From-scratch Hamburger Helper Instant Pot Ground Beef Pasta
Instant Pot Ground Beef and Pasta – Instant Pot Ground Beef & Pasta is a creamy, tomato-based pasta with ground beef that cooks in less than 30 minutes.
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Ground Beef Pasta
Ground Beef Pasta is straightforward to cook and suited to a weeknight meal. It’s a version of From-scratch Hamburger Helper, but better! Kids and picky eaters love it and it’s quick to throw together.
This is the kind of meal your family will be asking for seconds. It’s great to make when you need a quick weeknight meal for your family.
From-scratch Hamburger Helper Recipe Ingredients
- Onion
- Lean ground beef
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Garlic powder
- Tomato bouillon
- Mini pasta shells
- Marinara sauce
- Beef stock
- Water
- Heavy cream
How to cook Instant Pot Beef Pasta
Detailed instructions and measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Turn on your Instant Pot to the saute setting.
- Once it is hot, add in your onion, ground beef, salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic powder.
- Cook the mixture, breaking up the ground beef until it is no longer pink and the onions are softened.
- Add in the tomato bouillon cube and mix to combine.
- Spread the ground beef mixture evenly across the bottom.
- Add in the pasta shells layering them on top of the meat mixture. Do not stir.
- Pour the marinara sauce on top of the pasta. Do not stir.
- Pour in the beef stock and water making sure all the pasta is covered. Do not stir.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes are complete, QUICK-RELEASE the pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid and stir.
- Add in the heavy cream and stir to combine.
- Serve with some shaved parmesan and basil.
Tips and FAQs for From-scratch Hamburger Helper Beef Pasta
- Instant Pot Ground Beef and Pasta is also great with ground turkey and ground elk.
- You can use any pasta shape you like. We personally prefer the mini shells.
- Use your favorite pasta sauce, whether that’s jarred or from-scratch.
- You can use a tablespoon of tomato paste instead of the tomato bouillon if you prefer.
- Don’t let the pasta touch the bottom of the pan. You will get a burn notice.
How to Reheat Instant Pot Ground Beef Pasta
To reheat Instant Pot Ground Beef Pasta, we recommend either placing it in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes, loosely covered, or reheating it in a pot on the stove. The stove is our favorite method.
Alterations to lower calories and ww points
- You can substitute the lean ground beef for 99% fat free ground turkey or white meat ground chicken.
- You can substitute the heavy cream with nonfat plain Greek yogurt + cornstarch. You’ll need to temper them so the yogurt does not separate before adding in.
- Use a low calorie/low point pasta sauce.
- Use a calorie friendly/point friendly pasta. Purple plans on WW could utilize whole wheat pasta.
Prep 15 minutesCook 5 minutesTotal 20 minutesMakes 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 cube tomato bouillion
- 16 ounces mini pasta shells uncooked
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- ½ cup beef stock
- 3½ cups water
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Method
- Turn on your Instant Pot to the saute setting.
- Once it is hot, add in your onion, ground beef, salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic powder.
- Cook the mixture, breaking up the ground beef until it is no longer pink and the onions are softened.
- Add in the tomato bouillon cube and mix to combine.
- Spread the ground beef mixture evenly across the bottom.
- Add in the pasta shells layering them on top of the meat mixture. Do not stir.
- Pour the marinara sauce on top of the pasta. Do not stir.
- Pour in the beef stock and water making sure all the pasta is covered. Do not stir.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to SEALING.
- Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes are complete, QUICK-RELEASE the pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid and stir.
- Add in the heavy cream and stir to combine.
- Serve with some shaved parmesan and basil.
Notes
- The order of ingredients is important. The layering prevents burning. <h3 class="wprm-recipe-header
