Hearty Penne Beef

Name: Hearty Penne Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 1-3/4 cups uncooked penne pasta; 1 pound ground beef; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth; 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 cups chopped fresh spinach; 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

This is comfort food at its finest! The best of everything is found here—it's tasty, easy and a great way to sneak some spinach in for extra nutrition. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wiscinsin

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomato puree, broth, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add spinach; cook for 1-2 minutes or until wilted.
Drain pasta; stir into beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Freeze option: Freeze cooled pasta mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 482 calories, 20g fat (10g saturated fat), 88mg cholesterol, 1001mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 41g protein.

Originally published as Beef and Pasta Bake in Simple & Delicious September/October 2008

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Katukas7

Jun 1, 2016

Love it!
ooh!

Mar 10, 2016

Very good! We make this often in our home!
mother of 3

Dec 30, 2015

:( My DH didn't care for it. So disappointed. :(
kmolina6

Dec 20, 2015

I would have given this recipe 5 stars if the taste hadn't been a tad on the bland side. I will make it again by using half ground beef,and half spicy Italian sausage,and less beef broth. I am confident that will do the trick to make it a recipe staple at my house. :)
Parkhart

Dec 10, 2015

This is excellent! Based on other suggestions, I reduced the beef broth to 1/2 can and added 1/2 onion and 2 cups mushrooms. We will be eating this again!
katlaydee3

Oct 5, 2015

This made a very quick and easy one pot dinner. I also found a way around the watery problem that other people discussed. I simply increased the heat from a simmer to medium and allowed it to cook for about 20 minutes til thickened.
fkelley69

Jul 1, 2015

I feel that there was some confusion about the pasta being cooked or not cooked before adding all ingredients together. I would change how much broth and puree I would use since I cooked the pasta, and add I would add some onions and mushrooms next time I make it. The sauce was fantastic and the "Huney" said it tasted good.
ojc0806

Apr 6, 2015

Great recipe! I made it exactly like stated in the recipe.
Igraine32

Feb 16, 2015

I Like this recipe because of the spinach addition. Anything toil make it a bit healthier and get some greens into my kid is a good thing. Everyone enjoyed this, but I did do some tweaking, because one can tell it would be fairly bland without a bit of help. First off, the amount of pasta is fine. Remember this is uncooked pasta, so the amount doubles when cooked. YSou do not want more pasta, because that would mean less sauce. I added an onion an a shallot I just happened to have to the beef, doubled the garlic and instead of a whole can of broth, I did about 4oz of broth and 4oz of red wine. Smelled fantastic. Also don't forget as a cook, you should always salt at every level, not just add the tiny amount to the sauce. So that helps with the seasoning of the dish.
Cookin4myHubby

Jan 16, 2015

After reading everyone's notes I decided to do a little adjusting. I was in need of a fast dinner with few ingredients for a meal for 4 adults.4 cups of penne pasta, 1 pound beef, granulated garlic, salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasoning, 1 (24oz) can of Garlic & Herb pasta sauce, 1/2 (15oz) can of beef broth, and 2 cups of mozzarella, 2 cups fresh of sliced mushrooms, 2 cups fresh chopped spinach...The dish turned out very good and we had left overs!