Description
This One Pot Beef Taco Pasta combines seasoned ground beef, tender pasta, bell peppers, and a creamy cheese sauce all cooked together in a single skillet. With bold taco flavors and minimal cleanup, it’s the perfect easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love. Ready in just 30-35 minutes from start to finish!
Ingredients
Protein:
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef (beef mince)
Vegetables:
- 1 bell pepper, diced (any color you prefer)
Pasta and Liquid:
- 3 cups dried pasta (fusilli, macaroni, or penne recommended)
- 3-4 cups beef stock (enough to partially cover pasta)
Seasonings:
- 2-3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (or 1 packet store-bought)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese:
- 4 oz light cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Optional Garnish:
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Green onions, sliced
Instructions
Turn the stove to medium-high and put the beef in your pan. Smash it around with a spoon while it cooks so it breaks into small pieces. Takes about 5-7 minutes until there’s no pink left. If you see grease pooling (you probably won’t with extra lean), tip the pan over the sink or a bowl and drain it out.
Throw the taco seasoning on top of the beef. Stir it all together. Cook it for another minute or so. This is when your kitchen starts smelling like tacos and people start wandering in asking when dinner’s ready.
Dump in your chopped pepper. Mix it around with the beef. Let it cook for maybe 3-4 minutes. The pepper should get a little softer but still have some crunch. I usually cut my peppers kind of big because they shrink anyway.
Put all your pasta in the pan. Pour beef stock over it until the pasta is about halfway covered in liquid. Doesn’t have to be exact. Stir everything together so the pasta doesn’t stick in clumps at the bottom.
Crank up the heat until you see it boiling, then turn it back down to medium. It needs to keep bubbling but not like violently. Stir it every 2-3 minutes. The pasta takes somewhere between 10-15 minutes to get soft, and most of the liquid should disappear. If it’s barely bubbling, turn the heat up. If it’s bubbling like crazy and burning, turn it down. You’ll figure it out.
Turn off the burner completely. This is important – don’t skip this part. Break up the cream cheese into chunks and drop them in. Stir it around until all the chunks melt into the pasta. If you try to do this while the pan’s still on heat it gets weird and lumpy and separated. Ask me how I know.
Mix in the shredded cheddar. Keep stirring until it melts. The whole thing should look creamy now and smell really good. If anyone’s been asking when dinner’s ready, this is when you yell “now.”
Taste a bite. Add salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Sometimes the taco seasoning has enough salt already. Put cilantro or green onions on top if you have them. I usually forget to buy cilantro so we just skip that part.
Notes
- Heat is your friend: Make sure your liquid is actively bubbling in the pan. If things are taking too long to cook, don’t be afraid to turn up the heat. The pasta needs that bubbling, reducing liquid to cook properly and develop flavor.
- Stir occasionally, not constantly: Give it a stir every 2-3 minutes to prevent sticking, but don’t overdo it. You want the bottom to develop a little bit of that caramelized goodness.
- Pasta shape matters: Stick with short pasta shapes like fusilli, penne, or macaroni. They’re the perfect size for one-pot cooking and they catch all that creamy, cheesy sauce in their grooves.
- Stock measurement: Start with 3 cups of beef stock, and add more if needed. You want the pasta about halfway covered. Too much liquid and it won’t reduce; too little and your pasta won’t cook through.
- Avoid grainy sauce: Always remove the pan from heat before adding the cream cheese. Adding it while the pan is still on heat can cause the cheese to break and become grainy.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican-American