Taco Pasta

Switch up taco Tuesday with this fun taco pasta recipe. Loaded with perfectly seasoned ground beef, creamy noodles, tomatoes and a decadent sauce, this recipe is going to be a new family favorite.

Taco Pasta Recipe

We absolutely love tacos at our house. Never have I ever heard my kids complain about having tacos for dinner. The other night, everyone wanted tacos, but honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to make my homemade flour tortillas and I didn’t have any backup flour tortillas in the pantry, so I decided to create something new. It was then that this creation was made.

The rancher and my kids were in heaven and kept complimenting the meal over and over. I was pretty proud of this new taco pasta recipe. And… my 11-year-old took the leftovers to school for the next two days for lunch. I mean, that’s saying something.

The Cowboys’ Rating: 9.5/10

Every time I make a new recipe, I have my family rate the recipe out of 10. By the time, these recipes make the blog, they’ve been tried and tested by some of my hardest tiny critics!

What Ingredients Are in Taco Pasta?

• Ground Beef – As always, we use our own homegrown ground beef that is grass-finished and regeneratively raised. It’s delicious, lean and so good. Our ground beef is 90/10 and I never have to drain off a bunch of fat.
• Large Shell Noodles – I used large shell noodles here because they’re like little cups holding all that yummy sauce and beef together for the perfect bite.
• Garlic Powder – I wanted to add some noticeable flavor here but also not be too overwhelming, so I added just a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Onion Powder – Because we have onion haters in my house, I always use onion powder. Onion powder gives some extra flavor to the ground beef.
• Taco Seasoning – Obviously you can’t have taco pasta without bringing in that taco flavor. I make my own homemade taco seasoning which is our family’s favorite taco seasoning. It’s not too overpowering and is packed full of flavor.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Beef broth – I love a good one pan meal, which means less dishes. To make this taco pasta recipe a one-pan meal, you need to add in the liquid to the ground beef. I like to use beef broth for added flavor and then add an extra cup of water as well.
• Diced Tomatoes – There are many different varieties of diced tomatoes. I just used regular petite diced tomatoes for this recipe.
• Water
• Cream Cheese – Cream cheese makes this pasta extra creamy and more decadent.

Tools You’ll Need

• Frying Pan
• Spatula
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Can Opener

Recipe for Taco Pasta

1. In a frying pan, cook ground beef until completely cooked through.
2. When ground beef is cooked, add in seasonings, beef broth, water and shell noodles. Mix well.
3. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the broth and water begin boiling, immediately reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes until the noodles are soft and have absorbed most of the moisture.
4. Drain diced tomatoes and set aside.
5. When noodles are soft, add in diced tomatoes. Mix until just incorporated.
6. Cut cream cheese into small squares and add to beef and noodles. Mix slowly until cream cheese has melted and is well incorporated.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Gluten Free Taco Pasta

This recipe can easily be made to be gluten free! Here’s how:

First, make sure that you are using a gluten free taco seasoning. I have a homemade taco seasoning recipe that is gluten free here.

Second, you will want to choose a gluten free noodle. These are my favorite gluten free noodles that would work great for this recipe!

Barilla Gluten Free Pasta – 3 pack variety

Barilla Chickpea Rotini Pasta

How to Store Taco Pasta

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’re ready for some yummy leftovers, just pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.