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A close-up of Creamy High Protein Beef Pasta, featuring rigatoni noodles coated in a rich sauce with ground beef, garnished with fresh parsley.

Creamy High Protein Beef Pasta

A simple and satisfying pasta dish with ground beef in a creamy sauce. This recipe uses Greek yogurt to increase the protein content and create a rich texture.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Pasta
  • 300 g penne or rigatoni pasta
For the Sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 500 g lean ground beef
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 250 ml beef broth
  • 200 g plain Greek yogurt full-fat is best
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large skillet
  • Colander

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain any excess fat.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
  4. Remove the skillet from the heat. Let it cool for a minute, then stir in the Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper until the sauce is smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
  5. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss to combine everything. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 610kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 42gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 650mgPotassium: 800mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 150mgIron: 4mg

Notes

For extra flavor, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic. You can also stir in a cup of fresh spinach at the end until it wilts.

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