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.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 385kcal
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.
Search Lillie Eats and Tells Ground Beef and Veggie Shells
Nutrition
Serving: 336g | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 31.5g | Fat: 11.7g | Fiber: 5g