Description
A rich and creamy ground beef alfredo pasta that is budget-friendly and perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 14 oz pasta
- Water
- Salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese (microbial-rennet)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Step: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, then drain and set aside, reserving a cup of pasta water for later adjustments.
- Step: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until it’s deeply browned and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes), then carefully drain off excess fat.
- Step: Add the minced garlic to the browned beef and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Step: Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low, simmering gently for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the grated Parmesan cheese in batches, stirring constantly until melted. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Step: Add the cooked pasta to the Alfredo sauce and toss gently to coat, cooking together for 1-2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Step: Divide the pasta into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
For best results, use 80/20 ground beef. Ensure the heat is reduced to low before adding the cheese to prevent the sauce from becoming grainy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 375 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg