Description
This Creamy Cheesy Garlic Butter Rigatoni with Savory Beef recipe is the ultimate comfort food. It features tender rigatoni tossed in a rich garlic butter sauce with melty cheese and seasoned ground beef. Perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions, this cheesy pasta dish is creamy, savory, and easy to make with simple ingredients. Great for reheating too!
Ingredients
16 oz rigatoni
1 lb ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
1. Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the rigatoni until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving a little pasta water.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned and crumbly. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Stir in cream cheese and milk, whisking until smooth and creamy.
5. Add parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Stir until fully melted and smooth. Add a splash of pasta water if needed.
6. Return the cooked rigatoni and beef to the skillet. Toss to coat the pasta evenly in the sauce.
7. Adjust seasoning to taste, then serve warm, garnished with extra parmesan if desired.
Notes
Let the sauce gently simmer so it doesn’t break.
Add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Use bronze-cut rigatoni for better sauce grip.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 690
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 740mg
- Fat: 41g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 110mg