My neighbor brought this over when we first moved in and it blew my mind.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the curly pasta and cook according to package directions until just al dente. Before draining, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and leave it in the colander while you make the sauce.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until well browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. If there is a lot of grease, carefully spoon off most of it, leaving just a thin coating in the pan for flavor.
Pour the beef broth into the skillet with the browned beef. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and let it bubble gently for 3–4 minutes to reduce slightly and deepen the flavor.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream. Let the mixture simmer gently, not boil hard, for 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until it looks slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Turn the heat down to low. Add the shredded cheddar cheese a small handful at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until it melts smoothly into the sauce before adding more. Take your time here; if the heat is too high, the cheese can get grainy. You want a thick, glossy, velvety cheese sauce wrapped around the beef.
Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the creamy beef and cheese sauce. Toss and fold everything together until the noodles are completely coated. If the sauce seems too thick, splash in a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water and stir until it loosens to your liking. If it seems too thin, let it sit over very low heat for another minute or two, stirring, until it thickens.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed—depending on your broth and cheese, you may not need much salt. Serve the pasta hot in deep bowls, making sure every serving gets plenty of beef and that rich, glossy sauce.
Variations & Tips