This easy 30-minute creamy Beef Pumpkin Pasta is decadent, satisfying, and full of flavor and protein from fresh rosemary, garlic, and juicy ground beef. It’s a super easy one-pan pumpkin pasta recipe that everyone will love, so make sure you save it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There’s a lot to love about this creamy beef pumpkin pasta recipe, such as:
- The entire dish comes together in just 30 minutes! If you like quick and easy dinners, try this Beef And Broccoli Stir Fry (Gluten Free / Whole30 / Paleo)
- It’s a one-pot dish, which means fewer dirty dishes to clean up! Just like my One-Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
- The pasta is coated in a nutrient-rich pumpkin sauce that’s naturally creamy but not too heavy.
- Lean ground beef adds tons of protein to this easy dinner, so it’s guaranteed to be satisfying, just like my Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe
What Goes Into This One-Pan Pasta Recipe
Here’s what you need for this easy ground beef pasta recipe:
- Olive Oil. Make sure it’s good-quality extra-virgin
- Onion and garlic. These add a delicious and can’t-miss flavor base.
- Rosemary. If you can’t find fresh rosemary, use a teaspoon of dried.
- Tomato paste. This is packed with umami and concentrated tomato flavor.
- Ground beef. I recommend using lean beef, such as 90% lean.
- Pasta. I use Tubetti pasta, but any short-cut dried pasta works great.
- Broth. You can use vegetable or beef broth for extra beefy flavor.
- Pumpkin puree. Be sure to use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!
- Mascarpone cheese. This will enrich your creamy pasta so well.
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Parmesan. You can use this as a garnish on top, or swap with pecorino romano cheese.
Ingredient Swaps
If you don’t have every item on the ingredient list, here are some easy swaps for this one-pan pasta recipe:
- You can swap the minced beef for crumbled sausage, diced pancetta, or even diced fresh mushrooms.
- Instead of mascarpone, you can use cream cheese, ricotta, or store-bought red pesto.
- Try swapping the pumpkin puree for butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree.
- You can substitute Tubetti pasta for any of your favorite short-cut pasta like penne, macaroni, or farfalle.
- Or, try substituting the pasta for gnocchi, ravioli, or tortellini. This kind of pasta will cook faster, though, so make sure you adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions.
- At the very end of cooking, you could stir in some chopped spinach or kale, for a healthy spin.
- To make this creamy pumpkin pasta vegetarian, replace the meat with hearty veggies like steamed cauliflower florets or pan-fried zucchini.
How to Make this Easy Ground Beef Pasta Recipe
The great thing about this ground beef pasta recipe is that you’ll only need one pot and a wooden spoon.
Start by heating the oil in your skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and rosemary, and cook them for about 1-2 minutes, until they’re starting to soften and smell great.
Next, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the tomato pasta starts to darken a bit. Then add the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break it up into small crumbles as it cooks.
When the meat is no longer pink, stir in the pasta, broth, and water. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a medium-low to maintain a simmer. Continue to cook until the pasta is tender, about 12-14 minutes, but be sure to check the package instructions for the best cooking time.
During the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the pumpkin puree and mascarpone cheese and season the dish to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the pasta with grated parmesan cheese on top, and enjoy!
FAQ
Any dry short-cut pasta is great for this recipe, like penne, fusilli, rotelle, or ziti. You could also use fresh pasta, such as gnocchi or tortellini, but be sure to cook according to the package instructions.
To store leftovers, divide the pasta into single-serving air-tight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing cooked pasta as its texture will get mushy.
Try serving this creamy beef pumpkin pasta with a fresh salad like this bacon avocado greek salad or this cold green bean salad to balance out the richness of the pasta.
NO, I do not recommend freezing cooked pasta! However, you can make the beef-pumpkin sauce and freeze it, for up to 3 months.
To cook, reheat the sauce on the stove and add 1 cup of stock or broth. Then add your pasta and cook it in the sauce. Alternatively, you can cook the pasta in salty water as the sauce reheats, and combine them. YUM!
Yes, to make this pumpkin pasta recipe fully plant-based, simply skip the meat or substitute it with small chopped mushrooms. Then to make it dairy-free, substitute the cheese for a vegan version, or just leave it out.
Yes! replace the pasta with a gluten-free version!
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use a Dutch oven or a high-rimmed skillet, as you’ll need some space to fit the sauce and pasta inside. I recommend using a heavy bottom pot as it distributes the heat more evenly.
- It’s helpful to keep a cup of water on hand. You might need to use it to loosen the sauce if it’s too thick.
- VERY IMPORTANT! While the pasta cooks in the sauce, be sure to keep stirring it the entire time, reaching all the way to the bottom of the pan to prevent it from sticking. It sticks like crazy if left unattended! And don’t be afraid to add a splash of water if things get sticky.
- If you’re using a different type of pasta than I used, the recipe might need more or less liquid. As long as you keep a close eye on it, you’ll know when the pasta absorbs the liquid and needs more.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Garlic Shrimp Scampi With Angel Hair Pasta
- Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe
- Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta With Tomatoes
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Creamy Beef Pumpkin Pasta
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion - finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic - pressed or minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves - finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (30g) tomato paste
- 1 lb (453g) lean ground beef
- 12 oz (350g) Tubetti pasta - or any dried short-cut pasta of choice
- 4 cups (960ml) vegetable or beef broth
- 1 cup (240ml) water - to add if needed
- 1/2 15oz/445g can pumpkin purée
- 1/4 cup (58g) mascarpone cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated parmesan cheese - for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and rosemary for about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the meat and mince it with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Once the meat is no longer pink, add in the pasta, broth and water. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender, about 12-14 minutes.
- In the last 2 minutes, stir in the pumpkin puree, mascarpone cheese and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the pasta with grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
- The most important thing is to continuously stir the pasta after you add it to the pot. If it sticks to the bottom, it can burn easily.
- You’ll also want to keep a glass of water nearby as you cook, and add a splash as necessary to loosen up the sauce and prevent sticking.
- You can use any short-cut pasta, including gnocchi or another fresh pasta, but if you use fresh pasta, you’ll need to shorten the cooking time according to the package instructions.
- Do not freeze the cooked pasta, it will become mushy when you defrost it. But you can freeze the sauce and cook the pasta in the sauce when you defrost it on the stove.
- This is delicious topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, or a dash of fresh rosemary.
- To make it vegan, skip the meat or replace it with small chopped mushrooms, and use a vegan cheese.
Nutrition
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