Serves: 4–5
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: ~50 minutes

Ingredients For the pasta

  • 450 g rotini/fusilli pasta450 g ground beef225 g mushrooms, sliced1 medium onion, diced4 cloves garlic, minced1 red bell pepper, diced1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes2 tbsp tomato paste1 cup beef or chicken stock1 tsp Italian seasoning1 tsp dried oregano½ tsp smoked paprika½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional1 tsp Worcestershire sauce½ tsp salt, plus more to taste½ tsp black pepper2 tbsp olive oil½ cup grated Parmesan2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
For the green beans
  • 450 g fresh green beans, trimmed1½ tbsp olive oil or butter2 cloves garlic, minced½ tsp red pepper flakes½ tsp salt¼ tsp black pepper1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions1. Cook the pastaBring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.Cook the rotini according to the package directions until just al dente.Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.Drain and set aside.2. Brown the beefHeat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.Add the ground beef.Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook for 6–8 minutes, until nicely browned.Season with:
  • saltblack peppersmoked paprika
If there’s a lot of excess grease, drain some off, leaving roughly 1 tbsp in the pan.3. Cook the vegetablesAdd the diced onion and bell pepper.Cook for 4–5 minutes until softened.Add the mushrooms.Cook for another 5–7 minutes. Let the mushrooms brown rather than simply steam; this is important for the deep, savory flavor seen in the dish.Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds.4. Make the tomato sauceStir in the tomato paste.Cook for 1–2 minutes to caramelize it slightly.Add:
  • diced tomatoesstockItalian seasoningoreganoWorcestershire saucered pepper flakes, if using
Stir everything together.Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 8–10 minutes, uncovered.The sauce should become thick and cling to the meat.5. Combine with the pastaAdd the cooked rotini directly into the skillet.Toss everything together over low heat.If it’s too thick, add reserved pasta water 2–3 tablespoons at a time until you get a glossy sauce that coats the pasta.Stir in the Parmesan.Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and chili flakes.Finish with fresh parsley.For the appearance in your photo: don’t make this overly saucy. The pasta should be heavily coated with the beef, mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs, with very little liquid pooling on the plate.🫛 Garlic Chili Green Beans1. BlanchBring a pot of salted water to a boil.Add the green beans and cook for 3–4 minutes, until bright green and just tender.Drain.For especially crisp beans, immediately rinse them under cold water.2. SautéHeat olive oil or butter in a large skillet.Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes.Cook for about 30 seconds.Add the green beans.Sauté over medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes, tossing frequently.Season with salt and black pepper.Finish with lemon juice.You want them bright green with a little blistering/char, rather than soft and gray.🍽️ To plate it like the photoPut a generous mound of the beef-and-mushroom rotini slightly off-center on a large plate.Arrange the green beans alongside it.Finish the pasta with:
  • Parmesanchopped parsleyfreshly cracked black peppera tiny drizzle of olive oil
A couple of upgradesFor a deeper, almost restaurant-style flavor, add ½ tsp beef bouillon to the sauce and let the mushrooms get quite dark before adding the tomatoes.If you want it creamier, stir in ¼–½ cup heavy cream at the very end and reduce the stock accordingly.