Homemade Beefaroni
Easy homemade beefaroni on the stovetop: ground beef browned with onion and garlic, simmered in a seasoned tomato sauce, tossed with cavatappi or elbow macaroni and finished with cheddar and mozzarella melted under the lid. One pot, about 45 minutes, and it feeds six.
Ingredients
For the Sauce and Pasta
- 12 oz cavatappi or elbow macaroni cavatappi pictured
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef 85 percent lean
- 24 oz tomato sauce plain canned, not marinara
- 1 cup beef broth low sodium
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika optional
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and black pepper 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus salt for the pasta water
Cheese and Garnish
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated from a block
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese low-moisture, shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Equipment
- Dutch oven or deep skillet
- Large pot
- Spoon
- Colander
- Baking dish or oven-safe pot (optional)
Instructions
Cook the Pasta
- Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain and set aside.
Make the Meat Sauce
- Soften the onion. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and just turning gold. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned with no pink left. Spoon off any fat beyond a tablespoon or two.
- Add the sauce. Pour in the tomato sauce and beef broth, then add the Italian seasoning, paprika, Worcestershire, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Simmer. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook gently for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough that a spoon leaves a trail across the pot. Taste and adjust the salt.
Combine
- Add the pasta. Tip the drained pasta into the sauce.
- Stir to coat. Stir until every piece of pasta is coated in sauce, then spread it level in the pot.
Melt the Cheese and Serve
- Melt the cheese. Scatter the cheddar and mozzarella evenly over the top, cover, and leave over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and glossy. Do not stir it in. For a browned top, broil for 2 to 3 minutes instead.
- Serve. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve hot from the pot.
Notes
Pictured: made with cavatappi, the corkscrew pasta, in an oval cast-iron pot. Elbow macaroni is the classic shape and cooks the same way; shells, rotini and small penne also work.
Make ahead: the sauce keeps 3 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen. Reheat it with a splash of broth, cook the pasta fresh and finish with the cheese. The assembled dish, without cheese, keeps 2 days; reheat covered with a splash of broth, then add the cheese.
Storage: refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days and reheat with a spoonful of water or broth. Freeze for up to 2 months without the parsley and thaw overnight before reheating.
Substitutions: ground turkey or chicken with an extra tablespoon of oil; Monterey Jack, Colby, Gouda or pepper jack for either cheese; a gluten-free short pasta, and check the Worcestershire label for malt vinegar.
Doneness: the beef browned with no pink left, the sauce thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail across the pot, and the cheese glossy and stretching after 3 to 4 minutes under the lid.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1030mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 850IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 320mg | Iron: 4.3mg