This ground beef and bell pepper pasta is easily one of my favorite dinners. It’s saucy, hearty, and proves that ground beef doesn’t have to be a boring, backup protein sitting in your freezer.
I use bell peppers two ways here. I saute some briefly and then add them back in later so some of that crunch can still be enjoyed. The rest I cook down all the way into the sauce to build some flavor.
Running two blogs means I cook a lot, and my recipes go through plenty of testing and tweaking before I share them.
That also means I have to manage my food budget each month. I like to splurge on a few ingredients that excite me, but then I balance that with some smart, budget-friendly choices. Ground beef is one of those staples I always find myself coming back to. It’s (relatively) affordable, versatile, and is also quick to cook.
I love the ground beef classics. Give me a good bolognese, lasagna, or stuffed shells any day, but I also enjoy getting creative. For example, one of my favorite recipes pairs ground beef with pesto and pasta. Kind of an unexpected mix, but it tastes fantastic.
There’s also this ground beef gnocchi recipe that’s become a family favorite. It's comfort food that tastes like a payoff after a long week. Do try!
Back to the pasta recipe I’m sharing today. While it's bell pepper-forward, don’t feel limited by that. Toss in any other veggies you have on hand, make it your own!
Pre-cooking notes
Some notes on the recipe ingredients that might come in handy.
- Any color bell pepper works. Green bell peppers are firmer, while red, orange, and yellow ones are riper and a bit sweeter.
- Try to use lean ground beef if possible. The fattier the beef, the more grease it will release. You can remove the extra fat while cooking, but it’s kind of tricky because you have to be careful to not spoon out too much of the sauce along with it.
- If you don’t have dried oregano, feel free to swap in Italian seasoning.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your spice preference. The amount I’ve given adds a very subtle heat and helps bring out the flavors. If you’re cooking for kids or anyone sensitive to spice, reduce the amount.
A visual guide for making ground beef bell pepper pasta
Here are some step-by-step photos to make the cooking process easy to follow. Plus, there’s a printable recipe card below with all the ingredients, instructions, and notes all in one place.
Cook pasta according to the package instructions, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet/pan, add the sliced bell pepper, and saute until tender-crisp. Transfer to a plate.
In the same skillet, pour in a bit more oil, add chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute. Then add chopped onion and chopped bell pepper and cook until the onion softens. Add the ground beef to the pan. Season with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and oregano. Stir and cook until the beef is browned and fully cooked through.
Mix in marinara sauce along with some water and sugar. Mix and then simmer until the sauce thickens, stir occasionally.
Add crumbled feta and mix until it blends into the sauce.
Return cooked sliced bell peppers to the skillet as well as cooked pasta.
Mix everything gently. Finish with some chopped basil and extra feta on top, and serve!
Top tips
- Boil the water and cook the pasta while you prep the ingredients and move on to the next steps. That way, you won't stand around waiting on pasta. But be careful to not cook the pasta too long, use a timer!
- Add the garlic right before the onions once the oil is warm but not smoking. Garlic burns quickly, which will lend a bitter taste to your dish.
- Start breaking up the ground beef as soon as you add it to the pan/skillet. If you wait too long, the beef will start to cook in clumps, and those would be harder to separate.
- Once the pasta’s mixed with the sauce, let it sit for a few minutes before serving, so the pasta can soak up more flavor.
Serving ideas
This pasta goes great with some crusty bread or garlic bread on the side. A fresh green salad will also pair nicely.
And that's a wrap!
If you’ve got ground beef in your freezer and want more ideas, search “ground beef” on my site and you'll find a bunch of other delicious options. Oh and once you've tried this recipe, please come back and leave a review.
Alright, time for me to step outside and enjoy a little drizzle after a brutally hot week here in Calgary. Thanks for hanging out!
Happy cooking – Nelo
Ground Beef Bell Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
For cooking pasta
- 8 ounces (227 g) pasta - uncooked, I prefer penne
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil - to prevent drained pasta from clumping
For ground beef bell pepper pasta
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil - divided
- 1 medium bell pepper - aka capsicum, sliced, any color (Note A)
- 6 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
- 1 small onion - finely chopped
- 1 more bell pepper - finely chopped. This is in addition to the sliced pepper above
- 1 pound (500 g) ground beef - (Note B)
- ¾ teaspoon salt - adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1.5 cups (355 ml) marinara sauce
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup (150 g) feta cheese - crumbled
- some chopped basil - optional, for garnishing
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente (follow the timing on the package). Drain and then toss with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside. (Note C)
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet/pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced bell pepper (not the chopped one) and saute until tender-crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add chopped garlic and saute for about a minute, just until fragrant. Then add chopped onion and chopped bell pepper and cook. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the ground beef to the pan. Season with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and oregano. Stir and cook until the beef is browned and fully cooked through. Break it up as it cooks so there are no large clumps.
- Mix in marinara sauce along with water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer. When it starts to bubble, lower the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens and don't forget to stir occasionally. Depending on how fatty your beef is, you might see excess fat collecting around the edges. Take it out with a spoon.
- Add crumbled feta, cooked sliced bell peppers as well as cooked pasta to the pan. Mix everything gently.
- Finish with some chopped basil and extra feta on top, and enjoy.
Jack and Chris says
GREAT! Didn't have Marinara, so threw in a can of petite diced tomatoes and tomato paste and some spices. Came out great, sauce thickened quickly
Nelo says
Love that you made it your own! Thanks for coming back to leave your review!