Instead of traditional corn tortilla taco shells, this dish is made with shell shaped pasta. How clever is that?!?!? This recipe combines two of my favorites…pasta along with all the fabulous Mexican flavors that I love!!! A big shout out to Catalina at Sweet & Savory Meals. She provided the inspiration for this amazingly delicious pasta dish. I had it saved to one of my Pinterest boards for ages and when I came across it again today I knew what I wanted to make for dinner tonight. Her blog is packed with loads of recipes. Go check it out when you have a chance.
Let’s get this meal going so we can dig in! Start by gathering together the ingredients you need to make this recipe.
Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Reserve ¾ cup of the pasta water.
Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Once beef is browned and cooked through, and drain off excess fat. Add the minced garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the taco seasoning, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, dried onions, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet, stirring to combine with the meat.
Add 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir to combine all the ingredients and continue to cook until liquid has cooked off.
Stir in salsa.
Instead of using a salsa in a jar, give the Worlds Best Salsa a try. It’s easy to make and adds loads of flavor to this pasta dish!
Next add the cooked pasta to the pan.
Lastly add shredded cheese to the pan.
Stir to combine and melt the cheese.
Serve topped with crunchy tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions or chives on top.
Stovetop Cheesy Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz large shell pasta
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp dried minced onions
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup reserved pasta cooking water
- 1 cup salsa
- 1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- salt & pepper, to taste
Garnish:
- shredded Cheddar cheese
- crushed tortilla chips
- sour cream
- sliced green onions or chives
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Reserve ¾ cup of pasta water.
- Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- Once beef is browned and cooked through, and drain off excess fat.
- Add the minced garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the taco seasoning, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, dried onions, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet, stirring to combine with the meat.
- Add 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir to combine all the ingredients and continue to cook until liquid has cooked off.
- Add the cooked pasta, salsa and cheese to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Serve topped with crunchy tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions or chives on top.
Notes
Did You Make This?
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