Cook the pasta

Start by boiling your pasta in a large pot of salted water. Cook until al dente—nobody likes mushy pasta! Drain it and set it aside, but don’t forget to save a cup of pasta water in case you need to loosen up the sauce later.

Sauté the vegetables

In your largest skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the diced green bell pepper, onion, and minced garlic. The aroma that fills your kitchen here? That’s the magic starting to happen. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft and just starting to brown.

Cook the meat

Push the veggies to one side of the skillet and add your ground beef or steak strips. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. If using ground beef, break it up with your spoon as it browns. For steak strips, cook them just until they’re no longer pink but still tender.

Make the sauce

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the softened cream cheese and beef broth. The key here is to keep stirring until the cream cheese melts completely into the broth, forming a silky sauce. If the mixture feels too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Assemble and broil

Toss the cooked pasta into the skillet, making sure every piece is coated in that luscious sauce. Spread it out evenly, then sprinkle the shredded provolone cheese on top. Pop the skillet under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on it—once the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, it’s ready!

Serve and enjoy

Take it out of the oven (careful, the handle is hot!), scoop generous portions onto plates, and dig in while it’s still steaming.