One-Pot Creamy Beef and Zucchini Pasta
Weeknight comfort food rarely gets easier or more satisfying than this one-pot beef and bow tie pasta. Hearty ground beef, tender zucchini, and crisp bell peppers simmer directly with dry pasta in a rich, herb-infused tomato broth, letting the farfalle absorb deep, savory flavor from the inside out. A quick swirl of cream cheese at the end melts into a velvety pink sauce that clings to every fold of the pasta. It delivers all the rich, cozy flavor of a slow-baked pasta skillet in under 40 minutes, with only a single Dutch oven to clean.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons Italian herb seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into thin half-moon slices
12 ounces bow tie pasta, or any short pasta shape
1/2 cup cream cheese, such as Philadelphia®, at room temperature
grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish (optional)
lemon wedges (optional)
Directions
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add olive oil. When olive oil shimmers, add onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in ground beef, and cook until browned, breaking up into small bits, about 5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking until there is no more pink in the meat, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and cook for about a minute, then add diced tomatoes and juice, chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce, and stir well. Add zucchini and bring to a boil.
Stir in pasta. When the pot returns to a boil, use the back of the spoon to submerge the pasta and zucchini. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Continue pressing the pasta down to submerge it, cover, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
Stir in cream cheese until fully incorporated into the sauce.
To serve, top each serving with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve warm, with lemon wedges.
Cook’s Note
The pasta may not cook as quickly in the sauce as it would in water. Check for doneness at 1 minute less than the minimum time on the package, and again, until the pasta reaches the al dente stage.
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