Easy Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe

This cheesy taco pasta recipe is a great way to get a hearty, filling meal on the table in just over 30 minutes. With ground beef, onions, peppers, taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, and plenty of cheese, this taco spaghetti includes all your favorite taco Tuesday flavors, twirled on a fork!

You Will Love This

• It's tacos with a twist! If your family is like mine, we have tacos on our regular menu rotation, but every once in a while it's nice to shake it up and add something new. This taco spaghetti has all the taco flavor just served in a creative new way.
• It's made with real ingredients! Most taco spaghetti recipes call for Velveeta cheese product or cream of chicken soup. But this relies on a super simple roux of butter and flour combined with heavy cream to give it that signature creamy sauce. And there's plenty of spices and Rotel tomatoes to pack in tons of flavor.
• If you loved this taco pastarecipe, be sure to check out my easy cheesy chicken spaghetti casserole, cheesy supreme pizza casserole, and my cheesy baked spaghetti with ground beef. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Spaghetti - Any type of long or short pasta works great in this taco pasta. I also like to use angel hair or fettuccine but penne, rigatoni, elbow macaroni, shells, or rotini would all work as well. Just make sure you stick with 16 ounces of pasta.
• Ground Beef - Whenever I'm using ground beef, I prefer 80/20 because fat equals flavor and anything more lean is going to sacrifice flavor. You can substitute with ground chicken or ground turkey as well. 
• Taco Seasoning - If you don't have any taco seasoning on hand, feel free to throw together my super easy homemade taco seasoning made with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and paprika!
• Butter - Butter contributes to the overall flavor of the dish and helps thicken the sauce a bit. I always cook with unsalted butter so that I can adjust the sodium level myself. You can substitute with olive oil if you prefer. 
• Onions & Peppers - I prefer yellow onion, green pepper and red pepper. You can switch it up depending on your taste. Feel free to add some canned green chiles or corn if you like as well.
• Garlic - I prefer using fresh garlic, but you can substitute ¾ of a teaspoon of garlic powder in its place.
• Flour - Stick with all-purpose flour for the best flavor and texture.
• Beef Broth - Beef broth works best since we are using ground beef in this recipe. But you could sub with chicken broth or veggie broth.
• Heavy Cream - Heavy cream is going to give your pasta sauce the best smooth texture and rich flavor. Feel free to sub with half and half but the sauce will be a bit thinner.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Any type of shredded cheddar cheese will work. You can use your favorite melting cheese like Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack. Some recipes call for Velveeta, but I find that you can get that same smooth, creamy texture with shredded sharp cheddar in this recipe.
• Rotel Tomatoes - Rotel tomatoes have a blend of spices and green chilies mixed in which is why they work well in this taco pasta. You can also use fire-roasted diced tomatoes or regular canned diced tomatoes but the flavor will be slightly different.

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan, Dutch oven, or heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Brown ground beef, crumbling it with a spatula as it cooks.

Add ⅔ of the packet of taco seasoning along with a few splashes of water to help the seasoning coat the beef.

Saute onion, bell pepper, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper in butter.

Add garlic and the remaining taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Sprinkle flour over the veggies and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.

Slowly pour in about half a cup or so of the beef broth, stirring everything together until the broth cleans the bottom of the pan.

Stir in remaining beef broth and heavy cream until well combined.

Stir in shredded cheese until it completely melts into the sauce.

Stir in Rotel tomatoes (DON'T DRAIN!) and seasoned ground beef.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Carefully add pasta and toss to coat evenly in the sauce. Mix until well combined.

Garnish with sliced green onion and cilantro and enjoy!

Tips

• Feel free to switch up the toppings. Green onion, extra cheese, salsa, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, jalapeños, diced avocado or guacamole, black olives, or even a dollop of sour cream would all work well with this taco pasta.
• Make it vegetarian! This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by simply using 2 cans of black beans (drained and rinsed) instead of the ground beef.
• Make it a taco bake! If you want to turn this into a taco casserole, just transfer the spaghetti to a baking dish, top with extra shredded cheese, and bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. Garnish with green onion and cilantro and enjoy! 

FAQ

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This taco spaghetti is a delicious make ahead dish because the flavors just get better with time! You can also prep the individual components and then combine everything together when you're ready to eat.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Reheating: Reheat the taco spaghetti in a saucepan or large skillet on medium heat with a splash of broth or heavy cream to loosen up the sauce. You can also warm up this taco spaghetti in the microwave.

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