Rich Rigatoni with Spicy Beef Sauce
vxdaLooking for a quick yet satisfying dinner to warm your heart and satisfy your appetite after a long day? This recipe for rigatoni with ground beef in a velvety tomato sauce is the perfect solution. Prepared in the blink of an eye, this hearty meal is sure to delight every member of the household with its deep flavor and aroma.
Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 450 g beef mince
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black peppercorn — freshly ground
- 2 pcs garlic — sliced or finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 200 ml beef stock
- 200 ml tomato passata
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 2 tbsp creme fraiche
- 1 tbsp mascarpone
- 60 g parmesan — grated
- 1 pinch pasta water — to adjust the consistency
For the pasta
- 300 g rigatoni
- 1 ½ tbsp salt — for the water
Instructions
Meat sauce
- 1
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet and add 450 g of ground beef. Using a spatula, thoroughly break the meat into smaller pieces.
- 2
Season the beef with 0.5 teaspoon of salt and 0.5 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to bring out its natural flavor.
- 3
Allow the meat to brown undisturbed for a few minutes without stirring – this is key to achieving a beautiful, golden-brown crust. Then, stir and continue to cook, breaking up the meat, until evenly browned.
- 4
Move the browned beef to one side of the pan. Add a drizzle of peanut oil to the empty space, then add 2 cloves of garlic, sliced or finely chopped.
- 5
Stir 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika into the remaining ingredients in the pan to combine the flavors.
- 6
Stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and cook for another minute, allowing it to caramelize and deepen the flavor of the sauce.
- 7
Pour in 200 ml of beef broth and 200 ml of strained tomatoes (passata), gently mixing everything together.
- 8
Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 8–10 minutes, until slightly thickened and the flavors have melded.
Pasta
- 1
Meanwhile, fill a large pot generously with water and add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil.
- 2
Add 300 g of rigatoni pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
Finishing the sauce and combining with pasta
- 1
Remove the pan with the sauce from the heat to prevent further cooking.
- 2
Add 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon of mascarpone, and 60 g of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the warm sauce. Stir until the ingredients are melted and combined.
- 3
If needed, if the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to achieve a perfectly smooth and velvety consistency that will cling well to the pasta.
- 4
Add the cooked rigatoni pasta directly to the sauce. Toss gently over low heat until each piece of pasta is perfectly coated in the rich sauce.