Cheesy, creamy, and packed with shell noodles, ground beef, lots of tomatoes, and all your favorite Tex-Mex toppings, one-pot Skillet Taco Pasta is as dreamy as it is filling and flavorful.
Skillet Taco Pasta
You know those meals you adore no matter how many times you have it? Yeah, this is one of those meals for us, and I’m venturing to guess it will be for you and yours, too. You guys already know my love of all things tacos, Tex-Mex, and big and bright flavors. Throw into the mix some noodles (!) and a one-skillet cooking element (hello, easy cleanup), and I’m one happy mama.
Kiddos will love it, too! Full of ground beef, big shell noodles, cheese, and an incredible mix of spices and seasoning, the base of the meal is pretty basic, and then you can invite the little ones to customize their own bowls with whatever they like: chopped tomatoes, avocado, green onion, black olives, and iceberg lettuce. It makes it fun for them, and easy for you!
How long does Skillet Taco Pasta last for?
This is a great contender to make a big ol’ batch of and have for leftovers later in the week. After you let it cool completely, store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the oven for the best texture (aka, no soggy noodles in the microwave!). It also makes an awesome freezer meal — all you have to do is make two skillets of it and freeze one of them to have a full meal ready to go in the future! It’ll keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Can you cook noodles in sauce?
I wouldn’t advise cooking normal pasta in a tomato sauce. Like, spaghetti? Absolutely not. But this is such a hearty and rich dish that when you cook the noodles with everything else, and with a couple cups of water, it works out really well! I think the shape and size of the noodles has something to do with it, and cooking it all in one skillet lets the flavors meld together for longer.
Can you use another type of pasta?
Yep, you can! Pretty much any medium-sized noodle will work, like penne or bowtie pasta. That’s also a fun way to make it a little different each time.
One Skillet Taco Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8 1x
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Cheesy, creamy, and packed with shell noodles, ground beef, lots of tomatoes, and all your favorite Tex-Mex toppings, one-pot Skillet Taco Pasta is as dreamy as it is filling and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 of a large white onion, diced
- 8 ounces uncooked medium shell pasta (about 2.5 cups)
- 2 cups water
- 1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 generous tablespoons sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar or Colby)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh tomato, avocado, diced green onion, and black olives for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot or skillet with a lid, add the ground beef and onion, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the ground beef is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the uncooked pasta, water, diced tomatoes (with the juice), tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt to the pan, and stir to combine well.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer. When the mixture is simmering, reduce the heat to medium, and add the lid.
- Cook until the pasta is tender, about 12 minutes.
- When the pasta is tender, stir in sour cream and half of the cheese. Stir until well combined.
- Place the rest of the cheese on top of the pasta, and add the lid to melt the cheese.
- When the cheese is melted, add the chopped fresh tomato, avocado, green onions, and black olives and serve hot.
- We also like this with a little hot sauce and even shredded lettuce for serving.
Notes
- You can use just about any medium-sized pasta for this recipe.
- Feel free to sub ground turkey or chicken for the beef if you prefer.
- You can use 2 tablespoons of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix in place of the spices to speed up the process if you like.
- Category: main dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: dinner, easy dinner, ground beef, taco, pasta, 30 minute meal
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More ground beef recipes:
- Easy Korean Ground Beef and Rice
- Homemade Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Bop’s Favorite Meatloaf Recipe
- Veggie and Lentil Burgers
- One Pan Tamale Pie
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Easy Slow Cooker Chili
- Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
More one skillet recipes:
- Skillet Cornbread
- M&M’s Skillet Cookie Recipe
- 15 Weeknight One Skillet Meals
- Easy Chicken Skillet Nachos
- How to Clean and Re-Season a Cast Iron Skillet
- How to Cook Bacon in a Cast Iron Skillet
Cheesy, creamy, and packed with shell noodles, ground beef, lots of tomatoes, and all your favorite Tex-Mex toppings, one-pot Easy Taco Pasta Recipe is as dreamy as it is filling and flavorful.
About Melissa
I have a lot going on, and I’d much rather spend my time enjoying my messes than fretting about what I’m going to make for dinner. Over the past few years, I’ve nailed down a few strategies that helped me keep my kitchen running like a well-oiled machine, so I started Bless This Mess to help other mess-loving parents solve the nightly dinner delimma—no stress, no drama, just really great food your whole family will love. Read more...
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We made this fish and followed the recipe to the letter. It looked like a Tex Mex soup.
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Werid?! This is one I make a lot without issues.
I made this for my husband and me for dinner. I used a hot tomato sauce and two 10oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles, but beyond that I stuck to the recipe. We topped it with avocado, tomato, cilantro, shredded lettuce, and a dollop of sour cream. It was sooooo tasty. We each had two servings because we had only eaten breakfast earlier in the day, but I’m sure one serving would have been filling. I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow! Thank you for the tasty recipe!
★★★★★
Ohhhh that all sounds so good! Thank you for letting us know what worked for you, so helpful!
He won’t eat casseroles so I told him this was a skillet dish. Instantly, the meal became totally exceptable. After three servings, he decided to lean back and digest….then he had another small serving. I’m guessing this meant he really liked it! Thanks for a tasty recipe!!!
★★★★★
Ohhh I love to here that! And hooray for not too many leftovers!