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This easy taco pasta recipe is a super flavorful 30-minute dish with tender ground beef, cheddar, Rotel tomatoes, and your favorite taco seasonings! It’s so quick and designed for busy weeknights.
Love a creative twist on tacos? Same. Try this Easy Taco Casserole Recipe, my Beef Taco Salad, or this irresistible Creamy Taco Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
This taco pasta recipe is the perfect hybrid dish with hearty, filling pasta and loads of cheese. It’s also got a really meaty sauce, and that’s exactly how we like it… and with a touch of cream to round it all out in typical Salt & Lavender fashion! My homemade seasoning mix with tender ground beef can’t be beat.
This beef taco pasta is a fantastic kid-friendly weeknight meal in particular if you’ve got some fussy eaters in your home. It’s creamy, loaded with cheese, and effortless to throw together. Of course, these are all things that adults like too, so everyone is going to be happy with this spin on taco night.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – our kitchen chose shells since they’re the ideal shape to hold the sauce. They’re perfect little pockets. We’ve also tested with penne with great results.
- Ground beef – we’re using extra lean (96% lean) ground beef since you can then skip the step where you need to drain the fat, and it’s healthier overall.
- Seasoning – my homemade taco seasoning blend has chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and smoked paprika for all-out flavor
- Red bell pepper – it’s an easy way to sneak in a veggie and add some crunch
- Rotel tomatoes – they’re not just diced tomatoes; they have green chilies too! Original has a little kick, but you can use their mild variety if that’s a consideration.
- Cheddar – I chose a sharp cheddar and prefer to grate it myself for the best taste and texture vs. using the bagged shredded kind, but if you’re in a pinch, that’s ok too.
- Heavy cream – for that tasty creaminess in the sauce
- Scallions – optional but a burst of freshness. They’re a mild green onion, so the kiddos won’t mind it at all.
Pro tip
- If you can’t find Rotel, use canned diced tomatoes and get one of those little cans of green chilies separately to use in conjunction. The chilies give this dish a great pop of flavor. It’s definitely worth it to include them for that signature taste.
How to make taco pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet brown the ground beef with the taco seasoning blend. Break it apart, and then add in the bell pepper.
Stir in the tomatoes, cream, and cheddar. Cook until incorporated. Add in the drained pasta, toss, and season with salt & pepper. Garnish as desired, and enjoy.
Can I add more toppings?
- You bet! Some chopped cilantro would add even more fresh flavor. You can go all out and add a dollop of sour cream and chopped tomatoes from the garden, sliced avocado, etc. Basically, anything you’d normally top a taco with would be a fun addition to this pasta.
Substitutions and variations
- Feel free to use the spicy variety of Rotel tomatoes if you do want a kick. For even more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or some crushed red pepper flakes.
- I recommend trying my homemade taco seasoning, but you can use a premade seasoning if you wish. However, be mindful of the salt content if you go that route so you don’t over-season this pasta.
- If you want this to be creamier, go ahead and add more cream! Conversely, you could leave it out if needed, but it does add moisture and completes the dish.
- Ground turkey would also work in this recipe in place of the ground beef.
What to serve with this pasta
- It’s a complete meal by itself, but I won’t say no to a bowl of tortilla chips and my Easy Restaurant Style Guacamole as a tasty side!
- You can also serve taco pasta with a salad. Try pairing some mixed greens, your favorite veggies, and my popular Chipotle Lime Ranch Dressing for a crave-worthy salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers of this pasta will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container in your fridge.
- Reheat in a small saucepan slowly and over a low heat for best results. Add in a splash of cream if it needs a little reviving.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one. Cheesy sauces don’t always do so well in the freezer.
Let me know if you’ve made this simple taco pasta recipe! Questions? Leave me a comment below. As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.
Easy Cheesy Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 (10 fluid ounce) can Ro-tel diced tomatoes & green chilies with juices
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese I used sharp cheddar
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped scallions and cilantro
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for your pasta. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, prep your other ingredients and start browning the beef with the spices over medium-high heat in a skillet (approx. 8-10 minutes). Add the red pepper once the meat is broken up a bit and starts to brown.
- If you didn't use very lean ground beef, drain most of the excess fat. Add the Rotel tomatoes, cheese, and the cream. Cook for a few more minutes.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Season with salt & pepper and garnish as desired.
Notes
- You can use pre-made taco seasoning instead of the individual spices I suggest if you wish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on August 12, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
This is a keeper! Didn’t use cream and it was great!
Glad you liked it!
Made this for dinner tonight after seeing it on your Instagram account. Pasta and Tacos? Seriously can’t ask for anything better. It was truly delicious. Will definitely be adding it to our dinner rotation.
Aww I’m thrilled it was a hit, Lauren! 😀 Thanks for your review!
Can you leave out the whipping cream?
You could, but it won’t make as much sauce, and IMO it won’t be as good.
So while I haven’t made this yet. All reviews definitely make me want to plac it on the menu soon.
Its more of a hmm.. I have jumbo shells. In the more what I have open thought. Just pondering it I could/how to stuff shells and bake it…?
Thanks!
I think that would be a great idea, actually! I’d then top it with some extra cheese and pop it in the oven until the cheese melts (maybe 375F?). Let me know how it goes!
This was really yummy and very easy. I substituted curry powder for cumin (hate cumin) but otherwise made exactly as written. 16 year old “I want protein” son was a fan. It has been added to the “it’s a keeper” dinner rotation at our house.
That’s great to hear, Donna! Glad it’s teenager approved. 🙂
I made this the other night and it was so delicious that I can’t stop thinking about making it again.
I subbed the red pepper for a few jalapeño peppers because I prefer their flavour and find that they don’t add much spice if they’re de-seeded. I also served it topped with a dollop of sour cream, because what’s a taco without some sour cream?
That’s awesome!! I love the sour cream too hahaha. Thanks for your review!!
I made this tonight for the first time and we both loved it! I wasn’t sure from reading the recipe – some I just know I will love based on the ingredients. This one I couldn’t quite wrap my head around (tacos + pasta ???) So, so glad I gave it a try, as it turned out so delicious!
This was a meal made when we came back from a long weekend and needed to food shop, so we had to do with what I already had on hand. And it STILL came out great! I used ground turkey instead of the beef (always do) and used crushed tomatoes instead of the diced. I was afraid it would be too liquidy/saucey but it wasn’t. It really thickened up quickly once it was done. I added a chopped vidalia onion and next time will add a can of black beans (I usually do that when we make tacos – sneaky way to add in more protein). Used less cheddar cheese and always light cream instead of heavy. And did I mention it was STILL so delicious!
Thank you as always for your kitchen creativity. We are eating so much better because of it! ❤️
Hi Angela! I’m so happy you guys enjoyed it. Yup, when I first heard of “taco pasta” I scratched my head a bit too, but it was definitely fun to make/test. 🙂
Hi I can’t wait to try this recipe! I saw you mentioned the dish isn’t spicy but there is a tablespoon of chili powder – do you use a certain type of chili powder that isn’t spicy? Just wanting to make sure I don’t make it a super spicy meal by mistake 🙂
Hi Jenna! Yes, the kind I buy isn’t particularly spicy. I typically buy a large container of it… the one I’m currently working through is the Safeway name brand version (Compliments brand) here in Canada. Most blends are usually pretty mild, though. I don’t recall ever encountering a brand that I found spicy (and I’m not particularly great with heat myself). There’s usually only a little bit of cayenne pepper in there and the rest is ground cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, etc. If you’re really worried, try making your own chili powder… there’s plenty of recipes online, and you can control the spicy component. I’m not sure if you’re perhaps getting mixed up with chile powder, which is dried ground chili peppers and quite spicy?
I had no idea! I thought chili pepper was just red peppers so I’m pretty sure I just used red pepper instead on another dish I made haha – I just tried some chili pepper and it’s not spicy! Can’t wait to make this! Thanks for your help!
You’re welcome!! 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner. So good. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
This is my first dish made from your website. It was quick, easy and so delicious. I’m looking forward to trying more recipes.
Thanks!
Thank you, Debra! I am so happy you enjoyed it. 🙂 Let me know if you make anything else!