Taco Pasta | Cookies and Cups

Tacky taco pasta is such a simple household dinner! Stuffed with juicy floor beef, salsa, and loads of Tex-Mex seasoning, it’s a 30-minute recipe good 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 sort of weeknight dinner (as in, the entire household goes loopy for it), right here’s why:

• Stuffed 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, crammed with 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.

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

Taco Pasta Substances

This recipe makes use of easy substances, however there’s loads of large, daring taste to go round. You’ll be able to simply adapt the spices for teenagers, too, for a milder dish. Don’t overlook to scroll to the recipe card for the complete substances listing and recipe particulars.

• Pasta – I exploit 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 would even use spaghetti!
• Floor Beef – You may also make this pasta with floor hen or turkey.
• Tomatoes – Canned crushed tomatoes work completely right here. You may also use diced tomatoes.
• Salsa – Select your favourite ready salsa from the shop, both gentle or spicy relying on what you like.
• Seasoning – You’ll want a packet of taco seasoning, plus further 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.

How you can Make Taco Pasta

Right here’s have your taco pasta scorching and on the desk in just some straightforward 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.

Ideas for Success

Beneath are some ideas for the very best taco pasta:

• Use an oven-safe skillet. This recipe goes simply from the stovetop to the oven for those who use the fitting skillet. Be certain the pan you’re utilizing is oven-safe, like a forged iron or stainless-steel skillet or comparable.
• Use freshly grated cheese. Cheese that’s grated recent 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. Observe the cooking instructions on the field, and do your greatest 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 appears a little bit dry, stir in a little bit of water as wanted, to assist loosen up the sauce.

Straightforward Variations

Searching for a enjoyable strategy to change up this recipe? Identical to a conventional taco, there’s a great deal of potential to make this pasta your personal. Attempt these concepts:

• Totally different protein. As talked about, you may make this recipe with one other kind of meat, like floor hen or floor turkey for those who’d want. Leftover cooked shredded chicken or pork carnitas are additionally tasty choices, simply stir them in while 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, prime 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 recent cilantro and a squeeze of recent lime juice additionally go a good 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 traditional 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’ll be able to 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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