Description
This delicious one-pot Taco Pasta recipe combines seasoned ground beef, tender pasta shells, and a creamy cheese sauce filled with cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Velveeta cheeses. It’s a comforting, flavorful dish perfect for a quick dinner with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture:
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes (or 3/4 cup shredded cheese)
Pasta Mixture:
- 1 lb. Ground Beef (85% lean)
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 oz. packet Taco Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1 cup Beef broth
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 1 cup Whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 (10 oz.) can Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 1/2 lb. Medium pasta shells
Instructions
- Shred Cheese: Shred the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and set aside to be used later for melting into the pasta.
- Cook Beef: In a large pot or deep skillet, cook and crumble the ground beef over medium heat until fully browned. Drain excess grease and return the beef to the pot.
- Prepare Sauce: Melt the butter in the pot with the beef, then add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Pour in beef broth, chicken broth, whole milk, and undrained Rotel tomatoes. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Add Pasta: Add the pasta shells to the boiling sauce mixture. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the pasta until al dente, stirring halfway through cooking to prevent sticking, approximately 15 minutes.
- Melt Cheese: Lower the heat to low and gradually stir in the shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Velveeta cheeses until fully melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Serve: If the sauce is too thick, adjust the consistency with a splash of broth or milk. Serve the taco pasta hot, garnished if desired.
Notes
- This recipe yields a sauce that is quite generous, so you can increase the pasta quantity if you prefer a saucier dish.
- You can substitute all beef broth or all chicken broth based on your taste or availability.
- For the best melting texture, shred cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
- Feel free to try different pasta shapes like rotini or elbow macaroni to change up the texture.
- Optional additions to this dish include adding cooked chicken, corn, diced bell peppers, or black beans for extra flavor and nutrition.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 490 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
