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an ordinary shallow bowl of penne and crumbled ground beef in a pale melted provolone coating with softened short green bell pepper and golden onion strips, with no steak strips, mushrooms or garnish
Rachel Kim

Philly Cheesesteak Pasta

Provolone, browned onion and green pepper give this ground-beef pasta its cheesesteak direction without pretending hamburger is shaved ribeye. Let the peppers take on a little color before adding the broth. Penne cooks in the same pan, and the cheese goes in at the very end so it forms a soft coating rather than long ropes around still-hard pasta. I keep mushrooms out of this one because the onion and pepper already have enough work to do. A modest amount of milk loosens the finish, but the sauce should cling to the tubes instead of turning the skillet into a bowl of cheese soup.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion cut into short thin strips
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into short thin strips
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 8 oz dry penne
  • 2 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup water reserved as needed
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 5 oz mild provolone finely grated

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and green pepper for 6 to 7 minutes until softened and browned at the edges.
  2. Add beef and brown for 6 to 7 minutes, breaking it into crumbles and cooking to 160°F. Drain excess fat and stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
  3. Add penne, broth, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 11 to 14 minutes, stirring often and adding reserved water only if needed before the pasta becomes tender.
  4. Stir in milk and warm gently for 1 minute. Remove from heat and wait 1 minute for bubbling to stop.
  5. Fold provolone into the warm pasta a small handful at a time until melted. Serve promptly so the coating remains soft.