Description
Spicy cheesy taco pasta brings Mexican-inspired comfort straight to dinner tables with bold flavors and creamy goodness. Rich pasta layers combine zesty ground beef, melted cheese, and classic taco seasonings for a quick, satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
Pasta and Liquid Ingredients:
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) uncooked pasta (penne or shells)
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) beef broth
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
Flavor and Topping Ingredients:
- 1 packet (28 grams) taco seasoning
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) salsa
- 1 cup (120 grams) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Warm a spacious skillet with olive oil over moderate temperature, introducing ground beef and fragmenting it into fine morsels while cooking until achieving a rich, caramel-brown coloration.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning across the meat, allowing the spices to bloom and intensify for approximately one minute.
- Incorporate uncooked pasta, rich beef broth, and zesty salsa into the skillet, thoroughly blending ingredients and encouraging a vigorous boil.
- Reduce flame to minimal heat, seal the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and allow the mixture to gently simmer for 10-12 minutes, ensuring pasta reaches perfect tenderness and liquid transforms into a velvety sauce.
- Fold shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses into the pasta, complemented by a dollop of creamy sour cream, stirring until the dairy components melt into a luxurious, glossy consistency.
- Calibrate seasoning with strategic pinches of salt and freshly cracked pepper, tailoring the flavor profile to personal preference.
- Elevate the dish’s visual appeal and herbaceous notes by scattering freshly chopped cilantro across the surface, then serve immediately while piping hot.
Notes
- Customize the heat level by choosing mild, medium, or spicy taco seasoning to match your taste preference.
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a leaner or vegetarian version of the dish.
- Use gluten-free pasta and verify taco seasoning is gluten-free to make this recipe suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.
- Add extra vegetables like diced bell peppers or corn during the cooking process to boost nutritional value and create more texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 564
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 978 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg