Penne with Beef & Zucchini Ragù
plus Parmesan Cheese
- Wheat
- Milk
Trying to get in more veggies at dinner? We’ve got just the thing! You’ll grate zucchini and swirl the shreds into an Italian-seasoned tomato sauce. The mild veg merges into the beefy sauce without changing the flavor—the perfect way to sneak in some green! The creamy ragù is tossed with penne and sprinkled with Parmesan for a delicious quick-to-the-table dinner.
Ingredients
6 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Shallot
1 clove
Garlic
1 unit
Zucchini
10 ounce
Ground Beef
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
1 unit
Tomato Paste
4 tablespoon
PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
3 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
½ teaspoon
Sugar
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (1½ cups for 4 servings), then drain. • Meanwhile, wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and finely dice shallot. Peel and mince or grate garlic. Trim and grate zucchini on the largest holes of a box grater. • Place zucchini in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather into a tight bundle and squeeze over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. TIP: Alternatively, place grated zucchini in a fine-mesh strainer and press down with a spatula.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef*, shallot, Italian Seasoning, a big pinch of salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and mostly cooked through, 3-5 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in the next step).
• Add tomato paste to pan with beef. Cook, stirring, until tomato paste is well combined and beef is cooked through, 1-2 minutes. • Stir in zucchini, garlic, and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until zucchini is tender, 2-3 minutes. • Stir in PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese, stock concentrate, ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water (ladle straight from the pot if pasta isn’t finished cooking yet), and ½ tsp sugar (for 4 servings, use 2⁄3 cup pasta cooking water and 1 tsp sugar). Simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. TIP: If you’ve got some on hand, add a pinch of chili flakes from your pantry for a spicy kick.
• Reduce heat to medium low. Stir drained penne, half the Parmesan, and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) into pan with sauce until combined. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. • Divide pasta between plates or bowls. Top with remaining Parmesan and serve.
Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160º.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the creamy, beefy sauce, though some found it bland and wanted more tomato flavor or seasoning.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, with grated zucchini adding a sneaky veggie boost that even picky eaters enjoyed.
- Suggestions: Consider adding extra herbs, garlic, or chili flakes for more flavor. Some preferred a smaller pasta shape.
- Leftovers: Reheats well for most, with generous portions often providing extra meals. A few found it less appealing the next day.
- Texture: The grated zucchini blends seamlessly into the sauce, adding moisture without changing the flavor profile.
Reviews from our home cooks
We loved it. I made the beef sauce and put half of it on zucchini noodles for me and half on the penne for my husband, since he hates zucchini and I try to avoid pasta. PERFECT!
We loved this, and it was easy to add extra penne and ground beef to make it a meal for 4-we had it for Sunday dinner, and there was nothing leftover:)
It was pretty easy to prepare but the sauce was a bit mellow and dull for my liking. The beef and zucchini went well together!
An excellent recipe. At first, I was worried it wouldn't be filling but the shredded zucchini was fantastic and made this such a satisfying meal. Loved it!
So so tasty!! Made without zucchini as I'm not a huge fan but my fiance loved it!! A little greasy though, next time I make this I would take some of the meat grease out before adding the rest of the ingredients.
If I had to say what I didn't like was the lack of zucchini and Parmesan cheese. I believe that there could have been a 1/2 cup more of the zucchini and at least 2 more packets of cheese. Overall it was very delicious and I enjoyed every bit.
Good flavors...I added a garlic clove because we like garlic....Next time I would not grate the zucchini. I would slice rounds then slice them in half, and I would add sliced mushrooms too....But overall...A very good recipe.
I hate Zucchini, but loved this dish. Great flavor, quick and easy to prep and cook. Ample portions.
Nice way to sneak zucchini in to the recipe by grating it. I like zucchini anyway, but I could hardly tell it was there. Would probably be great for a family with picky kids.
Delicious. We really enjoyed this dish. The zucchini added a lot of volume so it seems like a lot of food.
