Description
Savory cheesy rotini with garlic butter beef combines hearty pasta and rich meat in a comfort-driven meal. Melted cheese and bold flavors create a satisfying dinner that brings family together with minimal kitchen effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
Dairy:
- 2 tablespoons butter (for beef)
- 2 tablespoons butter (for pasta)
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk (warm)
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) shredded Parmesan cheese
Pasta and Seasonings:
- 12 ounces (340 g) rotini pasta
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish:
- Chopped parsley
- Extra Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare a generously salted water bath in a spacious cooking vessel, bringing it to a rolling boil. Submerge the rotini and cook until it reaches a perfectly tender yet firm consistency, typically 8-10 minutes. Carefully drain the pasta, allowing excess moisture to escape, and reserve for the subsequent culinary steps.
- Initiate the cheese sauce preparation by selecting a substantial saucepan. Gently melt butter over medium heat, creating a golden, fragrant base. Sprinkle flour into the molten butter, whisking vigorously to form a pale roux. Continue stirring and cooking for approximately 2-3 minutes to eliminate any raw flour taste.
- Gradually introduce warm milk into the roux, maintaining constant whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Allow the mixture to simmer and thicken, developing a luxurious, velvety texture. Incorporate shredded cheddar and Parmesan, stirring until the cheeses melt completely and blend into a silky, uniform sauce.
- Season the cheese sauce with a delicate balance of salt and freshly ground black pepper, tasting and adjusting to achieve optimal flavor complexity. Fold the cooked rotini into the creamy cheese sauce, ensuring each pasta curve is generously coated with the decadent mixture.
- For the garlic butter beef, heat a skillet until it radiates intense warmth. Introduce ground beef, breaking it into small, uniform crumbles. Cook thoroughly until the meat browns and releases its rich, savory essence.
- Mince fresh garlic and introduce it to the browned beef, stirring to distribute the aromatic allium throughout the meat. Allow the garlic to release its pungent oils and infuse the beef with deep, robust flavor.
- Combine the garlic-infused beef with the cheese-coated rotini, gently mixing to create a harmonious, indulgent dish that marries creamy pasta with flavorful meat.
Notes
- Ensure pasta is perfectly al dente by testing a piece 1-2 minutes before package instructions suggest, preventing mushy texture.
- Create silky smooth cheese sauce by gradually adding warm milk and whisking continuously to avoid lumps and achieve creamy consistency.
- Elevate dish for gluten-sensitive diets by substituting all-purpose flour with cornstarch or gluten-free flour blend, maintaining sauce’s thickness.
- Enhance flavor complexity by toasting flour slightly longer in butter, developing deeper nutty undertones without burning the roux.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 604
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 672 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg