Quick and Easy Hamburger Penne Pasta

Hamburger Penne Pasta

Lately I have not been in the mood to cook.  I blame it on spring.  There always seems like something else I'd rather be doing, or need to be doing.  Do you ever feel the same way?  This recipe was the result of my dinner making efforts on one of those days when there was too much to do and too little time to do it all.  Once again I turned to my freezer and pantry for ingredients that could be pulled together to make a tasty dinner quickly.

You probably have these ingredients in your kitchen as well.  There are no exotic ingredients here.  The basic building blocks are the hamburger, some flavorful vegetables, tomatoes and pasta.  If you don't have both red and green pepper, substitute chopped celery.  No jalapenos in your refrigerator?  Add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes instead, or leave it out entirely.  If your family prefers elbow macaroni instead of penne pasta, go ahead and substitute.  You get the idea.  This recipe works no matter how you mix and match ingredients.

This recipe is a good way yo stretch a pound of ground beef.  Add a side salad and a green vegetable for a healthy, well-balanced meal.  Leftovers will make a tasty next day lunch.
Hamburger Penne Pasta
Serves 4-6

Hamburger Penne Pasta Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 ounces of white button mushrooms, sliced
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it apart with a spoon.  Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper.  Cook the beef until it is well browned and crispy bits have formed.  Remove the beef from the pan to drain. 

Brown the Ground Beef

Meanwhile, cook the penne pasta in a large pot of salted water for half the time on the package directions. Drain.

Return the pan in which you cooked the ground beef to the burner adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil, if needed.  Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and chopped peppers to the pan, cooking until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Cook the Vegetables

Add the diced tomatoes and the browned beef to the pan, bringing the mixture to a boil.  Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Add the penne pasta to the pan, stirring to combine.

Add the Beef and Pasta

Cover the pan, reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Sprinkle the pasta mixture with the grated Parmesan cheese.  Cover the pan and let sit for 10 more minutes.  This allows the flavors to blend. 

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese

Serve with a side salad and your favorite green vegetable.  You can get the printable Hamburger Penne Pasta recipe by clicking the link.

Enjoy!