Stovetop Beef and Shells
My wife and I love this meal. It is very quick and easy and even tastes great as leftovers.
My wife and I love this meal. It is very quick and easy and even tastes great as leftovers.
- Carbohydrate 33.468293933081 g
- Cholesterol 94.148760125 mg
- Fat 12.55677490518 g
- Fiber 3.48817724564571 g
- Protein 28.75635684734 g
- Saturated Fat 4.78692969406 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (335g)
- Sodium 230.81397298 mg
- Sugar 29.9801166874353 g
- Trans Fat 1.790539482065 g
- Calories 358 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook Pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
- Drain pasta; stir into beef mixture and heat through.
Glossy tomato sauce clings tightly to rigid ridges of pasta shells while savory browned beef provides a dense, comforting counterweight to the acidity of crushed tomatoes. Achieving this balance requires careful management of pot capacity and heat transfer. When scaling this formulation up or down, saucepan dimensions dictate how quickly excess moisture evaporates during the simmer phase. A wider pan increases surface area, causing the sauce to thicken faster than intended if heat is maintained at medium levels.
Adapting Proportions Across Batch Sizes
Multiplying or dividing quantities involves more than simply doubling or halving numerical values. Ground beef releases a significant volume of rendered fat and water as proteins coagulate over medium heat, and overcrowding a standard three-quart saucepan prevents proper browning. When doubling the output to serve eight, switch to a five-quart Dutch oven to ensure the meat maintains direct contact with the base of the vessel rather than steaming in accumulated liquids. Conversely, halving the recipe for a single portion requires reducing the simmer window by roughly four minutes to prevent the tomato sauce from scorching as the volume diminishes.
- Water volume for boiling pasta must remain at least four quarts per pound of dry shells to prevent starches from gelatinizing unevenly and making the pasta sticky.
- If the sauce thickens too rapidly before the fifteen-minute simmer concludes, incorporate hot water in two-tablespoon increments to adjust viscosity without chilling the pan temperature.
- Store leftover portions in an airtight glass container for up to three days, noting that pasta will continue to absorb moisture and soften further during refrigeration.
