This quick and easy Creamy Italian Pasta Skillet combines ground beef, a jar of marinara or spaghetti sauce, some onions, garlic, pasta, cheese and a little heavy cream for a hearty dish that’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you’re short on time. But, trust me: This dish isn’t short on flavor.

This particular dish was born out of necessity. Let me explain.

Use ground beef, Italian sausage or a blend of the two. (Stacey Little / Southern Bite)

I know this might come as a shock, but we don’t always cook my recipes. Sure, they make up the majority of our meals, but we often like to try new stuff and experiment. Heather will see stuff on Pinterest and we’ll give it a try.

Well, in this case, Heather saw a recipe and bought the ingredients for it. But when it came time to cook it, we couldn’t find the recipe again. So I just started throwing stuff in a skillet and this was born. We liked it so much, we knew we wanted to share it with y’all.

Here are a few things worth mentioning about this recipe:

Pasta – Nearly any short pasta will work in this recipe. I love the way the rotini (or fusili) holds the sauce, but penne, bowtie, rigatoni or even elbow would work. And, honestly, long pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine should work, too.

Sauce – Most jarred pasta/marinara sauces should work. Just keep in mind that this dish gets lots of flavor from this ingredient, so pick a good one. My favorites are Rao and Botticelli. Also keep in mind that the sauce you use will determine how much salt and pepper you’ll need to add at the end. I know how frustrating it can be for some folks to see the phrase “add salt and pepper to taste.” The reality is, though, that different jarred sauces have varying amounts of salt (and fat). So adding 1 teaspoon of salt to one brand of sauce might be perfect, but it might be way too much for another.

Ground beef – We use ground beef in this recipe, but ground Italian sausage would be great as well. You could even use a blend of the two if you’re feeling adventurous.

Garlic – Be sure not to burn your garlic. It’s going to cook quickly, so I usually suggest no more than about a minute before moving on to the next step. Burnt garlic will leave your dish with a bitter, funny taste.

Italian seasoning – Different brands of dried Italian seasoning blend will have varying flavors and intensities. I recommend starting with one-half teaspoon, but feel free to add more to get more flavor. Just as with the salt, the jarred sauce will have other seasonings and spices as well, and you’ll want to add to taste here.

Seasoning gives this dish amazing flavor. (Stacey Little / Southern Bite)

Creamy Italian Pasta Skillet

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rotini pasta (or other short pasta)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup beef broth/stock
• 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
2. In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, then add the ground beef and onion. Brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain the excess grease.
3. Return the meat to the skillet over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant – about 1 minute.
4. Add the Italian seasoning and beef stock and stir to combine, being sure to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the marinara. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
6. Stir in the heavy cream and the cheese. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add the pasta to the skillet and stir. Serve immediately.

This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out ”The Southern Bite Cookbook.”