Cheesy Taco Pasta Dish (Printable)

A quick, comforting one-pot Tex-Mex dish with pasta, seasoned beef, and melted cheddar cheese.

# Ingredient list:

→ Meat & Protein

01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Pasta

04 - 8 oz short pasta (penne, shells, or rotini)

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 cup canned corn, drained
08 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
09 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices

→ Liquids

10 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth

→ Seasonings

11 - 2 tbsp taco seasoning
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Optional Toppings

14 - Chopped fresh cilantro
15 - Sliced green onions
16 - Sour cream

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
03 - Sprinkle taco seasoning, salt, and black pepper over the beef mixture, stirring well to evenly coat the ingredients.
04 - Stir in corn, black beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, pasta, and broth until fully combined.
05 - Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed.
06 - Remove the skillet from heat. Sprinkle cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the pasta. Cover and allow the cheese to melt for 2 to 3 minutes.
07 - Gently stir the melted cheese into the pasta. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely a one-pot meal, which means your cleanup is blessedly simple.
  • The whole thing comes together in under forty minutes, making it perfect for nights when you're scrambling.
  • You get that satisfying taco flavor without actually assembling individual tacos, which is somehow less stressful.
02 -
  • If your pasta isn't tender after the initial simmer time, don't panic—just add a splash more broth and give it a few more minutes instead of cranking up the heat.
  • Drain your canned vegetables thoroughly because excess liquid will make the sauce runny instead of creamy.
03 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef properly—that's where the actual flavor comes from, and it's the difference between this tasting home-cooked and tasting like you opened cans.
  • Keep the heat moderate while it simmers so the pasta cooks gently instead of falling apart; you want tender, not mushy.
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