Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef 85–90% lean
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk room temp
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups freshly grated Parmesan NOT pre-shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or white pepper
- Pinch nutmeg
- 12 ounces fettuccine or any long pasta form
- Reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Boil fettuccine or preferred pasta in well-salted water. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add minced garlic and spices, stirring for one minute. Drain excess fat if necessary, leaving some for flavor, then remove the beef from the pan.
- In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes without browning. Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens. Then, add the cream and mix well, simmering gently for about 3 minutes until thickened.
- Reduce heat and add grated parmesan, salt, black or white pepper, and nutmeg, stirring until smooth.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.
- Return the beef to the skillet, add the drained pasta, and toss until everything is well coated and glossy.
- Use reserved pasta water to adjust consistency as needed until the sauce clings beautifully to the pasta.
Notes
Make sure to reserve pasta water before draining for a smooth sauce.
For the richest flavor, use freshly grated Parmesan instead of pre-shredded.
Adjust spice levels by increasing or decreasing the amount of red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 670
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 23g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 125mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.