Craving for pasta? This easy Rotini with Beef and Spinach recipe is simple and doesn’t require to many ingredients yet so flavorful. For more appealing and appetizing looking pasta dish, use the tri-color rotini. If all you have on hand is plain colored rotini, that will work too.
This Rotini with Beef and Spinach recipe is easy and cooks in less than 30 minutes. It is great to serve on busy weeknights and gatherings. As much as I don’t care for leftovers, pasta is one that I always make extra servings. It tends to be more flavorful after a day as all the ingredients have blended well and pasta has been infused with all the delicious flavor.
Tired of making the same spaghetti or lasagna dish, try this recipe. It might become one of your favorite pasta dish with ground beef.
Tips in Making this Easy Rotini with Beef and Spinach recipe
- As always, cook rotini al dente. Rotini should be firm to touch when cooked. Stir constantly so they don’t stick to each other and cook evenly. Overdone pasta is never good. Read and follow the instruction on the label. The way I check if pasta is almost done, I take a pasta and prick it with my fingers. Also, put a generous amount of salt in water for a tastier pasta.
- Mince basil so flavor is evenly distributed in your pasta dish.
- Use the right cut of meat if not using ground beef. In this recipe, I sliced chunk steak into narrow short strips the size of match stick. I have also used tri-tip steak and rib eye.
- Once you add rotini in the sautéed ingredients, mix it well for about a minute or two and remove it from skillet to avoid overdone pasta.
This easy pasta recipe was adapted from Cabot Cheese and slightly revised with ingredients I have on hand. The original recipe doesn't call for cherry tomato, orange and red bell pepper and garlic powder. You can eliminate these ingredients but they add so much flavor to this recipe.
More pasta dish you might like: Garlic Noodle, Shrimp Linguine with Spinach and Mussel, Filipino Spaghetti, Pastitsio Greek Pasta, Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad and Cheese Tortellini with Basil Cream Sauce.
Recipe
Easy Rotini with Beef and Spinach Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box (12 oz, 340 g) Rotini Penne Rigate or Elbows, cooked
- 1 small onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef or sliced chunk tri tip or rib-eye
- 1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 package (10 ounce) baby spinach shredded
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped or 1 tablespoon dry basil
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
- 12 piece cherry tomato
- 1 small red bell pepper sliced
- 1 small orange bell pepper sliced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup sharp cheddar cheese for garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook rotini while sauteing ingredients. Drain water when done. Follow instruction on label or read my tips above.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.
- Saute onion for a minute.
- Add garlic. Cook until golden.
- Toss-in beef. Cook until pale. It will release some liquid. Continue cooking until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup. If not enough liquid, add water.
- Stir-in oregano.
- Add tomato sauce and basil. Mix well.
- Stir-in cherry tomato for a minute.
- Toss-in red and orange bell pepper. Mix for a minute.
- Season with salt and garlic powder.
- Toss-in spinach and blend until wilted.
- Add pasta and blend well for a minute or two.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese
- Turn off heat and transfer to platter.
- Don’t leave pasta in skillet as it will continue to cook. Overdone or soggy pasta is not good at all. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read tips above.
- The original recipe doesn't have cherry tomato, orange and red bell pepper and garlic powder but these ingredients adds so much flavor to this pasta dish.
Nutrition
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