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    Home » pasta » Taco Pasta

    Published: Jun 30, 2010 | Modified: Apr 8, 2022 | Author: Amanda Livesay

    Taco Pasta

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    It’s no secret that I love easy and fun pasta dishes so it’s about time I add another one to the ol’ blog. I already have a recipe for what I call taco pasta but this one is slightly different. This one includes a delicious cheesy sauce that makes it more like macaroni & cheese. Yum!

    I had worried this would be too spicy since it calls for taco seasoning and Rotel tomatoes but both of my boys gobbled it up without a problem. My oldest has already staked claim on the leftovers.

    I hate cooking pasta in a dish, you know what I mean? Like, the pasta is cooked in the Rotel and with the ground turkey in this one and I always – and I mean always – end up with burnt pasta stuck to the bottom of my pan when I do this. So I would recommend watching it closely and not being scared to add more liquid if it gets low. Or if you don’t mind washing an extra dish, boil your pasta separately.

    Also, if you’re looking to stretch this one, you could easily add another cup of macaroni. This was a lot of meat for only 1 cup of pasta and I would definitely add another cup next time I make it. Which will be very soon!

    Taco Pasta, Take 2

    • 1 pound ground turkey
    • 1 package taco seasoning
    • 1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
    • 3 cups water
    • 1 cup small pasta (macaroni, shells, etc.)
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 2 tablespoons flour
    • ¾ cup milk
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    1. Brown ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat; drain if necessary. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, water, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 minutes until macaroni is tender.
    2. While pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until fragrant and light brown in color. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta mixture. Stir gently to combine.
    « Lettuce Wraps
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dave says

      August 25, 2011 at 10:44 pm

      Also, I used jennie o ground turkey with taco seasoning already mixed in. I may never use ground beef again.

      Reply
    2. Dave says

      August 25, 2011 at 10:39 pm

      Made this tonight. I doubled the pasta as you suggested. It’s fantastic. Throw some shredded cheese on top at the end and it’s amazing. Thanks! I wil be making this again!

      Reply
      • amanda says

        August 25, 2011 at 11:04 pm

        Awesome! So glad that you enjoyed it! Now I want to make it again! :) Thanks for coming back to let me know!

        Reply
    3. Kelly says

      July 09, 2010 at 1:32 pm

      We just ate this! (I’m staring at the leftovers…they better hide!)
      So delicious…my husband and I both said we could have ate the whole thing. I used gluten free rice pasta and homemade taco seasoning.

      Reply
    4. Andrea - Caffeinate Me says

      July 07, 2010 at 8:49 pm

      I made this tonight – Holy yum! Thanks!
      .-= Andrea – Caffeinate Me´s last blog ..The One With My Project 365 =-.

      Reply
    5. Sara_Tea says

      July 05, 2010 at 8:30 pm

      I just made this, and it’s seriously phenomenal. Thanks so much for the recipe!
      .-= Sara_Tea´s last blog ..the prodigal blogger =-.

      Reply
    6. Steph says

      July 02, 2010 at 12:29 pm

      I am going to add this to my menu! Looks great.
      .-= Steph´s last blog ..Southwestern Sausage Quiche =-.

      Reply
    7. Shawna says

      July 02, 2010 at 4:11 am

      Mmm…I made this last night! Thanks for sharing:o)

      Reply
    8. Liz says

      July 01, 2010 at 5:43 pm

      Wow, this sounds really good. I think this will have to go on my menu for next week; thanks for sharing!
      .-= Liz´s last blog ..CEiMB- Penne with Roasted Tomatoes- Garlic- and White Beans =-.

      Reply
    9. Sarah says

      July 01, 2010 at 12:59 pm

      Thanks for posting this. Love the inclusion of cream cheese and sour cream. Here in the height of summer humidity, I know I’m supposed to be grilling out every night … but I can’t wait for cooler weather to get back to trying new skillet dishes like this one.

      Reply
    10. Becca says

      July 01, 2010 at 11:15 am

      Thanks for this recipe. I was literally just thinking that a taco pasta dish would be nice for dinner tonight and then I found this on the Tastespotting site. Can’t wait to try it! Becca :)

      Reply
    11. nicole says

      July 01, 2010 at 3:26 am

      this sounds so good. we eat tacos so much it’s becoming redundant- this should switch it up a bit!
      .-= nicole´s last blog ..do you see it too =-.

      Reply
    12. Debs says

      June 30, 2010 at 10:57 pm

      Oh yes, I like the sound of this. We are big pasta lovers in our house & we always have the same recipe.

      Great post, thanks for sharing.
      .-= Debs´s last blog ..Homemade Naan Bread =-.

      Reply
    13. Julie says

      June 30, 2010 at 4:28 pm

      I’m sure we’d love this too!
      .-= Julie´s last blog ..Bourbon Kahlua Peach Cobbler =-.

      Reply
    14. Katerina says

      June 30, 2010 at 4:08 pm

      I love the sound of this, plus I love how unconventional it is. Your favorite looks delicious too, although a little high fat!
      .-= Katerina´s last blog ..Are they Muffins or Scones Fun Raspberry and Pumpkin Baking =-.

      Reply
      • amanda says

        June 30, 2010 at 4:13 pm

        Yeah, that one’s definitely not something I make often. It’s a twice a year kind of thing. Thanks for commenting! :)

        Reply
    15. smilinggreenmom says

      June 30, 2010 at 3:26 pm

      This sounds so great! We love taco anything here! Our favorite pasta are the noodles made from Kamut Wheat which are organic and so healthy. I would love to try it with this! Thanks so much – it looks yummy!

      Reply
    16. Patricia says

      June 30, 2010 at 2:53 pm

      Sounds wonderful, but doubt I could hide the cream cheese and sour cream from my husband who won’t eat either one.

      Reply
      • amanda says

        June 30, 2010 at 2:56 pm

        I bet you could stir in some cheddar instead of the sour cream and cream cheese. That would probably be really good. Thanks for commenting! :D

        Reply
    17. Susi says

      June 30, 2010 at 7:29 am

      This sounds like a great and easy meal for a busy weeknight!
      .-= Susi´s last blog ..Giveaway Wednesday =-.

      Reply

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    Amanda Livesay
    Hi, I'm Amanda! DFW food blogger, mom of boys, and crazy dog lady.
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