Taco Pasta | Cookies and Cups

Tacky taco pasta is such a simple household dinner! Full of juicy floor beef, salsa, and loads of Tex-Mex seasoning, it’s a 30-minute recipe excellent for weeknights.

This dinner concept combines two of our family favorites: tacos and creamy pasta! For one more enjoyable Italian-Mexican spin, do that tacky burrito lasagna.

Why You’ll Love This Taco Pasta Recipe

We love dinnertime mash-ups like taco pizza and taco burgers. This time, prepare for creamy, tacky, satisfying taco pasta! This taco pasta is the very best type of weeknight dinner (as in, the entire household goes loopy for it), right here’s why:

• Filled with daring taste. Taco pasta is a hearty and healthful meal that’s tremendous satisfying! It’s like a Tex-Mex model of my creamy beef pasta, full of punchy, Southwestern flavors of cumin, cayenne, and chili powder.
• Cooked (virtually) in a single pan. This pasta dinner combines tender rotini noodles, juicy floor beef, tomatoes, plus different Tex-Mex staples like corn, black beans, salsa, and spices, all in the identical skillet. You simply have to boil the pasta individually.
• Prepared in half-hour. We’ve all felt the crunch of a busy weeknight, and pasta recipes are a few of my go-to household dinners. This taco pasta comes collectively in a snap and all the time hits the spot.

In case you’re a fan of simple skillet dinners like my skillet taco rice and skillet tamale pie, then this virtually one-pan pasta is correct up your alley.

Taco Pasta Components

This recipe makes use of easy components, however there’s loads of large, daring taste to go round. You may simply adapt the spices for youths, too, for a milder dish. Don’t overlook to scroll to the recipe card for the complete components checklist and recipe particulars.

• Pasta – I take advantage of rotini noodles, however you may make this recipe with any dry pasta that you’ve got readily available. Different good choices are penne, rigatoni, shells, fusilli, or bowtie pasta. You may even use spaghetti!
• Floor Beef – It’s also possible to make this pasta with floor rooster or turkey.
• Tomatoes – Canned crushed tomatoes work completely right here. It’s also possible to use diced tomatoes.
• Salsa – Select your favourite ready salsa from the shop, both gentle or spicy relying on what you favor.
• Seasoning – You’ll want a packet of taco seasoning, plus extra cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
• Corn and Black Beans – The canned variety. Don’t overlook to empty and rinse them first.
• Cheese – Grated cheddar cheese, or one other melty cheese like Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican cheese mix.

The best way to Make Taco Pasta

Right here’s the way to have your taco pasta scorching and on the desk in only a few simple steps:

• Brown the meat. Begin by sautéing floor beef in an oven-safe skillet. You are able to do this whereas your pasta boils al dente in a separate pot.
• Mix. As soon as your beef is cooked, decrease the warmth and stir in crushed tomatoes, salsa, taco seasoning, and different spices. Lastly, add the corn and black beans.

• Add the pasta. Drain your cooked pasta noodles, then add them to the sauce and toss to coat.
• Bake. Sprinkle over shredded cheese and switch the skillet to a 400ºF oven. Bake for 10-Quarter-hour, till the cheese is melted and your taco pasta is scorching all through.

Suggestions for Success

Under are some ideas for the very best taco pasta:

• Use an oven-safe skillet. This recipe goes simply from the stovetop to the oven when you use the fitting skillet. Be certain that the pan you’re utilizing is oven-safe, like a forged iron or stainless-steel skillet or related.
• Use freshly grated cheese. Cheese that’s grated contemporary from the block has the very best melty consistency.
• Cook dinner the pasta al dente. In Italian, al dente means pasta that’s nonetheless agency when bitten. Comply with the cooking instructions on the field, and do your finest to not over-boil the pasta earlier than combining it with the sauce (particularly because it bakes within the oven afterward, we don’t need it to be mushy!).
• In case your taco pasta seems a little bit dry, stir in a little bit of water as wanted, to assist loosen up the sauce.

Simple Variations

Searching for a enjoyable solution to change up this recipe? Similar to a standard taco, there’s a great deal of potential to make this pasta your individual. Attempt these concepts:

• Completely different protein. As talked about, you may make this recipe with one other kind of meat, like floor rooster or floor turkey when you’d choose. Leftover cooked shredded chicken or pork carnitas are additionally tasty choices, simply stir them in once you add the pasta.
• Extra veggies. Bulk up this taco pasta recipe with chopped onions, bell peppers, or jalapeños.
• Vegetarian. For a vegetarian taco pasta, omit the bottom beef and change it with an additional can of black beans or one other selection, like pinto beans. Cooked lentils or meatless mince would additionally work.
• Creamy. To make a creamy taco pasta, simply earlier than baking, take the skillet off the warmth and stir in bitter cream or heavy cream. Afterward, high with cheese and bake as directed.

What to Serve With Taco Pasta

We love serving our bowls of taco pasta topped with taco toppings like guacamole (or avocado salsa) and a dollop of bitter cream. A sprinkle of contemporary cilantro and a squeeze of contemporary lime juice additionally go a great distance in brightening the flavors of this dish! Begin your meal with Tex-Mex-inspired appetizers like chicken flautas and chicken nacho dip, and pair this taco pasta with a crunchy Southwestern Cobb salad. In fact, you’ll be able to’t go fallacious with a basic aspect of crusty French bread or garlic pull-apart bread for sopping up the additional sauce.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Fridge. Refrigerate leftover taco pasta in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. To reheat, heat the pasta in a skillet on the stovetop or within the microwave. 
• Freeze. You may freeze this pasta in a freezer-safe container for as much as 2-3 months. Defrost within the fridge in a single day earlier than reheating.

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