This very easy recipe uses two pans and has 'pantry' written all over it. It tastes like what you would expect if Hormel® and Chef Boyardee® shared a kitchen. Perfect for kids. Substitute the cavatappi with any full-bodied pasta, such as bow-tie, wagon-wheel, or mostaccioli. You can even sneak in some frozen corn for a little tex-mex feel. Top it with cheese when serving.
Ingredients
- quarts water: 2 piece
- sea salt: 0.25 tsp
- cavatappi pasta: 1 pack (8 ounce pack)
- olive oil: 1 tsp
- onion: 0.25 cup (finely chopped)
- clove garlic: 1 piece (minced)
- ground beef: 1 pound
- tomato sauce: 1 can (15 ounce can)
- chili powder: 1 Tbsp
- ground cumin: 0.5 tsp
- seasoned black beans, undrained: 1 can (15 ounce can)
- black pepper: 0.25 tsp (freshly ground)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Bring water to a boil in a large pot; add salt. Pour cavatappi into the boiling water and cook until tender but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes; drain and rinse cavatappi.
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic in the hot oil until onion is softened and transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir ground beef into onion mixture. Cook and stir until ground beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain excess grease and return skillet to heat.
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Mix tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin into ground beef mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato sauce is heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir cavatappi into meat sauce until evenly coated; add black beans and pepper. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes.