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Cheesy Taco Pasta is one pot, 30 minutes, and the pasta cooks right in the broth with the beef and the enchilada sauce. No draining, no second pan, no standing around waiting for water to boil. It’s been on this blog since 2018 and it’s still my favorite thing here.
I want to be clear about that last part. Not one of my favorites. My favorite.
I made it the first time because I wanted a fast dinner and I wasn’t trying to invent anything. Ground beef, taco seasoning, pasta, a truly unreasonable amount of cheese. It has every single thing I like in a bowl, and in 8 years I haven’t found one reason to change it.
We had it for lunch yesterday. Remo asked for it, which at this point is either loyalty or surrender.
I wrote a whole book about 30 Minute One Pot Meals and I’m still making this one on a Tuesday. That tells you most of what you need to know.
The Enchilada Sauce Was An Accident
Here’s the honest version. The first time I made this, I reached for enchilada sauce because that’s what was in my cupboard. That’s it. That’s the whole reasoning. No testing, no side by side, I just had a can.
It turned out to be the best decision in the recipe.
Most taco pastas use salsa, or plain tomato sauce, or nothing but the seasoning packet. Enchilada sauce gives you chili, tomato, and a little tang all at once, and it’s already smooth, so it disappears into the broth instead of sitting there in lumps. Salsa is too watery and you can taste the difference immediately.
I’ve had 8 years to switch to something else and I never have.
Ingredients in Taco Pasta
- Ground beef (1 pound): I use extra lean, mostly because there’s 3 cups of cheese coming and I don’t need the pot to be a grease situation. If yours is fattier, spoon some off before the onion goes in.
- Onion (1 large, chopped): Goes in with the seasoning so it softens in the beef fat.
- Garlic (2 cloves, minced): Fresh.
- Taco seasoning (2 tablespoons): I use my taco seasoning so I can control the salt. Packets work fine, just look at the sodium first.
- Chicken broth (4 cups, low sodium): Beef broth works too and makes it a little richer. Go low sodium either way. You’ve got seasoning and enchilada sauce both bringing salt, and there’s no walking that back once it’s in.
- Pasta (8 ounces, uncooked): Short shapes with ridges or curls. Mafalda, fusilli, rotini, penne, mini shells, elbows. I’ve used whole wheat mafalda for years and love it. Long strands clump in a one pot situation like this, so skip those.
- Enchilada sauce (1 cup): The whole personality of the dish. My enchilada sauce if you’ve got 15 minutes, canned if you don’t.
- Mozzarella cheese (1 cup, shredded): This is the stretch.
- Cheddar cheese (2 cups, shredded): This is the flavor. Two cheeses because neither one does both jobs.
- Parsley (1 tablespoon, chopped): Garnish.
How To Make Cheesy Taco Pasta
Brown the beef: Add the ground beef to a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat and cook it for 3 minutes. It won’t be fully cooked and that’s fine.
Add the onion, garlic and seasoning: Stir in the chopped onion, the minced garlic and the 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Cook another 5 minutes until the onion softens and goes translucent. This is the part where your kitchen starts smelling like taco night.
Add the broth, pasta and enchilada sauce: Pour in the 4 cups of broth, the 8 ounces of dry pasta and the 1 cup of enchilada sauce. Stir it well so nothing’s stuck to the bottom. It’s going to look like way too much liquid for that little bit of pasta. It isn’t.
Cook it: Bring it up to a boil, then drop to medium and cook about 15 minutes until the pasta’s done, stirring here and there. The liquid goes from soupy to thick all on its own because the pasta’s releasing starch straight into it. This is the only step that needs you nearby.
Stir in the cheese: Mix the 1 cup of mozzarella and 2 cups of cheddar together in a bowl. Stir about 2 cups of it into the skillet until it melts in. Turn off the heat and pile the rest over the top so it goes soft and molten without you doing anything.
Serve: Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve it right away.
Tips
- If it looks too watery, keep going. This is the number one thing people ask me. The sauce thickens as the pasta cooks, not before, so if it’s still loose at minute 12 your pasta just isn’t finished. Give it a few more minutes and keep stirring. Different shapes and different brands drink liquid at different rates, and a wide skillet will reduce faster than a deep Dutch oven.
- Stir it. Pasta cooking directly in sauce will grab the bottom of the pan if you walk away, and scorched is a flavor you can’t hide under cheese. I’ve tried.
- About pre shredded cheese. Freshly shredded melts smoother because bagged cheese is coated in starch to keep it from clumping. That’s the real answer. The other real answer is that I use the bagged stuff plenty and nobody at my table has ever said a word about it. Do what your evening or budget allows.
- Low sodium broth, seriously. Between the taco seasoning and the enchilada sauce there’s already a lot of salt in play.
Variations
I keep the base recipe exactly as written because it’s perfect and I’m not objective about it. But here’s what I actually do some nights.
Protein pasta. Swap it straight in for the regular pasta. It holds up well and nobody notices.
Zucchini or whatever vegetable needs using. I add chopped zucchini fairly often. Toss it in with the onion so it softens along with everything else.
Corn and black beans. This one comes from you guys in the comments and enough people have made it that way that it’s clearly good. Stir them in with the pasta.
Storage And Make Ahead
Leftovers keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
You can make the whole thing ahead. Cook it through, let it cool, and refrigerate it. It firms up overnight because the pasta keeps absorbing, so reheat it gently with a splash of broth or milk to loosen it back up, and add a little extra cheese on top while it warms.
More Delicious Pasta Dishes
Taco Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef extra lean
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth low sodium, or beef broth
- 8 ounce pasta uncooked, such as mafalda, fusilli, rotini, penne, mini shells or elbow
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet or Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and taco seasoning to it, stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
- Add the chicken broth, pasta and enchilada sauce to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to a medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Combine the mozzarella cheese with the cheddar cheese and add about 2 cups of it to the skillet and stir it well. Turn off the heat and top with remaining cheese.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Tips & Notes:
- Pasta: use a short shape. Mafalda, fusilli, rotini, penne, mini shells or elbows all work. I usually use whole wheat mafalda.
- Broth: beef broth can be used instead of chicken broth for a richer result. Use low sodium either way, since the taco seasoning and enchilada sauce both add salt.
- Too much liquid: the sauce thickens as the pasta cooks and releases starch. If it still looks loose, keep cooking and stirring for a few more minutes. Pasta shape and pan width both affect how fast it reduces.
- Add ins: chopped zucchini goes in with the onion. Corn and black beans go in with the pasta.
- Storage: keeps in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Reheat with a splash of broth or milk.
nutrition facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef?
Yes, same 1 pound, same method. They’re leaner so you might want a little oil in the pan to start.
Can I use salsa instead of enchilada sauce?
You can, but I wouldn’t. Salsa carries a lot more water and it’ll throw off the texture, plus you lose the chili depth that makes this taste the way it does.
Do I have to use both cheeses?
No. All cheddar is delicious. You just won’t get the stretch, because that’s mozzarella’s entire job.
What can I put on top?
Sour cream, avocado, pickled jalapeños, green onions, crushed tortilla chips. It’s taco flavored, so anything you’d put on a taco is fair game.
