Ground Beef Skillet Pasta with Pesto and Ricotta

Ground Beef Skillet Pasta with Pesto and Ricotta Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz whole tomatoes, pureed
8 oz tomato sauce
8 oz water
10 oz short pasta, such as Cavatappi, fusilli, penne, shells, etc.
4 oz (1/2 cup) pesto
8 oz ricotta cheese, whole milk or part skim
2 oz parmesan cheese, shredded

*Laurie’s Tip: You can use store-bought pesto or make your own like I do. With many people having nut allergies, traditional pesto with pine nuts is off limits for some. My recipe for my pesto can be found in the “Appetizer” section of my blog in the “Caprese Bites” recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Add the ground beef, onion, and salt to a large, nonstick skillet. Bring to medium heat and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and the ground beef has mostly lost its pink color. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Step 2: Mix together the pureed whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. Spread the pasta out in the skillet and then pour the tomato mixture over the pasta, making sure to push down the pieces so that all the pasta is submerged. Bring to a boil, then cover the skillet and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Stir the pasta once or twice while it's simmering.

Step 3: Taste the pasta to make sure it's cooked through (if not, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes more), then stir in 2 tablespoons of the pesto and dollop a spoonful of the ricotta over the top. Cover the skillet and take it off the heat to let it rest for a couple of minutes. Stir to mix in the ricotta.