Are you short on time for dinner or is it Taco Tuesday ? Quick Taco Pasta comes together in less than 30 minutes! In this dish, I use my own Taco Seasoning with is vibrant in flavor and much better than what you would taste from using a store-bought pack with a lot of preservatives, just saying. Make a large batch and store in sealed jar; that way you will have it ready to go making the prep shorter! Use about 2 T plus 1-1/2 t per pound of ground meat. This is so much better than those quick hamburger meals in a box.
The Taco Seaoning:
Combine the listed ingredients. As stated above, this seasoning blend can be made in a larger quantity and stored for use in future taco meals!
Meat and Pasta:
For the best use of time, cook and drain pasta while the meat is cooking. Add oil to skillet and cook meat on MED_LOW heat until crumbled and no longer pink. If using a higher fat content of meat, you may want to drain out excess fat before proceeding. Stir in garlic, seasoning, water, lime juice and tomato paste. Once well combined, add in the finely diced jalapeno and stir to evenly distribute. Jalapeno will add a hint more heat and definitely a recommended ingredient.
Finishing Up:
Stir in the small cooked pasta of your choice. Top with the shredded cheese. I used 1-1/2 cups and added more once dished onto my plate. Turn heat to simmer and place a lid on top for a few short minutes untiil cheese is slightly melted. Now it’s ready to serve up, but wait…..
Toppings/Garnishes:
If you want to personalize your QuickTaco Pasta with more flavor, here are some of my favorite toppings for tacos. The cilantro really adds a nice touch. I mixed what you see below for a flavorful mouthful. Yum! I’m wondering if I could add it over some form of lettuce for a Taco Pasta salad….Hmmm…Maybe I’ll try that next time.
- diced grape tomatoes
- diced avocado
- chopped cilantro
- diced red onion
- sour cream
Quick Taco Pasta
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 1 T Chili powder
- 1/8 t cayenne-(optional)-or substitute 1/4 t. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 t dried oregano
- 1 t smoked paprika
- 1-1/2 t cumin
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- 1/4 t onion powder
- 1/2 t sea salt
- 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
Meat
- 1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef or substitute turkey or chicken
- 1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 t minced or pressed garlic
- taco seasoning (above)
- 3/4 c water
- 2 T freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 T finely diced jalapeno( about 1/2 of jalapeno)
- 1 T tomato paste
Pasta
- 1/2 lb small pasta of choice
Cheese
- 1-1/2 c grated cheddar, fiesta or taco blend cheese
Garnishes
- diced grape tomatoes
- diced avocaado
- chopped cilantro
- finely diced red onion
- sour cream
Instructions
Taco Seasoning
- Stir to combine spices and set aside.
Pasta
- Cook pasta in slightly salted water til the time indicated for the al-dente stage while meat is cooking. Drain.
Meat
- Preheat skillet to MED-LOW heat. Add oil and cook meat until it's crumbled and no longer pink.
- Stir in garlic, seasoning, water, lime juice and tomato paste until well blended.
- Stir in the finely diced jalapeno to evenly distribute.
- Stir in the cooked pasta.
- Turn heat down to a low simmer and distribute cheese evenly over the top. Cover for a few minutes until cheese starts to melt.
- Garnish as desired.
