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Taco Pasta

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by: Girl Who Ate Everything
Updated Mar 7, 2017
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Mexican meets Italian in this quick and spicy pasta dinner. Perfect for busy weeknight meals.

More About This Recipe

  • Lately it's been an all out drag down fight to get my kids to eat dinner. Whining, tantrums, and requests for only mac n’ cheese for every meal. (I swear they think it’s one of the food groups.) I gave up. I told my husband, "Forget it. I think I'm boycotting cooking this week." But then along came this pasta. Taco Pasta. Two of my kids' favorite things all in one meal. If my kids didn’t go for this, there was no hope. I called them in from playing and sat them down, prepared for the usual whines of “I don’t like this.” Dinner was silent. Everyone was quiet, with mouths full chowing down. It was fabulous. And my two-year-old ate more than my husband and I put together. Double miracle. This pasta is Mexican-meets-Italian -- a spicy taco meat in a creamy tomato pasta with a splash of chopped cilantro for some freshness. My oldest son loved that the pasta shells looked and tasted like little miniature tacos. The best part about this meal is that I literally had dinner on the table in twenty minutes. Before you abandon hope and hit the drive-thru, try this quick and easy Mexican-Italian dinner for your family!
  • For even more ideas, check out our collection of Pasta Recipes you can enjoy for any weeknight meal.

Taco Pasta

  • Prep Time 10 min
  • Total 20 min
  • Servings 6
  • Ingredients 10
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey or beef
  • 12 ounces medium pasta shells or small pasta shapes
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted petite diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 packet (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix
  • 3 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
  • Step 
    2
    Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Step 
    3
    Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
  • Step 
    4
    Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.
  • Step 
    5
    Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.

Nutrition

470 Calories
16g Total Fat
24g Protein
56g Total Carbohydrate
3g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
470
Calories from Fat
140
Total Fat
16g
25%
Saturated Fat
6g
28%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
75mg
25%
Sodium
720mg
30%
Potassium
260mg
8%
Total Carbohydrate
56g
19%
Dietary Fiber
3g
14%
Sugars
3g
Protein
24g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
15%
15%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
8%
8%
Iron
20%
20%
Exchanges:
3 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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