This rich and creamy skillet pasta is a hearty one pan pasta dish of linguine with vegetables and meat sauce smothered in cheese, all ready in under 30 minutes!
*Please note* this post was originally posted in 2017. I’ve since redone the text but the recipe remains the same.
Growing up, I was a pretty picky eater. I disliked most meat (WAY too much effort to chew), and I didn’t particularly care for vegetables, unless I had pulled it fresh from the dirt of our garden. If you had asked me back then what my favourite meal was, or what meal I would request as a birthday dinner, it would have been spaghetti, hands down. PLAIN spaghetti. No meat sauce, no tomato sauce, just plain old spaghetti with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. I loved to eat spaghetti!!
I can remember being disgusted by my brother and parents pouring tomato sauce all over their spaghetti – why would you ruin something so perfectly delicious!? And meat sauce? Now that was just downright gross. Funny how our tastes change….
While I admit I still occasionally crave a bowl of spaghetti with just butter and cheese, I am happy to say I’m a converted spaghett-erian. Bring on the meat sauce, the cheese, and heck, let’s throw some diced veggies in there too!
What is skillet pasta?
I know I’m a big proclaimer of favourites, but without seeming too disingenuous, I can tell you that this one pan pasta I’m about to share with you IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES!! It’s so good! The sauce is so utterly creamy, thanks to a slow simmer of all the ingredients. The broiled cheese on top is the perfect accompaniment to a rich and filling pasta dish. And the best part? It’s all done IN ONE PAN!! One pan to clean. ONE! No pasta in one, sautéed veggies in another, meat sauce in another…just one big ol’ skillet. Oh, and you can whip this meal up in under 30 minutes. WIN!
My vegetables of choice in this dish include bell peppers, mushrooms, and spinach, but you can certainly customize the veggies to your liking. I’ve used a jarred marinara sauce (I know, I know – sometimes I buy my pasta sauce), but you can use whatever tomato sauce you’d like, as long as it’s about 650 mL.
I use my 10″ cast iron skillet for this recipe, but you can use any dish as long as it’s deep enough to contain all of the ingredients and is oven-safe.
How do you make skillet pasta?
Browning the beef is the first place to start. Once there is no pink left, you can move on to dumping in the sauce and broth along with the veggies (sans spinach) and linguine. I find it easier to work with the noodles if I break them in half first. Everything simmers for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles and vegetables are soft.
The spinach gets added at the end; stir it in until the leaves have just wilted. Then top everything with cheese and stick the skillet under the broiler for a few minutes!
I like to throw some fresh basil on top of the cheese once the skillet comes out of the oven. Get that pan on the table and dish away!
Ooey, gooey, spaghetti perfection – even if my 7 year old self would strongly disagree!
If you like easy, quick meals, you’ll LOVE my other 30 minute meals!
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Skillet Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Description
This rich and creamy skillet pasta is a hearty one pan pasta dish of linguine with vegetables and meat sauce smothered in cheese, all ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 jar pasta sauce (650 mL)
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup white mushrooms, diced
- 7 oz linguine noodles (I used whole wheat)
- 2 cups spinach, loosely packed
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
Instructions
- In a deep, oven-safe skillet, brown the beef over medium heat until there is no pink left. Drain, return to skillet and add the Italian seasoning, stirring.
- Add the diced vegetables (except for spinach), the linguine (broken in half), the jar of pasta sauce and the beef broth. Stir to combine, and while ensuring the noodles are fully submerged, bring the sauce to a boil. Simmer steadily for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles and vegetables are soft.
- Turn the oven broil on high. Add the spinach to the skillet, and stir just until the leaves are wilted. Scatter the top of the dish with both cheeses, and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheeses are melted and slightly browned. Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Once cooled, leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: skillet
- Cuisine: american
Keywords: skillet pasta // pasta in a pan // ground beef pasta skillet recipes
Pin this dish for your next busy weeknight!
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Thats a big skillet of comfort! Pinned
That’s exactly how I would describe it too!! Thanks Patrick!!
That cheese is killing me! This looks beyond delicious 😊 Have a great week, Katherine!
Oh thank you Kelsie!! I can’t get enough cheese. Hope you have a great week too!! XO
Looks delicious!
Thank you!!! 🙂 It’s so good!
LOVE how simple and delicious this is! A perfect dinner for busy weeknights. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Karly! It’s definitely a great weeknight go-to meal. Cheers!
This is pretty ingenious not to mention pure comfort food. I love that the pasta is not cooked separately and one pan really does mean one pan. That gooey cheese gets me every time!! Pinned. Take care.
One pan really does mean one pan! It’s life changing!! Thank you so much Stacey – I hope you get a chance to try it out!! 🙂
let’s be real, most of the time eating meat is still a hassle (; so i love the sound of ground beef in this one!
My kids sound like the old you when it comes to pasta and red sauce! haha The only way they’ll eat it is if it’s a cheesy bake like this. This looks heavenly and I need to make it!
Haha, that’s too bad! I hope they like the bake – and that their tastes become a little more adventurous with time 😉
I could eat that off the screen! As a child I was not a fan of vegetables either. Which was not a good thing as I was a vegetarian haha. But if they were pulled out of the ground, well then that did make a difference.
I think that must be a common theme among kids!! A vegetarian who doesn’t like vegetables?! Haha too funny. Straight from the ground is definitely the way to go though!!
This is deliciously, mouth-watering, amazing!!! Pinning and drooling at the same time! 😀 Yes, I am multi-tasking! LOL
That’s some good multi-tasking Kim!! Haha thanks so much! I hope you love it!
LOL, my parents took me and my 3 younger sisters to an Italian restaurant when we were kids. I ordered first: plain noodles. Then my sisters followed suit! Should have eaten at home 🙂 But, like you, I grew out of that phase and would be thrilled with your skillet pasta!
Oh my gosh that’s funny!! At least it was probably an affordable meal for your parents (although a little disappointing). Thankfully almost all of us grow out of that phase! Thanks Liz!
That’s one comforting skillet!!! So simple yet screams deliciousness, perfect weeknight meal. Love it Kathy:)
It’s sooo warm and comforting – I think it’s all the cheese 😉 Thank you Maria!!
My family would have thrown me out of the house if I asked for plain spaghetti! Hahaha! Your photos make me want to grab a big serving spoon and a loaf of garlic bread, then I’d go downstairs to the basement and eat that whole skillet by myself. Not kidding, I don’t think I could share this beauty. Also, love your creative pic of the dry noodles standing up with the veggies in the back. Nice girl!!
Hahah hilarious. It is crazy to think that’s how I preferred my spaghetti. I think you have a terrific plan going on there – I hope you get a chance to try it out and enjoy it allll by yourself. Thanks lady!! That shot took me like 20 times haha
It is funny how our tastebuds change over time. This skillet dish looks yummy and perfect for dinner 🙂
Thanks Kelly!! It’s a great one for dinner – we make it a lot!
Although being a food blogger I’ve tried many pasta combinations(sometimes even a little insane). Still, once in a while, when you don’t feel like eating fancy, there’s nothing better than pasta and some cheese:) Well, forget about simplicity. Right now I’d like to get a huge bowl of this beauty:)
You definitely take the cake when it comes to new and exciting pasta combinations!! It’s so true though, sometimes you just need something comforting and simple. Thanks Ben!
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I love my skillet!! I am making this tonight!!!!
Thank you!
★★★★★
Yay! I love my skillet too. Thanks! Let me know how it turns out for you!
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