Creamy, savory, herby and ready in about 30 minutes.
Wide ribbons of pappardelle are tossed with deeply seasoned ground beef, sautéed onion, scallion, garlic and herbs, then finished with garlic-herb goat cheese and pasta water to create a silky sauce—no cream required.
The goat cheese melts directly into the seasoned beef, picking up all those pan juices while pasta water loosens everything into a glossy sauce that clings beautifully to the pappardelle.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20–25 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 oz pappardelle pasta
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6–8 oz garlic-herb goat cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt, as needed
- ½–1 cup reserved pasta water
- Fresh thyme or scallion for finishing, optional
Method
1. Bring the pasta water to a boil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pappardelle and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Build the beef mixture.
While the pasta cooks, place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
There is no need to add oil—the beef will release its own fat as it cooks.
Add the chopped onion, scallion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, dried thyme, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
Cook, breaking the beef apart with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned and the onions have softened.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
3. Make the goat cheese sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add about 4–6 ounces of the garlic-herb goat cheese directly to the skillet.
Pour in about ½ cup of reserved pasta water and stir as the goat cheese melts into the seasoned beef.
The cheese, beef juices and starchy pasta water will come together into a creamy sauce. Add another splash of pasta water if you would like the sauce looser.
No heavy cream necessary.
4. Add the pappardelle.
Transfer the drained pasta directly into the skillet.
Gently toss until every ribbon of pappardelle is coated in the creamy goat cheese sauce and the seasoned beef is distributed throughout.
Add another spoonful of pasta water if needed to keep everything silky.
5. Finish and serve.
Spoon into bowls while hot.
Top each serving with a little fresh garlic-herb goat cheese and, if you like, fresh thyme, scallion, cracked black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Z Eats Note
Pappardelle works beautifully here because those wide ribbons have enough surface area to hold onto the creamy goat cheese sauce and little pieces of seasoned beef.
For entertaining, try the same recipe with rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni, penne or orecchiette. A smaller pasta makes it easy to serve family-style alongside roasted vegetables, salad, fish or another main dish.
And don't overcomplicate the sauce. Goat cheese + seasoned pan juices + pasta water is the sauce.