Taco Pasta | Cookies and Cups

Tacky taco pasta is such a straightforward household dinner! Full of 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 an additional 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 most effective form 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 at all times hits the spot.

If you happen to’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 Elements

This recipe makes use of easy substances, however there’s loads of large, daring taste to go round. You possibly can simply adapt the spices for youths, too, for a milder dish. Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card for the total substances listing and recipe particulars.

• Pasta – I exploit rotini noodles, however you can also make this recipe with any dry pasta that you’ve available. Different good choices are penne, rigatoni, shells, fusilli, or bowtie pasta. You would even use spaghetti!
• Floor Beef – You may as well make this pasta with floor hen or turkey.
• Tomatoes – Canned crushed tomatoes work completely right here. You may as well 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 further cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
• Corn and Black Beans – The canned type. Don’t neglect 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 learn how to have your taco pasta sizzling 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 sizzling all through.

Ideas for Success

Beneath are some ideas for the most effective taco pasta:

• Use an oven-safe skillet. This recipe goes simply from the stovetop to the oven when you use the correct skillet. Be sure that the pan you’re utilizing is oven-safe, like a forged iron or chrome steel skillet or related.
• Use freshly grated cheese. Cheese that’s grated recent from the block has the most effective melty consistency.
• Prepare 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 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 bit of dry, stir in a little bit of water as wanted, to assist loosen up the sauce.

Straightforward Variations

On the lookout for a enjoyable solution to change up this recipe? Similar to a conventional taco, there’s a great deal of potential to make this pasta your personal. Strive these concepts:

• Completely different protein. As talked about, you can also make this recipe with one other kind of meat, like floor hen or floor turkey when you’d favor. 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 substitute 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 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 may’t go flawed 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 possibly can 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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