Ground Beef and Veggie Shells

This macro-friendly Ground Beef and Veggie Shell Pasta is made with lean ground beef, tender pasta shells, and a medley of sautéed vegetables. It’s a family-friendly meal that comes together in just 30 minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights.

About This Recipe

Any time I’m trying to come up with a recipe that I know will be a winner with my kids, I can pretty much always default to pasta. 

This Ground Beef and Veggie Shells recipe is a creamy, cheesy, beefy pasta that easily sneaks in a few veggies and still packs a pretty protein punch. 

The best part of this recipe is that you can totally customize it to what you have on hand! Use any pasta you have in the pantry, your favorite marinara, or use this recipe to clean out all those extra veggies in the fridge. 

For more easy weeknight dinners, try my Creamy Tomato Butternut Skillet Lasagna, Instant Pot Pork Ragu, or (No Noodle) Easy Lasagna Soup.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pasta: I love to use shell pasta for this recipe because it catches all the sauce, ground beef, and veggie bits in every bite. However, any short pasta will work great, so use what you have on hand. You can also use whole wheat, gluten-free, or protein pasta if you prefer.
• Marinara: Use your favorite jarred marinara (or homemade). Rao’s marinara is my go-to for great flavor with simple ingredients and no added sugar.
• Low-fat cottage cheese: The secret ingredient to making this pasta creamy and cheesy while keeping it macro-friendly! Plus, it also adds protein!
• Basil paste: One of my favorite kitchen shortcuts! Perfect for adding basil flavor to any sauces or dressings. You can normally find the basil paste in the produce aisle. 
• Parmesan cheese: I always recommend using freshly shredded cheese if possible! 
• Veggies: For the veggies, I used a shallot, zucchini, asparagus, and arugula (or spinach). You can easily swap for any veggies you have on hand and need to use up or just whatever you prefer! Such a good recipe to clean out the fridge. 
• Ground beef: The 96/4 extra lean ground beef keeps the protein high and the fat low while still delivering that savory, meaty flavor you want in a hearty pasta dish. Feel free to swap for ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
• Seasonings: Garlic powder, dried oregano, crushed fennel, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic cubes (or minced garlic).

Dietary Adaptations 

GF: Use gluten-free pasta to make gluten-free.

DF: Try swapping the cottage cheese for dairy-free ricotta or Forager plant-based sour cream.

How To Make

1. Cook pasta al dente. It’ll cook a bit more in the mixture, so make sure to leave it a little firm. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
2. Blend the jarred marinara, low-fat cottage cheese, parmesan, and basil paste. Set aside.
3. In a large hot, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat a spritz of olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the shallots and zucchini and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and slightly tender. Add asparagus and half a teaspoon of the salt and cook for another 3 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Stir often.
4. Scoot the veggies to one side and add your ground beef and remaining salt, along with the other seasonings. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir meat and veggies together, then add tomato paste and garlic to the pan along with ½ cup of pasta water. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour the blended sauce/cheese mixture into the skillet and stir well. Let it simmer for a minute, then turn off the heat and gently stir in the cooked pasta and arugula. Enjoy with some additional red pepper flakes and optional parmesan on top!

Helpful Tips

• Don’t overcook the pasta: Be careful not the overcook the pasta. I like to cook the pasta about 1 minute less than the box instructions. The pasta will continue to cook a bit when added back to the sauce. You can also rinse the cooked pasta with cold water once done to prevent it from overcooking while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

• Sear the beef: Let the beef sear in the pan before breaking it up. This allows the beef to build more flavor and have a better texture.
• Customize this recipe: This recipe is seriously so versatile! You can use any pasta, marinara sauce, protein, cheese, or veggies you have on hand. Seriously, I can easily throw this one together at a moment’s notice when I just dig through the pantry and fridge for a bit. 
• Make ahead: This pasta recipe works great for meal prep, so feel free to prep it in advance. Store in an airtight container and reheat gently with a splash of water or broth to help loosen up the sauce.

For More Delicious Pasta Recipes

• Quick Skillet Ham and Veggie Pasta
• Mushroom Ricotta Pasta Bake
• Skinny Mushroom and Thyme Pasta Bake with Chicken and Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
• Italian Pasta Soup

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Ground Beef and Veggie Shell Pasta

This macro-friendly Ground Beef and Veggie Shell Pasta is made with lean ground beef, tender pasta shells, and a medley of sautéed vegetables. It’s a family-friendly meal that comes together in just 30 minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights.

Print Pin Rate

5 from 4 votes

Author Lillie

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 385 kcal

Ingredients

• ½ lb pasta
• 2 cups jarred marinara like Rao’s (480)
• ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese 180g
• ½ cup parmesan cheese 40g
• 2 Tbsp basil paste 30g
• ¼ cup shallot diced (60g)
• 2 ½ cups zucchini diced (300g)
• 3 ½ cups asparagus chopped into bite-sized pieces (400g)
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 lb 96/4 extra lean ground beef 448g
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp crushed fennel
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste 45g
• 4 frozen garlic cubes or minced cloves
• 1 cup arugula or spinach chopped (30g)

Instructions

• Cook pasta al dente. It’ll cook a bit more in the mixture, so make sure to leave it a little firm. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Blend the jarred marinara, low-fat cottage cheese, parmesan, and basil paste. Set aside.
• In a large hot, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat a spritz of olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the shallots and zucchini and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and slightly tender. Add asparagus and half a teaspoon of the salt and cook for another 3 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Stir often.
• Scoot the veggies to one side and add your ground beef and remaining salt, along with the other seasonings. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir meat and veggies together, then add tomato paste and garlic to the pan along with ½ cup of pasta water. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour the blended sauce/cheese mixture into the skillet and stir well. Let it simmer for a minute, then turn off the heat and gently stir in the cooked pasta and arugula. Enjoy with some additional red pepper flakes and optional parmesan on top!

Notes

GF: Use gluten-free pasta to make gluten-free.

DF: Try swapping the cottage cheese for dairy-free ricotta or Forager plant-based sour cream.

Nutrition:

Serves 6

Serving Size: 336g each

385 calories, 11.7 fat, 40 carbs, 31.5 protein, 5 fiber

Search Lillie Eats and Tells Ground Beef and Veggie Shells

Nutrition

Serving: 336gCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 31.5gFat: 11.7gFiber: 5g

Keywords dinner, ground beef, ground beef and veggie shell pasta, pasta

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