Zucchini and ground beef skillet
Lean beef, tender zucchini and tomatoes in a garlicky Italian-seasoned skillet, light, low-carb and ready in 25 minutes.
- 25 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.99 a serving
- 280 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lb 90/10 ground beef
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 zucchini
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 280 calories, 27 g protein, 11 g carbs and 14 g fat, and costs about $2.99 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No 90/10 ground beef? 85/15 ground beef works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No zucchini? Yellow squash works.
- No diced tomatoes? Crushed tomatoes work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the zucchini lengthwise and into half-moons. the onion and the garlic.
Halve. Halving means cutting something into two equal pieces. Even halves cook at the same speed, so one doesn’t dry out while the other finishes.
How you’ll know: The two pieces look like mirror images of each other.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Dice. Dicing means cutting food into small, even cubes, usually a quarter to half an inch across. Pieces the same size cook at the same speed, so nothing burns while the rest catches up.
How you’ll know: Your pieces are little cubes about the size of a chickpea, and they all look close to the same.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Heat a large over medium-high and cook the beef and onion 7 to 8 minutes, breaking up the beef, until no pink is left.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium-high heatTimer: 7 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Lean beef doesn’t leave much fat, so there’s nothing to spoon off.Food safety: Ground beef, pork and lamb are done at 160°F. When it’s cooked through there’s no pink left anywhere in the pan.
Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, salt and pepper for 30 seconds.
Medium-high heat
Add the zucchini and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until just .
Tender-crisp. Tender-crisp means vegetables cooked until just tender but still with a little snap. They keep their bright color and crunch instead of going soft and dull.
How you’ll know: A fork goes in with slight resistance, and the color is bright, not olive or gray.
Medium-high heatTimer: 4 min 30 sec
Add the tomatoes with their juice, turn the heat to medium, and 5 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the sauce a little.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Zucchini goes from tender to mushy fast. Pull it when a fork slides in but it still holds its shape.Sprinkle with parmesan and basil and serve.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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