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+ servings
taco pasta in a bowl with cheese on top

Taco Pasta

Liz Olberding @ Up North Nosh
This (almost) one pot cheesy taco pasta recipe has all of the classic taco flavors, is easy to make, easy to clean up, and will have your family licking their plates clean.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 567 kcal

Equipment

  • large pan
  • medium pot
  • colander

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb extra lean ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning or make your own here
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 oz light cream cheese regular or reduced fat will work
  • 1 cup taco sauce I prefer Ortega
  • 1 cup frozen corn thawed
  • 8 oz medium pasta shells
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • In a large pan over medium-high heat, add ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon or meat masher like this one. Cook until beef is cooked though and no longer pink.
  • Once cooked through, drain all liquid from pan. Stir in taco seasoning and 3/4 c water and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the pasta shells. Cook until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1/2 c of the pasta water and set aside.
  • Drain the remaining water from the pasta shells and give them a quick rinse with cold water. This will stop them from cooking any further. Set pasta shells aside.
  • Cut the cream cheese into smaller chunks and stir them into the taco meat over low-medium heat. This will help it melt faster. Stir to combine. I prefer to use reduced fat cream cheese in this recipe simply to save a few calories, but regular cream cheese works fine too.
  • Add the 1 c of frozen corn and 1 c of taco sauce to the ground beef mixture and give it a good stir.
  • Grab the cooked pasta shells and add them into the pot a few spoonful at a time, stirring in between to make sure the pasta is getting nice an coated by the meat and sauce.
  • Once all of you pasta is in the pot, add the reserved pasta water and stir 1/4 c of it into the pot one tablespoon at a time creating a nice, “saucy” mixture. If you’d like to create even more sauce, add the remaining 1/4 cup of water. Adding a little bit at a time is a great way to create your desired sauce thickness without making it too runny.
  • Stir in 1 c of shredded cheese and viola! Your Taco Pasta is ready.
     

Notes

Try serving with these fun toppings:
  • shredded cheese
  • dollop of sour cream
  • green onions
  • diced bell peppers
  • diced tomatoes
  • black olives
  • avocado
  • green chilies
  • salsa
  • hot sauce
Note: You can substitute ground turkey for ground beef,  but since turkey is drier than beef, so you may need to add in a bit more taco sauce and water to keep your pasta nice and saucy.
Store leftover Taco Pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If this dish seems a bit dry when you re-heat leftovers, add a few splashes of water to make it nice and saucy again.
In the mood for more Mexican dishes that are great with either ground beef OR ground turkey? Try Taco Pie with Crescent Rolls or Enchilada Pasta Bake or Layered Taco Dip.

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 42gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 387mgPotassium: 611mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 441IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 258mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!