon has MSG in it too, but if you don’t want it you can just sub other seasonings.

Why You’ll Love the Recipe:

This spicy beef pasta dish delivers a bold, robust taste. It’s easy to prepare and there’s no baking involved. The pasta is par-cooked and then finished off with the beef and other ingredients.

How to Serve It:

Enjoy this hot, perhaps with a salad on the side. 

Can You Make It Ahead?

You can cook the beef mixture ahead and then continue with the recipe later.

Storage Instructions:

Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Variations and Substitutions:

 Swap the ground beef for ground pork if you like. You can adjust the amount of chilies too if you want it less or more spicy. Serranos pack quite a punch though, so you might prefer using jalapenos unless you like a fiery flavor.

Ingredients:

• Ground beef
• Water
• Red Sazon and/or Sazon Perfecta, for seasoning
• Olive oil
• Black pepper, to taste
• Rotel tomatoes
• Uncooked pasta shells
• Granulated tomato broth
• Granulated chicken broth
• Minced serrano chili peppers
• Yellow onion
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Onion powder, to taste
• Bay leaf
• Chopped fresh parsley

How to make Pasta Shells with Ground Beef:

Step 1. Brown the beef in a large skillet until cooked, and then drain off the excess grease.

Step 2. Stir in the Sazon and black pepper.

Step 3. Cook the pasta for 5 minutes, then drain.

Step 4. Stir the pasta into the beef mixture, add all the other ingredients, and stir.

Step 5. Cover and simmer gently until the pasta is tender, then discard the bay leaf and serve.

This spicy Latin American-style beef pasta dish is unusual and tasty. It’s real comfort food and has a homestyle appeal. It is also very easy to make.

Print