Taco Pasta

This Taco Pasta is creamy, spicy and an easy Italian meets Mexican dinner.  

I love making this Taco Pasta when I want everyone at the table to be happy.

TACO PASTA

Lately it’s been an all out drag down fight to get my kids to eat dinner.

I gave up. I told my husband, “I think I’m boycotting cooking dinner this week.”

But then I came across this pasta. Taco Pasta. Two of my kid’s favorite things in one dinner. Sure to be a hit.

The other tip for success is to make sure your kids are starving. Or if you don’t have kids make sure your husband is starving.

Usually as I’m making dinner, the kids are ambushing the refrigerator without me looking (no wonder they never eat). But this time my husband had them outside in the hot tub for a pre-dinner swim.

Dinner was silent. Everyone was busy eating. It was fabulous. And my barely two-year-old ate more than my husband and I put together. My oldest son said that the pasta shells looked and tasted like miniature tacos.

This meal comes together really quickly and doesn’t require the oven so it doesn’t heat up your house. A-hem. Parents 1 – Minions 3.

If you love this Taco Pasta recipe, you’ll love these recipes:

Taco Pasta Salad

Taco Lasagna

Taco Pizza Rolls

Print

5 from 2 votes

Yield: 6 servings

Taco Pasta

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes (about 3-4 cups dry)
• 1 small onion chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
• 1 packet 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin. Add the pasta a little at a time. You may not need all of it. Stir to coat.
4. Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.

Recipe Notes

slightly adapted from Fake Ginger

Author: Christy Denney

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican