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Taco pasta topped with shredded cheese and cilantro on a grey plate.
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Creamy Taco Pasta (Ready in 15 Minutes!)

This Taco Pasta is your answer to "what's for dinner?" on the busiest of weeknights. With ground beef and store bought short cuts like taco sauce and garlic herb cream cheese this dish comes together easily in just 15 minutes. It's got all the flavors of tacos but in pasta form - less mess, and less stress.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 784kcal
Author Emmeline Kemperyd

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 oz pasta
  • ¼ cup pasta cooking water
  • 1 tablespoon butter or oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 4 tablespoon taco seasoning store bought or homemade
  • 1 8 oz jar taco sauce I like hot; use what suits you
  • 1 cup garlic and herb flavored cream cheese see notes for other options
  • 1.5 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half; or chopped regular tomatoes
  • ½ loosely packed cup chopped cilantro

To serve (optional)

  • shredded cheese
  • cilantro
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Get the pasta cooking in heavily salted water and cook according to package instructions. When done, drain but reserve some of the pasta water.
    12 oz pasta
  • Heat oil or butter in a pan over medium-high heat then add in ground beef. Cook 3-5 minutes until browned, then add taco seasoning and cook 1 more minute while mixing.
    1 lb ground beef, 4 tablespoon taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon butter or oil
  • Add salsa and simmer 2 minutes over medium heat.
    1 8 oz jar taco sauce
  • Add cream cheese and mix and simmer until melted and combined with the rest of the ingredients.
    1 cup garlic and herb flavored cream cheese
  • Mix in cooked pasta and pasta water.
    ¼ cup pasta cooking water
  • Mix in cherry tomatoes.
    1.5 cup cherry tomatoes
  • Turn off the heat and mix in cilantro.
    ½ loosely packed cup chopped cilantro
  • Serve as it is or topped with shredded cheese and some extra cilantro.
    shredded cheese, cilantro

Video

Notes

 
Cook pasta and sauce at the same time. This way you save time and ensure the pasta is just done when added to the sauce.
Use store bought ingredients. This dish is really made to be quick, easy, simple, comfort food - nothing fancy, just good flavors. No need to make your own taco seasoning or taco sauce for this! But, of course, you can do this as well - and if you already have it, this is a great way to use it up.
Use a large enough pan. Make sure the pan you make the sauce in has room for all the pasta as well. We don't want any unnecessary dishes!
 

Cream Cheese

If you don't want to use garlic herb cream cheese you can use a different kind, either a different seasoning (paprika or tomato are also good), or use a natural cream cheese and add 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and paprika powder. Or a different seasoning of your choice!

Alternatives to Ground Beef

Vegetarian: Use black beans or a vegetarian ground "beef".
Non-vegetarian: Use a different kind of ground meat like ground pork, turkey, or chicken.
 

Add Additional Ingredients

Missing your favorite taco topping? Just add it! Some good options are corn, chopped onion, chopped jalapeños, chopped bell peppers and black olives.
If you want the additions to soften (could be the case for onion or bell peppers), add them with the ground beef. If you want them to keep their texture, add them with the cherry tomatoes.
 

Adjust the Spice Level

You can make this as mild or spicy as you like, just use an appropriate taco sauce. To make it extra spicy, add chopped jalapeños or use an extra spicy habanaero taco sauce. To make it extra mild, swap half the taco sauce for crushed tomatoes.
You can also use less taco seasoning if you want to make it milder, depending on how spicy the seasoning you use is.
 

Storing, Freezing & Reheating Instructions

This dish is great for leftovers!
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheating in microwave: Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1-minute increments, mixing between each segment.

Nutrition

Calories: 784kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 576mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1144IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 4mg