Easy Rotini Pasta
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Rotini are such a fun and satisfying pasta shape, they deserve a dedicated moment in the spotlight. Make the most of their tight spirals by filling them with a cozy yet quick ground beef and tomato sauce that nestles into all the nooks and crannies. Pair this with a simple salad and garlic bread for a stellar meal in well under 30 minutes.
When you’re in the market for classic comfort food, nubby spirals of pasta in a quick homemade sauce never fail to please. I count on simple basics like this to get dinner done fast so I can move to the important thing: gathering around the table with my kids.
This particular combination has al dente pasta, smooth tomato sauce, tender crumbles of ground beef, and an enticing mix of dried herbs and spices so you can enjoy serious flavor with absolutely zero chopping. 🎉
Why You’ll Love This Easy Rotini Pasta
- A lovely homemade meal entirely from budget-friendly pantry staples
- Easy to make in about 25 minutes—absolutely no chopping required
- Full of cozy, crowd-pleasing Italian flavors
- Tightly-coiled rotini are undeniably fun to eat!
Pair this with garlic knots or quick homemade breadsticks plus a light salad, steamed peas or broccoli, or glazed carrots to balance things out.
Ingredient Notes
This is not the fanciest pasta in the world—this is the pasta to make when you want homemade but really prefer to just open the spice drawer and call it a night. No dicing, no need to even pop open a jar of minced garlic.
Simmer, Toss, Eat
Begin by cooking the pasta just to al dente in rapidly boiling and well-salted water. This ensures the pasta has some bite and gives you the opportunity to scoop out some of the starchy pasta cooking water at the end, which is a perfect insurance policy for loosening the sauce if you desire.
Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a hot skillet—cast iron is always my first choice—and season generously with the dried spices. Pour in tomato sauce and bring to a bubble.
Once it has thickened a bit, pour in the cream. This is optional—it tastes delicious with or without, but I think my kids especially like the touch of extra richness even a splash of cream adds to the mix.
Stir in the drained pasta and mix well. If you find that you’d like a little more sauce, or a slightly thinner sauce, stir in the reserved pasta water, just a small splash at a time. This will stretch and loosen the sauce without breaking it, thanks to the natural starch released into the water as the pasta cooked.
Garnish with Parmesan, parsley, and more salt & pepper to your heart’s content. Dig in!
Make It a Baked Pasta
If you want to transform this dish into a baked make-ahead style pasta, it’s easy to do. Take care to drain the pasta when it is 1-2 minutes shy of the al dente mark. Make the sauce as directed, toss with pasta, and transfer to an oven-safe dish. If baking, I highly recommend topping it off with a few handfuls of shredded mozzarella—so good! Bake at 375°F for roughly 15 minutes, and dig in. You can also cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for a day or so prior to baking.
More Quick Weeknight Pastas
Easy Rotini Pasta
Ingredients
- 8-10 ounces rotini
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Parmesan and fresh herbs optional garnish
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water, add a generous pinch of salt, and cook rotini just to al dente, according to package directions. After the pasta is cooked, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the water, then drain off the rest. Set the warm pasta aside.8-10 ounces rotini
- While the pasta cooks, set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef directly to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, crumbling it into small pieces, until nicely browned.1 pound lean ground beef
- Stir in the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, followed by the tomato sauce. Stir well and cook 3-4 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.3/4 teaspoon chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, kosher salt and black pepper, 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- Stir in the cream until warmed through, then add the rotini. Stir well to combine. If you would like a slightly more silky sauce, add in the reserved pasta water, just a splash at a time, and stir well until it reaches a consistency that you like.1/4 cup heavy cream
- Serve with grated Parmesan and a sprinkling of fresh parsley, basil, or other herbs, as desired.Parmesan and fresh herbs
Notes
- Tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes work, as well.
- Cream: This is optional; it just adds a little touch of richness to the sauce.
- Make-Ahead/Baked Pasta: If you want to transform this dish into a baked make-ahead style pasta, it’s easy to do. Take care to drain the pasta when it is 1-2 minutes shy of the al dente mark. Make the sauce as directed, toss with pasta, and transfer to an oven-safe dish. If baking, I highly recommend topping it off with a few handfuls of shredded mozzarella—so good! Bake at 375°F for roughly 15 minutes, and dig in. You can also cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for a day or so prior to baking.
