Cheeseburger Pasta
with lettuce, tomato and onion salad
We had a lot of fun creating this deconstructed cheeseburger, right down to the classic cheeseburger toppings that we transformed into a side salad. Pickle relish might sound like a strange thing to add to the pasta, but it adds a sweet-tart flavor that is delicious (feel free to skip it if you don’t have pickle relish). This meal was first featured in 2022.
Smarts #1: We preferred this pasta to be lighter on the meat, but if you have a pound of beef (for 4 servings), you can add it all together for a more meat-heavy dish.
Smarts #2: This is a one pan pasta dish where the pasta cooks right inside the sauce. Cooking times may vary, so just keep an eye on your pasta and check it frequently.
Ingredients
- Shallots - 2 cloves , diced
- Garlic - 2 cloves , diced
- Cheese, cheddar - 4 oz , shredded (for best results, do not buy pre-shredded)
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Beef, ground and lean - 8 oz
- Flour, all-purpose - 2 tsp
- Paprika - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Stock, beef - 3 cups (sub any type stock)
- Tomato puree or sauce (8 oz / 227 g) - 1 can
- Pasta, medium shells - 8 oz (sub any pasta shape)
- Pickle relish (opt) - 1 Tbsp
- Onions, medium and red - 1/4 , very thinly sliced
- Vinegar, white wine - 1 Tbsp
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 2 tsp
- Honey - 1/2 tsp
- Oil, olive - 3 Tbsp
- Lettuce, romaine - 1 heart , torn or chopped
- Tomatoes, medium - 1 , halved and sliced
Prep
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Shallots / Garlic / Onions - Prep as directed. Combine shallots and garlic. Store onions separately. (Note: The onions will be served raw in the salad. If you’d like to take a little of the bite out of them you can soak them in cool water in the fridge until ready to use.) (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make vinaigrette - Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and honey. Add olive oil while whisking. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Cheese - Shred cheese. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
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Lettuce / Tomatoes - Prep as directed.
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Make
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Heat a large saute pan (use one with a lid) with cooking oil over medium heat. Add beef, shallots, and garlic and saute, breaking the beef apart until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat, if needed.
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Stir flour, paprika, salt, and black pepper into beef until no dry spots remain.
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Pour stock and tomato sauce into the pan. Bring to a simmer. When liquids begin to simmer, stir in pasta, scraping up anything that is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cover pan with a lid and let the pasta cook until tender. Give the pasta a stir every couple of minutes, especially towards the end of cooking when more of the liquids have cooked off, replacing the lid each time. (Note: Check the package directions on the pasta for recommended cooking time, though the pasta may need a couple of extra minutes since it is not submerged in water.)
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When the pasta is tender, remove the pan from heat and add the shredded cheese in several additions, stirring well each time. Stir in relish.
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Toss lettuce, tomatoes, and onions in vinaigrette until dressed to your liking.
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Serve pasta with salad on the side. Enjoy!
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