High Protein Garlic Beef Pasta

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Calories: 765kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

30 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Tomatoes Halved or Quartered
100 g Cherry Tomatoes
2 Red Bell Peppers (Capsicums) Halved or Quartered
1 Whole Garlic Bulb Halved
4 g Dried Italian Herbs
4 g Smoked Paprika
2 g Chilli Flakes
150 g Light Cream Cheese or Cottage Cheese
70 g Parmesan Cheese Grated
Salt To Taste
Cracked Black Pepper To Taste

Pasta

500 g Pasta of Choice

Garlic Beef

Spray Oil
1 kg Beef Mince 5%-10% Fat
4 g Dried Italian Herbs
6 g Smoked Paprika
6 g Garlic Powder
Salt To Taste
Cracked Black Pepper To Taste

Garnish

Flat Leaf Parsley Optional
Parmesan Cheese Grated

Method

Roast the Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a large tray with parchment paper. Add the tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, capsicum (bell pepper) and the halved garlic bulb. Season with salt, black pepper, Italian herbs, paprika and chilli flakes, then spray lightly with oil. Mix well with your hands to ensure everything is covered in the seasoning. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised.

Cook the Pasta

Bring a pot of water to a boil and generously season it with table salt. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Drain and reserve pasta water.

Make the Sauce

Add all of the roasted vegetables into a blender, squeezing the roasted garlic cloves out of the skins. Add the cream or cottage cheese, half of the parmesan and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth and creamy, double-check the seasoning and set aside.

Cook the Garlic Beef

Place a large pan over medium-high heat and lightly spray with oil. Add the beef mince and season with dried Italian herbs, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt and pepper, and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink. Remove from the heat.

Combine

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, beef mince and creamy red pepper sauce. Add the remaining Parmesan. Mix until well coated and creamy.

Serve

Portion into 5x 750ml meal prep containers. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley and extra Parmesan.

Chef's Tips

Let the vegetables fully roast for the full 30–40 minutes until they're properly softened and caramelised, garlic included — that caramelisation is what gives the blended sauce its depth, and pulling them early leaves the sauce tasting more raw than roasted.

Cook the pasta a minute under packet time as written, since it'll keep absorbing sauce once combined and portioned — this stops it from turning mushy by the time you're eating it later in the week.

When blending the sauce, add the pasta water gradually rather than all at once — it's there to loosen the sauce to the right consistency, and it's easier to add more than to fix a sauce that's gone too thin.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months, in an airtight container — the roasted vegetable base gives this sauce more structure than a straight dairy sauce, so it holds up well frozen.

To reheat, warm gently in the microwave or in a pan over low-medium heat, stirring in a small splash of water or milk as needed to bring the sauce back to a creamy consistency. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Serving 500gCalories 765kcalCarbohydrates 80gProtein 64gFat 19gSaturated Fat 3gPolyunsaturated Fat 1.32gMonounsaturated Fat 4.68gTrans Fat 0.3gCholesterol 28.5mgSodium 456.6mgPotassium 955.7mgFiber 11gSugar 10.6gVitamin A 647IUVitamin C 84.87mgCalcium 265.1mgIron 4.5mg