Creamy Dirty Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 12 oz spaghetti
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 green bell pepper (diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 0.75 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 0.5 tsp chili powder
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 0.5 cup grated Parmesan
• 0.5 cup pasta water (reserved)
• water (for boiling spaghetti; salted, amount not specified)
• salt (for salting the pasta water; amount not specified)
• Parmesan (extra, for serving)
• fresh parsley (optional, for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Finely dice the onion and bell peppers. Remove the pepper stems, seeds, and white ribs. Mince the garlic.

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 9–11 minutes, or until al dente.

3. 3

   Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain the spaghetti.

4. 4

   Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.

5. 5

   Drain any excess grease from the skillet. Add olive oil if needed, as indicated in the ingredient list.

6. 6

   Stir in the diced onion and bell peppers. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.

7. 7

   Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

8. 8

   Mix in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute.

9. 9

   Pour in the beef broth and simmer for 3 minutes, scraping up the flavorful browned bits from the skillet.

10. 10

    Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream.

11. 11

    Stir in the grated Parmesan and cook for 1–2 minutes, until melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.

12. 12

    Add the drained spaghetti and toss for 2–3 minutes, until completely coated in the creamy beef sauce.

13. 13

    If needed, add a little reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

14. 14

    Serve hot with extra Parmesan or fresh parsley on top.

15. 15

    Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

The source lists approximately 590 calories per serving. It does not specify how much olive oil is needed, or amounts for the optional serving toppings. Salt for the pasta water is mentioned but not quantified.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• comfort food
• creamy
• beef
• stovetop
• family-friendly