One of the few dinners that my entire family will eat, without fail, are tacos. But, lord have mercy, you can only eat tacos so many times in a month. And that’s coming from someone who looooooves tacos. So I wanted to put a spin on tacos that still had the same deliciousness and simplicity of our family favorite. This Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta certainly delivers on all that I had set my sights towards. First, it is ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes. Second, it still has all of that yummy taco flavor, but as a pasta. And third, it is so simple to make. I can’t stress that enough. There is little to no prep in this and most of these ingredients are probably items that you already have on hand.

This Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta recipe is a super versatile dish. Just like actual tacos. You can use what you have and switch it up in a countless number of ways. I’ve listed all of the ingredients below, as well as any ideas on substitutions. There are a few things that I would recommend doing as stated in the recipe- like cooking the pasta in broth (and not water) because the broth gives the pasta so much more flavor. This super simple, super delicious is sure to become one of your new go-to meals!

Ingredients that you’ll need to make Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta

Olive Oil

Ground Beef– I use a 90-10 to keep the meal lighter, but you can use whatever you like. You could even go nuts and use ground turkey or ground chicken.

Sweet Onion

Garlic Cloves

Jalapeño– there is little to no heat in the end result of this recipe. Even if you’re sensitive to spice, I’d still recommend leaving it in for flavor. If you’d like more heat, feel free to add more jalapeños (or leave their seeds in).

Taco Seasoning– I use a store-bought packet for this recipe. Use whatever brand you like or you could even use homemade.

Low-Sodium Beef Broth– I always recommend using low-sodium broths so you can control the amount of salt in recipes. You could substitute water for this ingredient, but cooking the pasta in the broth adds a lot more flavor.

Salsa– I use a jarred store-bought salsa for this recipe. Use whatever brand that you like.

Medium Shell Pasta– you could use another pasta, anything that you like. Pick something that will hold the sauce well.

Frozen Corn– could substitute with fresh or canned corn

Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese– I do think that this is the best cheese for this recipe, but you could use whatever you like. I have never used another cheese, but pepper jack would probably be a good option as well.

Green Onions

Let me show you how to make this Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta 👇🏻

In a large, high-walled skillet, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 Lb ground beef, 1 cup diced sweet onion, 1 diced jalapeño, and 3 minced garlic cloves.

Stir frequently, breaking up the beef as it cooks.

When the beef is fully cooked, drain any excess fat from the skillet. Then add 2 tbsp of taco seasoning (save the rest for later) and 1/2 cup of water. Stir well to incorporate the seasoning and cook for 2 minutes on medium-high until the water has cooked off a little.

Remove the beef to a bowl and set aside.

Without wiping out the skillet, add 8 oz of medium shell pasta, 3 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1 cup of salsa, and the remaining taco seasoning (about 1 tbsp). Give it a stir.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium (you want a medium simmer), and cover with a lid. Cook the pasta for 8 minutes until al dente.

When the pasta is cooked to al dente, remove the lid and add the ground beef back to the skillet. Also add 1 cup of frozen corn.

Give it a good stir and let it cook for a few minutes to thaw the corn, heat up the ground beef, and thicken slightly.

Lastly, add 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Stir gently until the cheese has melted.

Top the pasta with sliced green onion. You could also top it with a little extra salsa or sour cream. Or you could even crush up some tortilla chips and sprinkle them on top for a little crunch.

Enjoy!!

Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe. These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

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