Cheesy Taco Pasta is one of my favorite ground beef pasta recipes: delicious taco meat in a homemade sauce with shell pasta. It’s ready in under 20 minutes in one pan for an easy weeknight dinner!
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups small shell pasta
- 1 pound ground beef, lean or extra lean
- 1/2 cup onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar or mozzarella
- fresh cilantro, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef and stir until it is no longer pink. Drain fat from the pan.
- Add onions and optional garlic to the beef. Fry for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, water, and pasta.
- Loosely cover the pan, reduce heat to medium.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes until the pasta is done, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese and optional fresh cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To make your own taco seasoning, combine these ingredients in a small bowl:
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt