Creamy Cheesy Beef Rigatoni

Ingredients

• 2.25 lb ground beef
• 16 oz rigatoni pasta
• 16 oz Velveeta cheese (cubed)
• 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup (1 can)
• 10 oz Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies (1 can, undrained)
• 1 cup pasta water (reserved from boiling pasta; optional, for thinning the sauce)
• 1 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for extra flavor and color)
• 1 tomato (small, finely diced for garnish)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro (chopped, for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

2. 2

   In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease.

3. 3

   Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cubed Velveeta cheese, softened cream cheese, and the can of cream of chicken soup to the skillet with the beef.

4. 4

   Pour in the undrained can of Rotel tomatoes.

5. 5

   Season the mixture with black pepper and smoked paprika.

6. 6

   Stir the mixture constantly until the cheeses are completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, stir in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached.

7. 7

   Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet and toss thoroughly to ensure every piece of pasta is well-coated in the cheese sauce.

8. 8

   Garnish with the finely diced fresh tomato and chopped parsley or cilantro before serving warm.

Notes

For a spicier kick, use the 'Hot' variety of Rotel. The pasta water is key for achieving a silky sauce that doesn't seize up.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• pasta
• beef
• cheesy
• comfort food
• one-pot meal