Italian Helper
This quick and easy recipe combines ground sirloin and sweet Italian sausage with macaroni, tomato puree, Parmesan, and mascarpone, finished with fresh spinach for a comforting and satisfying one-skillet meal ready in under 30 minutes.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For boiling pasta
- 1 Large Straight-Sided Skillet For cooking meat and sauce
- 1 Colander For draining pasta
- 1 Wooden Spoon For stirring and breaking up meat
Ingredients
Main
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 8 ounces ground beef sirloin
- 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage casings removed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 shallots diced
- 1 clove garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree such as Mutti
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup mascarpone
- 2 cups baby spinach torn
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well.
- Heat the olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and sausage and cook, breaking up the meats with the back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through and browned, 6 minutes. Stir in the shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Deglaze with the tomato puree, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 4 minutes.
- Add the macaroni to the sauce, sprinkle the bare pasta with the Parmesan and mix well. Stir in the mascarpone and spinach and cook an additional 3 minutes, until the sauce is creamy and the spinach wilted.
Notes
Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than package directions as it will finish cooking in the sauce. Ensure the meat is well-browned for maximum flavor before adding shallots and garlic. Deglazing with tomato puree helps lift browned bits from the pan, adding depth. When adding Parmesan, sprinkle it directly onto the bare pasta before mixing with the sauce; this helps it coat the pasta better and prevents clumping. Mascarpone adds richness and creaminess to the final dish.