Garlic Butter Beef Pasta (Printable)

Tender pasta in rich garlic butter sauce with seasoned ground beef and Parmesan cheese for a cozy weeknight dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti, fettuccine, or penne

→ Ground Beef

02 - 1 lb ground beef
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

05 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
08 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Finish & Garnish

09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
11 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# How To Make:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water before draining; set pasta aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper, cooking until deeply browned and no pink remains, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Drain any excess rendered fat and transfer the beef to a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for approximately 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
04 - Return the browned ground beef to the skillet. Add the drained pasta and toss everything together. Gradually pour in small amounts of the reserved pasta water, tossing continuously, until the sauce clings evenly to every strand or piece.
05 - Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the pasta and toss vigorously until melted and evenly distributed throughout. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Remove the skillet from heat. Scatter chopped fresh parsley over the top and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta and everything cooks in one skillet so cleanup is almost nothing.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every noodle and makes the whole kitchen smell like a tiny Italian restaurant hidden on a side street you almost walked past.
02 -
  • If you let the garlic go even slightly past golden it will ruin the whole dish with bitterness so set a timer for one minute and watch it like a hawk.
  • The pasta water trick is not optional, that starch is the only thing standing between a glossy sauce and a puddle of butter sitting at the bottom of the pan.
03 -
  • Salt your pasta water until it tastes like mild broth, this is your one chance to season the noodles from the inside.
  • Grate the Parmesan while the beef is browning so it is ready to go the moment you need it and the sauce comes together without pausing.

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