Creamy Squash & Beef Skillet Pasta (Easy One-Pan Dinner)

This creamy squash and beef skillet pasta is an easy one-pan dinner made with ground beef, tender squash, and a rich, cozy sauce the whole family will love.

Do you ever find yourself throwing things in a pan to use up old ingredients or partial containers and just hoping for the best?? That’s me… ALOT…totally me. This recipe was born out of a rather embarrassing moment of mismanaged freezer inventory. I was going through the freezer looking for all of my veggie scraps and carcasses to make broth the other day and BAM…there it was…a bag of pureed home grown butternut squash from 2023 staring me in the face. What on earth?? Needless to say, I could not let that homegrown beauty go to the chickens – it needed to be used up so I started to scour the pantry to see what I could pull together.

I’m all about a one-dish-wonder so out came “big bertha”, our 13″ cast iron skillet and I started chucking ingredients in the pan hoping for the best but also rejoicing in the fact that the squash was going to be used up! I found 2 partial boxes of pasta (Mafalda & Campanelle) that totaled 10 oz together so I figured since we are in “use it up” mode, that would work. Other random bits like a partial carton of heavy cream, the last of our grated parm and a few chunks of cheddar as well as a small scoop of frozen peas.

Here we go.

This was what I pulled together to hopefully make something tasty.

Tips:

• Let it rest for 5 minutes off heat before serving if you want he sauce to thicken a bit
• If it’s too thick, add a splash of broth, cream or even water if your out of the other two ingredients.
• If it’s too thin, just simmer uncovered for a few minutes longer.

I am a huge fan of making beauty out of a mess and this recipe did not disappoint. It allowed me to use up multiple random bits that needed to get used and was delish! A total win in my book.

I do hope that you try it or maybe some other variation – what’s in your pantry or fridge that needs to get tossed in?

Enjoy!

Creamy Squash & Beef Skillet Pasta

This creamy squash and beef skillet pasta is an easy one-pan dinner made with ground beef, tender squash, and a rich, cozy sauce the whole family will love.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2-3 cups squash puree
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (14 oz)
• 2-1/2 cups broth (I used chicken broth)
• 8-10 oz dry pasta (short shapes)
• 1/2 cup milk, half & half or heavy cream (whatever you have)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup grated cheese (Parmesan, cheddar or a blend)

Method

 

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, onion, and carrots until beef is browned and carrots start to soften. Drain excess fat if needed.
2. Add garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in squash puree and drained tomatoes. Add broth and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Stir in dry pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and sauce is thick and creamy.(Add small splashes of broth or water if needed.)
5. Stir in milk or cream, peas, and cheese. Cook uncovered 2–3 minutes until peas are heated and sauce is silky.
6. Add more salt, pepper, or cheese as needed.

Notes

Let it rest off heat for 5 minutes before serving — the sauce thickens.

If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk. If it’s too thin, uncover and simmer a few minutes.

Karin