Homemade Ground Beef Pasta Soup (Print Page)
Savory ground beef, pasta and vegetables in a tomato-broth—quick, cozy and satisfying.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound ground beef
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
07 - 1 cup frozen peas
08 - 1 cup baby spinach, optional
→ Pasta
09 - 1 cup small pasta shells or ditalini
→ Liquids
10 - 6 cups beef broth
11 - 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
→ Spices & Seasonings
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Cheese (optional)
17 - Grated Parmesan, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Warm olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully browned. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in minced garlic, dried basil, oregano, and thyme. Continue to cook for about 1 minute until the mixture is fragrant.
04 - Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Increase heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Add the small pasta shells or ditalini. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
06 - Stir in frozen peas and baby spinach (if using) during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking. Continue until pasta and vegetables are tender.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnishing each portion with grated Parmesan if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You get a rich, savory broth thanks to browning the beef and layering in herbs—trust me, it’s not just another soup.
- It’s the sort of flexible, one-pot meal that has rescued me from takeout more times than I can count.
02 -
- Anxiously adding pasta too soon once made mine mushy—wait for a proper simmer before dropping it in.
- The switch to low-sodium broth completely changed how vibrant the soup tasted; stock cubes work if you taste as you go.
03 -
- The key to flavor is patience with browning—rushing the first step cheats the soup.
- Adding the peas right at the end means they stay vibrantly green and sweet.