Angel Hair Pasta with Ground Beef

Name: Angel Hair Pasta with Ground Beef
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb of extra lean ground beef; 8 oz of angel hair pasta; 1 ½ cup pasta sauce; 1 medium onion (diced); 4 cloves of garlic (chopped); 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley; 2 tbsp. avocado oil; ½ tsp. salt or to taste; ¼ tsp. black pepper or to taste; 2 quarts of water and 1/2 tbsp. salt to cook the pasta; Olives and dry parsley for garnish

This angel hair pasta recipe with ground beef is simple and full of flavor. You make this scrumptious, easy dinner recipe with extra lean ground beef, onion, garlic, and herbs in no time.

Angel hair pasta with ground beef served on a white plate.

Once you try this quick angel hair pasta with ground beef recipe, you will make it over and over again. This mouthwatering dinner dish has lots of protein and other simple healthy ingredients to keep you full and nourished after a long workday.

This angel hair pasta with ground beef recipe is the best pasta recipe I have enjoyed ever since I was a little girl with my family and friends. You are going to love this pasta in meat sauce too!

Ingredients

Ground beef. I used extra lean ground beef. Use any meat you have on hand. Ground chicken and turkey work too. Any leftovers can be used up in my tasty smashed burger tacos.
Angel hair pasta. I used regular angel hair pasta. You may use any other pasta, such as whole wheat pasta, either small or medium size pasta. Cook them according to the instructions on the package.
Pasta sauce. I used store-bought pasta sauce for convenience. You may use fresh or canned tomatoes to make a sauce. Cook tomatoes well through and mash them. You may even use tomato paste diluted in water to make a sauce.
Onion and garlic. They add lots of flavors to the dish.
Cilantro and parsley. Use any other herbs you like the best; basil, thyme, rosemary. oregano, chives, or tarregan. Either fresh or dry. If you are using dry ones, use half the amount used in the recipe.
Olives. Adds a surprise salty bite to the dish. Use parmesan cheese instead.
Oil. As needed. I used avocado oil. You may use olive oil.
Seasonings. Salt and pepper. Use other spices you like too.
Water. To cook the angel hair pasta.

Instructions

Step 1. Prepare the pasta water. Bring water to a rolling boil in a larger pot (~5-quart pot) and add salt to it.

Step 2. Saute onion and garlic. Meanwhile, add oil to a skillet and saute onion and garlic over medium-high heat till soft and start to brown.

Chopped onion and garlic on a cast iron skillet.

Step 3. Saute ground beef. Then add the ground beef and saute until all the liquid is released and starts to brown. Then season it with salt and black pepper and add the chopped cilantro and parsley.

Step 4. Cook the pasta. Add the angel hair pasta to the seasoned boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.

angel hair pasta is boiling in a hot water.

Step 5. Add pasta sauce. Add pasta sauce and stir around. Let them cook for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

All the ingredients are cooked and ready to mix with cooked angel hair pasta.

Step 6. Drain the pasta and stir in. Add all the pasta to the skillet, and incorporate the ingredients well. Then, let them cook for a few minutes or until most sauce is absorbed by the pasta.

cooked angel hair pasta and pasta sauce with ground beef on a skillet.

angel hair pasta with ground beef is cooking.

angel hair pasta with ground beef is garnished with olives.

Step 7. Garnish and serve. Garnish it with some olives and parsley flakes, and serve it hot. ENJOY!

angel hair pasta with ground beef is served on a white plate.

Tips

Do not overcook the angel hair pasta. 3 minutes is enough for this thin pasta.
Use other types of pasta. All will taste great no matter what! Use the instructions on the package to cook the pasta.
Season the water with salt. Seasoning water with salt before adding the pasta to it ensures to maximizes the flavor of the pasta.
Make a double batch of the meat sauce. Make a double batch and save it in the fridge or freeze it for another easy dinner using angel hair pasta and meat sauce.
Saute ground beef evenly. When sauteing ground beef, make sure it does not form big clumps.
Stretch the recipe. I only used half a box of angel hair pasta to make the recipe low-carb. Use whole the box to stretch this dish for more servings.

Substitutions and variations

Use other sources of proteins. Make this angel hair pasta with cooked chicken, shrimp, sausage, tofu, eggs, or beans.
Make it creamy. Turn this recipe into a creamy angel hair pasta with ground beef by adding 1/2 cup of sour cream, plain whole milk yogurt, heavy cream, or soft cheese in step 5.
Omit meat. Make it as a side dish with no meat in it.
Add in vegetables. adding sauteed zucchini, sweet cherry tomatoes, peppers, or mixed vegetables like peas, corn, beans, and carrots is a great way to stretch the dish and make it even more nutritious.
Make this dish vegetarian and vegan. Substitute meat with cooked sauteed vegetables such as mushroom, and eggplant. Tofu, beans, chickpeas, or lentils are other options.
Use other garnishes. Garnish it with toasted nuts, seeds, or some parmesan cheese.
Make it into soup or casserole. You may even turn this recipe into angel hair pasta with ground beef soup (cook pasta in broth) or casserole (add cheese and bake it).
Use other spices and herbs. Make this dish with spices and herbs of your preference.
Make it hot and spicy. Use red pepper flakes, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
Substitute pasta. You may substitute the pasta with rice, couscous, quinoa, or potatoes.
Use other tools. Cook this recipe in an instant pot, crock pot, or slow cooker.
Make it one pot meal. If you are short on time, you may cook the angel hair pasta in the final sauce by adding about a cup of broth/stock or water. Bring it to a boil and cover it to cook over medium-low heat.

Equipment

I used a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Everything tastes extra delicious when cooked in cast-iron cookware.
5-quart pot to boil pasta.

Storage and reheat

Store the angel hair pasta with ground beef in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 days. Heat it through low and slow on a stovetop or microwave it. I do not recommend freezing it since this pasta is too thin and can easily get soft and mushy.

How to serve it

Serve angel hair pasta with ground beef on its own with a garnish of olives, parmesan cheese, or cherry tomatoes. Serve it with a fresh spring salad or fermented vegetables. Roasted garlic sesame green beans and keto broccoli cauliflower salad are other great options.

I hope you get to try my favorite angel hair pasta recipe with meat sauce. Angel hair pasta with ground beef is a comforting and versatile dish that is so easy and quick to make. Let me know how you did it! I love to hear from you!

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FAQ

Is angel hair pasta just spaghetti?

Angel hair pasta is a type of long and thin noodle like spaghetti. However, angel hair pasta is super fine and much more delicate compared to spaghetti and cooks super fast.

Should you rinse angel hair pasta?

For cold dishes such as pasta salad you may. But for warm dishes, you do not.
To keep angel hair pasta from sticking together when cooked, make sure your pot is large enough and bring water to a rolling boil. Then adding one tablespoon of oil to the pasta water along with salt helps. Also, make sure the sauce is ready at the same time as the pasta is ready so that you incorporate them immediately while everything is warm.

How do you make angel hair pasta not mushy?

Use a right size pot to boil the pasta. Not too big, not too small. For example, To cook 1 lb of angel hair pasta, you need to add 1 tablespoon salt to 1 gallon of water in a 5- quart pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Then, add the pasta and bring it back to boil, and cook it for 3 minutes al dente or according to the package instructions.