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Navy-style pasta with beef mince

30 min, 20 active4 servings650 kcal per servingEasy
Navy-style pasta with beef mince
Example photo: Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Makarony po-flotski, or navy-style pasta, started as a simple meal for sailors and became a staple of Russian home cooking. The original mixes pasta with boiled beef put through a mincer, but most families now make the quick version with raw mince fried with onion. It's filling, inexpensive and on the table in half an hour. The two things that matter are browning the mince properly and using plenty of onion for sweetness. Any short pasta shape works.

Method

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  1. Bring 3 litres of water to the boil for the pasta and salt it with about 1 tablespoon of salt.

  2. Finely dice the onion. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until soft and lightly golden.

  3. Add the mince and turn up the heat. Break it up with a spatula and fry for 10-12 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and it starts to brown.

  4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet says. Save 100 ml of the cooking water and drain the rest.

  5. Stir the chopped garlic into the mince, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.

  6. Tip the pasta into the pan with the butter and 50-100 ml of the pasta water. Toss over the heat for 2 minutes so the pasta soaks up the juices.

Tips for success

  • Don't cover the mince while it cooks, or it will steam and stay grey.
  • Don't rinse the pasta. The starch on its surface helps the juices cling.
  • If the mince is lean and the dish looks dry, add a little more pasta water or another knob of butter.

Serving and storage

Serve straight away, topped with chopped herbs or grated cheese. Fresh cucumber and tomato, pickles or ketchup for the kids all go well alongside.

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a frying pan with 2-3 tablespoons of water so the pasta doesn't dry out.

Variations

  • Tomato: add 2 tablespoons of tomato purée and 100 ml of water to the mince and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Traditional: boil a piece of beef, mince it and fry with the onion.
  • Cheesy: sprinkle over 80 g of grated cheese and cover for a minute to melt.

Calories and macros

Per serving (about 236 g):

650kcal
27.1protein, g
30.3fat, g
66.1carbs, g

Per 100 g: 275 kcal, P 11.5, F 12.8, C 28. An estimate based on average ingredient values. Your daily calories ›

QuickBudgetNo ovenFor kids

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Frequently asked questions

What pasta is best for navy-style pasta?

Short shapes such as penne, macaroni, fusilli or elbows. Choose durum wheat pasta, which keeps its shape and doesn't stick together. Spaghetti works too, but it's harder to mix evenly with the mince.

Why is my mince grey instead of browned?

It's stewing rather than frying, usually because the pan is too small, the heat too low or there's a lid on. Use a wide pan over high heat, uncovered, until the moisture evaporates and crispy brown bits appear.

Can I make it with canned stewed beef?

Yes, that's the classic camping version. Fry the onion, add a can of stewed beef with its fat, heat for 5 minutes and toss with the pasta. Go easy on the salt, as canned meat is already salted.