This creamy one-pot taco pasta recipe is an easy dinner made from scratch with ground beef and shells in a cheesy, zesty tomato sauce. Garnish each serving with your favorite Mexican-inspired toppings!
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If you love taco recipes, be sure to try this taco bake with Doritos, this crockpot Mexican chicken, this taco pie, this crescent roll taco bake, and this 5-ingredient taco casserole, too!
This Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe is a Perfect Weeknight Dinner
For those of us who grew up with Hamburger Helper or Velveeta Shells and Cheese, this made-from-scratch taco pasta recipe will taste very nostalgic! It’s a creamy, zesty combination of pasta and ground beef with taco seasoning, Rotel, and plenty of cheese. Best of all, the one-pot meal is ready in about 30 minutes!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- I use lean ground beef, but you can use a different protein like ground turkey or ground chicken as well.
- A packet of taco seasoning mix is a great shortcut. If you prefer, you can use a homemade taco seasoning blend instead.
- Rotel tomatoes with green chilies add a little bit of spicy kick. If you prefer a mild dish, look for “mild” Rotel or just sub with a can of regular petite diced tomatoes.
- Velveeta cheese gives the sauce a creaminess that’s hard to replicate with other types of cheese. Sure, you can substitute with extra cheddar, but the sauce won’t have the same smooth consistency.
- Heavy cream gives the dish its creamy texture. Do not substitute with half-and-half, milk, or other lower-fat alternatives, which may break or curdle in the acidic tomato sauce.
How to Make One Pot Taco Pasta
This easy taco pasta is the perfect comforting, kid-friendly dinner with just 10 minutes of prep time! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic. I prefer a Dutch oven for this dish, since it has more capacity and makes stirring (without spilling) easier. That said, you can also use a large, deep skillet.
- Stir in the pasta shells, broth, tomato sauce, Rotel, taco seasoning, and sugar. The sugar might seem like an odd addition, but it balances the acidity in the tomato sauce, resulting in a more complex dish with a brighter tomato flavor.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 8-10 minutes. The total cooking time will vary, so keep an eye on the pasta and turn off the heat as soon as it’s al dente.
- Remove the pot from the heat. You don’t want to add cheese while the heat is still on, because the heat can cause the cheese to separate and take on a grainy texture.
- Stir or whisk in the Velveeta, cheddar, and cream until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary, then serve.
- Garnish individual servings with all of your favorite taco toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the pasta with a crisp green salad dressed in Dijon vinaigrette, a cool cucumber salad with vinegar, or this fresh and easy pico de gallo. Round out the meal with tortilla chips or Fritos with salsa or guacamole, jalapeño cheddar cornbread, Jiffy Mexican cornbread, or a loaf of homemade jalapeño cheddar bread.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Taco pasta is best when served immediately.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- This dish does not freeze well, since the cream-based sauce has a tendency to “break” or separate when thawed.
- To reheat, place the mixture in a saucepan. Warm over low heat, just until it reaches the desired temperature. Stir regularly and the sauce should become smooth again! You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until warm.
Did you make this recipe?
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Cheesy Taco Pasta
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
This easy, cheesy taco pasta recipe is the ultimate family-friendly weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 8 ounces dry medium shells pasta (about 2 ¾ – 3 cups measured before cooking)
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 4 ounces grated sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced green onion, diced avocado, guacamole, salsa, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is soft, about 7-9 minutes. Drain off the fat, leaving the beef in the pan.
- Stir in the pasta shells, broth, tomato sauce, Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles, taco seasoning, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low so the liquid is at a gentle simmer. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the pasta cooks evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the Velveeta, cheddar, and heavy cream. Stir until the cheese melts. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Garnish individual servings with optional toppings.
Notes
Heavy cream gives the dish its creamy texture. Do not substitute with half-and-half, milk, or other lower-fat alternatives, which may break or curdle in the acidic tomato sauce.
For a lighter, less-creamy dish, reduce the heavy cream to suit your taste.
Swap out the shells pasta and use elbow macaroni, penne, rotini, farfalle, cavatappi, or another similar short shape. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 557kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 30gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 1350mgPotassium: 884mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1472IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 303mgIron: 4mg
Recipe Variations
- Swap out the shells pasta and use elbow macaroni, penne, rotini, farfalle, cavatappi, or another similar short shape. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time according to your package directions.
- Try different types of cheese. For instance, swap out the cheddar and try white cheddar, Monterey Jack, gruyere, or gouda.
- To add some extra vegetables to the pan, sauté grated carrots, diced bell peppers, or grated zucchini at the same time that you brown the meat. You might also like to bulk up the dish with frozen or canned corn kernels and/or a can of drained and rinsed black beans.
- For a lighter, less creamy dish, reduce the heavy cream.
- Use chicken broth instead of beef broth, if necessary.
More Taco Recipes to Try
Easy Taco Soup (Stovetop or Crock Pot)
55 minutes mins
Taco Pie
52 minutes mins
Dorito Taco Salad
27 minutes mins
Not a Velveeta cheese person. Don’t like the taste of it. What can you add /use instead?
Sounds like a good recipe. Hope you can substitute something else and results be the same.
Hi, Joslyn! I think it will work fine with another type of cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, etc.). It won’t have quite the same creamy, smooth texture and mouthfeel, but you might prefer it if you don’t care for Velveeta. Let me know if you give it a shot!
So simple and extremely yummy! I will definitely be making this again and again! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
Thank you, Lacey! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.