At my house, taco Tuesday is definitely a thing! Sometimes, it’s simple tacos with ground beef. Once in a while, we’ll do shredded chicken tacos. Other times, we’ll go for Taco pizza or enchiladas. Every now and then, I’ll pull out the one pot taco pasta.
I just love those one-pot wonders for weeknight meals! There’s nothing better than easy clean-up, no?
Honestly, this recipe couldn’t be easier and is quite perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Even though I don’t have littles in the house any more, I still love those easy weeknight meals that don’t require too much time. Sometimes, you simply have other things to do and don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen preparing a meal. Right? I mean, there’s cocktails to be had, after all 🙂
My one pot taco pasta is perfect for those nights when you need something on the table quick. And, the short list of ingredients makes it even better!
The recipe itself is really three short steps.
Brown
Start of by combining your ground beef, salt and pepper in a large skillet or dutch oven and cooking through. Be sure to use something large enough to cook your pasta in during the next step.
Mix the One Pot Taco Pasta
After draining the excess grease, mix in your taco seasoning, water, salsa and uncooked pasta. Cover and cook for approximately 15 minutes until pasta is tender.
Serve
Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Serve with any additional toppings you like.
Variations on One Pot Taco Pasta
There are lots of things you can do to tweak this recipe and make it your own.
Spice it Up
If you’re into spicier foods, add some diced jalapenos, use hot salsa or the hot taco seasoning packets.
Cool it Down
Mix in a dab of sour cream right before serving – I always do, especially because we usually spice ours up since my family likes things on the hot side.
Add Some Crunch
If you’re one of those folks who likes a bit of crunch, crushed tortillas will definitely fit the bill.
Veggies or Beans Anyone?
For those of you who want to add some veggies to the equation, a can of corn or even some black beans would work wonderfully in this mix.
At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to add your own twist based on your families preferences. Part of the fun of cooking is making it your own.
Anyways, I hope you’ll give my one-pot taco pasta a try on one of those crazy nights where you simply have too many irons in the fire and need to get a meal on the table fast! Let me know how it goes for you and what adjustments you made – I may want to copy 🙂
Until next time, bon apetit!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 pack taco seasoning mix
- 1 cup salsa
- 2-¼ cups water
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta whatever style you have on hand is fine
- 8 ounces Mexican or Fiesta blend cheese
- Optional – diced tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Combine ground beef, salt and pepper and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
- Drain excess grease.
- Mix in taco seasoning until combined.
- Add salsa, water and pasta and stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Remove from heat and mix in shredded cheese.
- Serve, adding any additional toppings, if desired.
18 thoughts on “One Pot Taco Pasta”
This sounds delicious and so easy. I’ll definitely need to make this sometime.
It’s definitely both of those things. I love the easy recipes – especially on those busy weeknights. Hope you enjoy if you give it a try 🙂
This look soooo good! Definitely need to try ASAP! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy 🙂
We love taco-flavored dishes in our house! And, this pasta is creamy, flavorful and super easy to make!
Right there with you on the taco-flavored dishes – always so tasty! Enjoy.
This recipe has my two favorite words: one-pot and tacos. Can’t wait to make this tomorrow for Taco Tuesday.
Right there with you! I love anything type of one-pot wonders 🙂 Hope you enjoy this one!
I love easy-to-prepare recipes for the days when you are in a hurry, and also food that is yummy. Thanks!
Thanks so much. There’s nothing better than a tasty and simple recipe on those busy nights. Enjoy.
Absolutely. Who wants to spend hours in the kitchen on those busy nights? Enjoy.
Taco meat is so versatile! I’ve never thought of putting it in pasta though. I’ll have to try that!
It is totally versatile! You’ll be surprised at how tasty (and quick) this recipe is! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Reminds me of Hamburger Helper, only healthier! We’ll be doing this one our next Taco Tuesday!
That’s hilarious 🙂 I totally never thought of that at all, but it really does share some similarities. Hope you guys enjoy!