Description
This delicious one-pot Taco Pasta combines ground beef, a flavorful blend of cheeses, and classic taco seasonings with tender pasta shells all cooked together in a rich, creamy sauce. Perfect for an easy and comforting dinner that packs bold southwestern flavors.
Ingredients
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) or 3/4 cup shredded cheese
Meat and Seasonings
- 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 Veggies
- 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
Pasta
- 1/2 lb. Medium pasta shells
Instructions
- Prepare Cheeses: Shred the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses from a block and set aside at room temperature for best melting.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a high-walled pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- Sauté Garlic: Melt butter in the same pot and add minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, chicken broth, whole milk, and Rotel tomatoes with juices. Stir to combine well.
- Boil and Add Pasta: Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Add pasta shells and ensure they are submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook according to pasta package instructions, generally about 12-15 minutes. Halfway through cooking, gently slide a silicone spatula along the bottom to prevent sticking.
- Check Pasta Doneness: Remove the cover and taste a pasta shell to confirm it’s cooked to your liking. If undercooked, cover and cook a bit longer until desired tenderness is reached.
- Incorporate Cheese: Reduce heat to low. Gradually stir in the cheeses until fully melted and sauce is creamy.
- Serve: Once the sauce has thickened slightly and pasta has absorbed flavors, serve hot.
Notes
- This recipe makes a generous amount of sauce; feel free to increase pasta amount slightly to soak it up better.
- You can use all chicken broth or all beef broth if preferred instead of a combination.
- Shredding cheese from blocks yields a creamier sauce compared to pre-shredded bagged cheese which melts less smoothly.
- Other pasta shapes like rotini, penne, or bow tie work well—adjust cooking time according to package.
- Diced or shredded chicken can replace ground beef but add it at the end of cooking to avoid toughness.
- Optional add-ins include corn, diced bell peppers, black beans, or jalapeños for extra flavor and texture.
- Try the Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe for another flavorful twist.
- This recipe appears in The Cozy Cookbook on page 160.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
