20-Minute Cheesy Tomato Smash Pasta

Ingredients

• 8 oz pasta
• olive oil (a little, for cooking)
• 6 tomatoes (slice the bottoms off)
• 1 yellow onion (diced)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 garlic (cloves, minced)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.5 cup fresh parsley (chopped; add after stirring in the spices, according to the transcript)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 0.75 cup mozzarella (shredded)
• 0.75 cup cheddar (shredded)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. 2

   Heat a little olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

3. 3

   Slice the bottoms off the tomatoes and arrange them around the outside of the pan. Add the diced onion to the middle.

4. 4

   Cover the pan and cook for about 8 minutes, until the tomatoes and onion have softened.

5. 5

   Uncover the pan. Push the onions to the side and add the ground beef. Break it apart and cook until browned.

6. 6

   Peel away the tomato skins, then crush the softened tomatoes directly into the pan.

7. 7

   Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, paprika, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.

8. 8

   Add the mozzarella and cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted and creamy.

9. 9

   Stir in the chopped parsley.

10. 10

    Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Give everything a final stir.

11. 11

    Cover the pan for about 3 minutes, then serve hot.

Notes

The description’s final written step is cut off after “Toss in your cooked”; the transcript supplies the remaining actions: add parsley, toss in pasta, stir, cover for about 3 minutes, and serve. Olive oil and the salt for the pasta water are unquantified; the source does not specify an amount for either.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• weeknight
• quick
• cheesy
• beef
• stovetop