About This Recipe
Lean ground beef, sautéed bell peppers and onion, basil, and a garlicky tomato sauce with cavatelli and parmesan cheese.
Instructions
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Mix the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, and ¼ cup of water together. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and peppers. Toss to evenly coat in the oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the veggies start to soften and brown in spots. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Start cooking the pasta at this step. Cook until just shy of al dente (1-2 minutes shorter than the recommended cook time on the pasta's packaging.)
- Add the beef to the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on one side until nicely browned. Use a spatula to break the beef apart and fully cook.
- Add the mixed sauce to the cooked beef, stirring until evenly incorporated. Fold in the basil with the beef and cook until wilted, another 1-2 minutes.
- Toss the veggies with the beef and keep warm until the pasta is ready.
- Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the rest. Add the cooked pasta and parmesan to the beef and peppers. Fold everything together, adding a couple tablespoons of the reserved pasta water at a time, until a smooth sauce forms. (I used about 2/3 cup of pasta water.)
- Salt to taste before serving. Garnish with extra grated parmesan, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
💡 Notes & Tips
- Feel free to use any type of mince, pasta shape, or variety of bell peppers.
- You can use other veggies like broccolini or sauces like Calabrian chili balsamic.
- Other garnish ideas include big dollops of part skim ricotta cheese and a few teaspoons of chopped Calabrian chili peppers, fresh chopped basil, chili flakes, or pan toasted breadcrumbs (panko + olive oil).
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