Taco Pasta – One Pot!
This Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe is a 30 minute meal that you can make in ONE Pot! Cheesy pasta shells are tossed with seasoned ground beef in a creamy taco sauce. This is sure to be a huge hit with the family, picky eaters included!
Be sure to try my Taco Lasagna recipe next!
Taco Pasta
This is one incredibly quick and easy one pot pasta recipe guys. And a terrific way to make use of ground beef.
It’s like the taco version of hamburger helper, but ten times better. And literally just as fast.
I kid you not when I say that this is truly a 30 minute meal, and the fact that you only need ONE POT is just a major bonus.
I’ll get into the ingredient list now, but note that there are tons of ways to make easy substitutions.
Ingredients
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Monterery Jack Cheese
- Cheddar Cheese
- Velveeta Cheese
- Ground Beef
- Butter
- Garlic
- Taco Seasoning
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Beef Broth
- Chicken Broth
- Whole Milk- Low fat milk runs the risk of curdling.
- Rotel Tomatoes
- Pasta Shells
Optional Additions: Corn, bell peppers, black beans, jalapenos.
PRO TIP! Top it with tortilla chips, Doritos, or Fritos for a fun crunch!
Substitution Options
- 2 cups chicken broth may be used if you don’t have beef broth (and vice versa.)
- The cheese options are very flexible. Shred them from a block at home for the creamiest consistency.
- If you don’t have Velveeta, substitute 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar, Monterery, etc.
- Other types of pasta may also be used, refer to the box for cooking times. Examples include penne and bow tie pasta.
- Diced or shredded chicken can also be used instead of ground beef.
How to Make it
Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain. Add butter and garlic, cook for one minute.
Add all remaining ingredients except Cheese and Pasta. Bring to a gently boil.
Add the pasta shells and submerge in the liquid.
Cover & Cook for 8 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low.
Add the cheese and stir until combined.
Yup. That’s it. Taco Pasta is Served.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More One Pot Recipes
-
- One Pot Cheeseburger Casserole
-
- One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
-
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
More Taco Favorites
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Taco Pasta - (One Pot!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes (equal to 1/3 cup)* can sub with ¾ cup shredded cheese
- 1 lb. Ground Beef, 85% lean
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning, 1 packet
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1 cup Beef broth
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 1 cup Whole milk, at room temp
- 1 can Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies, (10 oz.)
- ½ lb. Medium pasta shells
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Shred the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and set aside. They should be near room temperature when added to the pasta sauce.
- Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat in a high-walled pot or dutch oven. Drain and return to the pot.
- Melt the butter in the same pot and add and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese and pasta.
- Stir to the sauce ingredients to combine. Bring to a gentle boil. Add the pasta and submerge it in the liquid. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
- Remove cover and ensure the pasta is sufficiently cooked.
- Turn heat to low. Gradually stir in cheese until melted.
- There will be plenty of sauce but it will thicken upon standing and the pasta will continue to absorb it.
- Serve once desired consistency is obtained.
Notes
PRO TIP! Top it with tortilla chips, Doritos, or Fritos for a fun crunch!
I cannot get enough of this dish! I cook it at least once a month!
Thanks so much! I make this one a lot too! It’s super easy and my little one loves it! Thanks so much for the review!😀
These aren’t considered ‘large’ pasta shells. They’re medium
I will try to make this recipe next week, hopefully
Hey Bonnie! You are SO right, I can’t believe I put large! (Can you imagine that?? lol)- Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I hope you get to try it soon! 🙂 Take care! -Stephanie
Actually, I think these would be great stuffed with the large also!
Ohhhhhh Taco Stuffed Shells, I think I’m getting an idea! 😉
This was great! My husband and son both loved it! I see this becoming a regular at my house.
Hey Brittany! That is SO great to hear…this is always a hit at my house too! 🙂 Thank you SO much for taking the time to come back here and leave a rating and a comment, I really appreciate that! Take care. -Stephanie
I made this today with a couple of substitutions. I used egg noodles and marinara sauce because I didn’t have shells or tomato paste in my pantry. But I had everything else available. I am happy to say that this recipe is amazing!!! It was so creamy and savory! I will definitely be making it again! Thank you Stephanie for always having such amazing recipes to share!
You’re the BEST ShaRonda! I’m so happy that it turned out well for you and that you were able to make those substitutions! You’re the best!!! -Stephanie
So, I love pasta, ground beef, and anything taco but despise anything tomato. How do you think it would taste if I subtracted that from the recipe?
Tiffany
Hi Tiffany, you’ll be absolutely fine omitting the diced tomatoes from this recipe, no problem! 🙂
Also, if you omit the tomato paste the consistency of the sauce just won’t be quite as thick.
Thank you Stephanie! I’ll be making this tonight!