Description
A comforting one-skillet creamy pasta dish featuring savory ground beef and a rich cheese sauce with spinach, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb bowtie (farfalle) pasta
- 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- Optional: Red pepper flakes, 1 small yellow onion (diced), 2–3 cloves garlic (minced), fresh basil or parsley (chopped), lemon zest or juice, 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, toasted breadcrumbs for topping
Instructions
- Prep and bring water to boil (10 minutes).
- Cook the bowtie pasta al dente (8–10 minutes), drain and set aside.
- Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage (8–12 minutes).
- Add onions and garlic if using, then the spinach (2–4 minutes).
- Simmer with chicken broth to develop flavor (3–5 minutes).
- Make the creamy cheese sauce (3–5 minutes).
- Toss in the cooked pasta to coat (1–2 minutes).
- Final taste and garnish, then serve hot.
Notes
Customize by swapping proteins, adding vegetables, or adjusting spices to taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: creamy pasta, easy dinner, weeknight meal, comfort food, one-skillet meal