Description
This flavorful Taco Pasta recipe combines cheesy goodness with savory ground beef and a blend of spices for a comforting one-pot meal. Perfect for busy weeknights, it cooks pasta right in the sauce, saving time and dishes while delivering rich, melty cheese and bold taco flavors.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cheeses
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes (equal to 1/3 cup)* can sub with 3/4 cup shredded cheese
Meat and Seasoning
- 1 lb. Ground beef, 85% lean
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 oz. packet Taco seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
Liquids and Other Ingredients
- 1 cup Beef broth
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 1 cup Whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 1/2 lb. Medium pasta shells
Instructions
- Prepare cheese: Shred the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese from blocks and set aside at room temperature to help melt smoothly into the sauce later.
- Cook ground beef: Over medium-high heat in a high-walled pot or Dutch oven, cook and crumble the ground beef until browned. Drain excess grease to keep the sauce from becoming oily.
- Sauté garlic: Melt the butter in the same pot, then add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Add remaining ingredients: Stir in taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, chicken broth, milk, and undrained Rotel tomatoes. Mix thoroughly to combine all flavors.
- Boil and add pasta: Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Add the pasta shells and push them down to submerge fully in the liquid. Cover the pot and cook following the pasta package instructions, usually about 12 minutes. Halfway through cooking, slide a silicone spatula along the bottom to prevent sticking.
- Check pasta doneness: Remove the cover and taste a pasta shell to ensure it is cooked to your liking. If needed, cover again and cook longer to desired tenderness.
- Incorporate cheese: Lower heat to low. Gradually stir in the shredded and cubed cheeses until melted and the sauce becomes creamy and thickens slightly.
- Serve: Allow the sauce to thicken further off the heat as the pasta absorbs it. Serve warm once your preferred consistency is reached.
Notes
- This recipe produces a generous amount of sauce, so you can increase pasta to more than ½ lb. if you prefer less saucy pasta.
- You may use all chicken broth or all beef broth if you want to simplify the flavor profile.
- Shredding cheese from blocks yields a creamier melt than pre-shredded bagged cheese.
- Other pasta shapes like rotini, penne, or bow tie pasta can be substituted; adjust cooking times according to the package.
- Diced or shredded chicken can replace ground beef; add it at the end to avoid toughness from boiling.
- Optional additions include corn, bell peppers, black beans, or jalapeños for extra flavor and texture.
- Try the Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe next for another delicious, easy meal.
- This recipe is featured on page 160 of The Cozy Cookbook.
- Nutritional facts are estimates and calculated per serving assuming 6 servings per recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: Thirty-five g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
