Enjoy our Ground Beef and Spinach Pasta! A satisfying weeknight dinner that combines rich flavors and nutritious ingredients in just 40 minutes. Perfect for the whole family!
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This Ground Beef and Spinach Pasta recipe is a staple in our household, originally inspired by a Hello Fresh dish we made when postpartum with our first son (side note: highly recommend a meal service if you need a push to get back in the kitchen after a baby).
A perfect weeknight meal, it has carbs from the pasta to keep you full, protein from the beef, vitamins and nutrients from the veggies, and cheese to make it extra delicious!
Ready in about 40 minutes, this is a wholesome dinner you will come back to again and again!
Ingredients
- Farfalle pasta - or similar sized pasta
- salted water for cooking pasta
- olive oil
- ground beef - we've also tried ground venison and think ground turkey would be delicious for a lighter meal
- onion
- bell pepper - any color!
- frozen spinach - we've also made it with kale, just make sure it is fully wilted as it may take more time than spinach
- butter
- tomato paste
- Italian Seasoning - or a mixture of basil, oregano, and thyme
- Ricotta cheese - we've also tried cream cheese
- Greek yogurt - or sour cream
- Parmesan cheese - shredded, not the green bottle
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a cast iron skillet and brown the ground beef until cooked through. Remove from pan and drain, leaving as much fat as possible.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and frozen spinach to the same pan and cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Once the pasta is drained, heat half the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add tomato paste and seasoning and cook 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, ½ cup reserved pasta water, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat.
- Thoroughly stir together all ingredients. Enjoy!
Hint: The pasta water helps keep the spinach pasta from getting too dry. Be sure to gradually add the pasta water to ensure your dish doesn't get too watery though.
Kitchen tools you'll need
The only tools you need for this bowtie pasta with spinach recipe are a large pot or dutch oven and a skillet. We love a cast iron skillet!
How we like to serve it
This beef and spinach pasta is delicious topped with shredded parmesan (Liz's favorite) or green-bottled grated parmesan (Kyle's favorite), freshly cracked pepper, and chopped green onion.
It's a full and filling meal on its own, however, if we were to pair it with a side, we would choose another veggie like our Roasted Asparagus!
Storage
- Storage - This beef spinach pasta can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating - Reheat in a pan on the stove or the microwave. We like to add a splash of water to the pasta when reheating to keep the pasta from drying out.
- Can you freeze this spinach pasta? - You can freeze this pasta, but the texture of the noodles could be a little mushy. If you do freeze it, reheat and enjoy within 3 months.
What to pair with this:
Here are some delicious dishes to serve with spinach pasta:
Ground Beef and Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounce Farfalle pasta (bow tie or similar sized pasta)
- Water for cooking pasta
- Salt for pasta water, about 1 tsp
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 8 ounce frozen spinach
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ cup Ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1 ½ cup reserved pasta water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot or Dutch oven of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to the box directions until al dente - reserve 1 ½ cups of pasta cooking water when draining.
- While the water comes to a boil, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef until cooked through about 4-6 minutes. Transfer beef to a paper towel lined plate leaving as much fat in the pan as possible.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and frozen spinach to the pan with reserved beef fat and cook over medium-high heat until onion and bell pepper are tender and the spinach is thawed and bright green, about 5-7 minutes. Take off the heat.
- Once the pasta is drained, heat 1 tablespoon butter in the pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once warmed, add tomato paste and Italian seasoning and cook until dark red, 1-2 minutes. Stir in ricotta cheese, greek yogurt, parmesan cheese, ½ cup reserved pasta water (don’t pour out the rest), and salt and pepper (to taste) until thoroughly combined. Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in ground beef, spinach mixture, remaining butter, ¼ cup pasta water, and pasta into the sauce until combined. If it seems dry, add the remaining pasta water gradually until you get your desired consistency.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!