Italian · Serves 2
How do you make everyone happy at dinnertime? A DIY pasta bar! You’ll set out tender penne with two delicious sauces: a beef marinara sauce and a lemon cream sauce. Plus there’s roasted zucchini, chili flakes, and plenty of Parmesan so everyone can create their own perfect plate. Order broccoli for extra veggies, or pillowy spinach ricotta ravioli to mix it up.
Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1⁄2-inch-thick half-moons. Trim and peel carrots; grate on the largest holes of a box grater. Zest and quarter lemon. TIP: If you added any other items to your meal (apps, sides, and/or dessert), you can get started on them now!
Adjust racks to top and middle positions. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces if necessary.
Toss zucchini on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until lightly browned and tender, 14-16 minutes.
Toss broccoli on a separate baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on middle rack until browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 1-2 minutes.
Add beef* and season with half the garlic powder (you’ll use the rest in Step 6), salt (we used 1⁄2 tsp; 1 tsp for 4 servings), and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes. (Carefully drain any excess grease from pan.)
While beef cooks, add penne to pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl; toss with a drizzle of olive oil. Reserve pot for use in Step 6.
Add marinara and 1⁄2 cup reserved pasta cooking water (3⁄4 cup for 4 servings) to pan with beef mixture; stir to combine.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 2-4 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. TIP: If sauce seems too thick, stir in more pasta cooking water a splash at a time.
Whisk together cream sauce base, remaining garlic powder, and 1 TBSP water (2 TBSP for 4 servings) in pot used for pasta over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in juice from one lemon wedge (add more lemon juice if you prefer a tangier sauce) and as much lemon zest as you like. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve penne, roasted zucchini, meat sauce, lemon cream sauce, Parmesan, chili flakes, and remaining lemon wedges family style and let everyone build their own plate.
Serve broccoli alongside pasta bar.
Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
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