Easy Taco Pasta Recipe

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posted by Christy Denneyon Aug 29, 2022 (updated Sep 14, 2023) 118 comments »

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Taco Pasta is creamy, spicy and an easy Italian meets Mexican dinner. I love making this pasta when I want the whole family to be happy. A great recipe with simple ingredients for those busy weeknights full o taco flavor in a nice creamy sauce.

Lately it’s been an all out drag down fight to get my kids to eat dinner.

The last three mealshave ended in a score ofParents 0 – Minions 3.

I gave up. I told my husband, “I think I’m boycotting cooking dinner this week.”

But then I made this pasta. Two of my kid’s favorite things in one dinner. Sure to be a hit. It’s like a Mexican version of Hamburger Helper with all the taco flavors.

The other tip for success is to make sure your kids are starving. Or if you don’t have kids make sure your husband is starving.

Usually as I’m making dinner, the kids are ambushing the refrigerator without me looking (no wonder they never eat). But this time my husband had them outside in the hot tub for a pre-dinner swim.

Dinner was silent. Everyone was busy eating. It was fabulous. And my barely two-year-old ate more than my husband and I put together. My oldest son said that the shell pasta looked and tasted like miniature tacos. You can use any small pasta though.

This meal comes together really quickly and doesn’t require the oven so it doesn’t heat up your house. A-hem.Parents 1 – Minions 3.

This easy recipe is versatile and a great way to switch up taco night. You can use any type of pasta here really and bulk it up with a can of black beans or sprinkle it with your favorite taco toppings.

OTHER TACO RECIPES:

Taco Salad Pasta
Taco Lasagna
Walking Tacos
Taco Pizza Rolls
Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa
Taco Pasta Salad
Taco Party Bread
Easy Taco Pasta Casserole

Taco Pasta

4.69 from 29 votes

This Taco Pastais creamy, spicy and an easy Italian meets Mexican dinner. I love making this easy pasta dish that the entire family loves.. A great way to switch up Taco Tuesday.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or any other shortpasta shapes, (about 3-4 cups dry)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 ounces) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
1 packet of taco seasoning, (4 tablespoons)
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin. Add the cooked pasta a little at a time to the ground beef mixture. You may not need all of it. Stir to coat.
Toss in the fresh cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.

Notes

slightly adapted from Fake Ginger

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe, Calories: 369kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 117mg, Potassium: 399mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 326IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 2mg

Cuisine: Mexican

Course: Main Course

Author: Christy Denney

All Recipes Beef Cinco De Mayo Main Dishes Mexican Pasta Turkey

originally published on Aug 29, 2022 (last updated Sep 14, 2023)

118 comments Leave a comment »

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118 comments on “Taco Pasta”

Kathy — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 @ 09:18:13 EDT Reply
I love your cookbook!
- Christy Denney — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 @ 01:53:46 EDT Reply
  Thank you! I appreciate it!
Jen — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 @ 17:37:37 EDT Reply
Delicious! I was going to top mine with shredded cheddar, but the sauce is so good as is that I didn’t even need it. It was super easy to make too and I keep all the ingredients on hand so this will definitely be a regular dish!
- Christy Denney — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 @ 01:28:40 EDT Reply
  So glad you liked it!
Kris — Tue, 02 May 2023 @ 00:57:58 EDT Reply
Super love it! Family loves it. This is a keeper for sure ❤️
- Christy Denney — Tue, 02 May 2023 @ 01:37:57 EDT Reply
  Aw thank you!
B.Jones — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 @ 20:29:39 EST Reply
Great recipe that doesnt call for velveeta but if you wanted to add it you could. I used penne. Looking forward to lunches with the left overs since those lil thick noodles absorb everything
- Christy Denney — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 @ 02:07:14 EST Reply
  Thank you!
Jen — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 @ 19:57:29 EST Reply
Do you have calorie count and nutrition info for this recipe?
- Christy Denney — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 @ 02:30:34 EST Reply
  I will add it now.
  - Shawn — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 @ 20:52:14 EDT Reply
    In the nutrition section it says 1 serving is 1g? Im assuming incorrect. What would be the correct amount? Thank you
    - Christy Denney — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 @ 01:52:46 EDT Reply
      that is a bug in the recipe card. It’s 1/6th of the recipe.
Kim Hill — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 @ 18:04:33 EDT Reply
We really enjoyed this. I had a lot of leftover taco meat from an event, so used it to make this. The only change I made was to add about 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese.
- Christy Denney — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 @ 02:23:36 EDT Reply
  So glad you liked it!
Kevin — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 @ 19:09:39 EDT Reply
I added a can of black beans, it was amazing. Everyone loved it
- Christy Denney — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 @ 02:28:13 EDT Reply
  Yay!

Easy Taco Pasta Recipe - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2024)