I am a true blue taco lover. From the authentic ones that I order when we eat out to the utterly inauthentic spaghetti tacos on this very website, if it says “taco” then I say “YES PLEASE.”
The only, and I mean only, thing that bugs me in the slightest about tacos are the crunchy taco shells that shatter into a billion pieces when you bite into them, sending precious taco filling back on to your plate and/or down your arm.
And while soft flour or corn tortillas are one answer to this issue (brace yourself for more inauthenticity) there’s another solution. Pasta!
Ingredients You’ll Need For Taco Pasta Bowls!
Here’s How To Make Taco Pasta Bowls!
STEP 1: Cook 8 ounces of pasta in salted water according to package directions and drain.
STEP 2: While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce: sauté a half pound of ground beef with a teaspoon each of chili powder and cumin in a large deep skillet over medium high heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
STEP 3: Add 1 1/2 cups of salsa to skillet and stir until mixed in and heated through.
STEP 4: Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss with tongs until mixed in with sauce.
STEP 5: Divide among plates and serve with your choice of toppings. (I like a LOT of toppings, and the recipe card below has a bunch of ideas for you!)
More Tips for Making Taco Pasta Bowls!
You sure can! Or ground pork…or a combo! Just make sure it’s cooked all the way through.
I like spaghetti or linguine for this recipe, but honestly, you can use any pasta you have on hand. Have I made this with elbow macaroni? YES I HAVE.
It totally depends on the kind of salsa you pick. The chili powder and cumin will give it a little kick, but the heat (or lack thereof) in the salsa really determines how spicy things get. So if you are making it for the kiddos (or me!) you will probably want to go with a mild salsa. If you like some heat, go for the hot stuff!
After that, it is all about the toppings (or as the Southern husband likes to say, the fixin’s!).
I like a little crumbled queso fresco (a mild Mexican cheese that you can usually find right in your supermarket), some chopped avocado, a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of fresh lime.
You could also add shredded cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped scallions, a spoonful of guacamole, some shredded iceburg lettuce, some pico de gallo…whatever floats your boat taco-wise is what should go on top of your taco pasta.
You could also put these toppings in little bowls so folks can customize their taco pasta to their heart’s content.
(Side note: whenever I do this at my house I set it all up on the counter, let folks serve themselves, I call it Taco Bar Night and you would not BELIEVE the excitement. It’s all in how you market things!)
So all you crunchy unreliable taco shells out there? I’m breaking up with YOU this time. Bring on the taco pasta!
Taco Pasta Bowl
Turn your tacos into a pasta supper and ditch the messy shells with this easy, spicy recipe for a taco pasta bowl that the whole family will love!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients
Taco Bowl Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 cups salsa (see note)
Toppings Suggestions
- Sour cream
- Chopped avocado
- Cheese (crumbled queso fresco, shredded cheddar or jack, etc)
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Lime wedges
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Chopped scallions or red onions
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions and drain.
- While pasta is cooking, make sauce: sauté ground beef with chili powder and cumin in a large deep skillet over medium high heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add salsa to skillet and stir until mixed in and heated through.
- Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss with tongs until mixed in with sauce.
- Divide among plates and serve with your choice of toppings.
Notes
You can vary the spiciness of this recipe by picking mild, regular or hot salsa. I’m a spiciness coward so I tend to go for mild!
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!
OTHER TACO RECIPES WE LOVE!
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