Cheesy Taco Pasta Dish (Print)

A creamy, hearty Tex-Mex combination with pasta, seasoned beef, and melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.

# Components:

→ Meat & Protein

01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

→ Pasta

04 - 8 oz short pasta (penne, shells, or rotini)

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 cup canned corn, drained
08 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
09 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices

→ Liquids

10 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth

→ Seasonings

11 - 2 tbsp taco seasoning
12 - 1/2 tsp salt, adjust to taste
13 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Optional Toppings

14 - Chopped fresh cilantro
15 - Sliced green onions
16 - Sour cream

# Method:

01 - Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until fully browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
03 - Sprinkle taco seasoning, salt, and black pepper over the beef mixture; stir to combine evenly.
04 - Add corn, black beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, pasta, and broth. Stir to blend all components thoroughly.
05 - Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked and most liquid is absorbed.
06 - Remove from heat. Sprinkle shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on top. Cover and let stand 2–3 minutes until cheeses melt.
07 - Gently stir melted cheeses into the pasta. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot, which means less cleanup and more time doing literally anything else.
  • The cheese melts right into the pasta at the end, creating this silky, comforting sauce without any cream or milk needed separately.
  • It tastes like you spent actual time on it, but you'll have it ready in under forty minutes flat.
02 -
  • Don't drain the tomato juices—they're essential for cooking the pasta and keeping everything creamy instead of dry.
  • If your broth is particularly salty, taste before you add the salt separately; taco seasoning already contains salt, and you can always add more but you can't take it out.
03 -
  • Let the cheese sit under the cover for those two minutes without stirring—it melts more evenly that way and creates a silkier sauce.
  • If you prefer a brothier consistency, use 2.5 cups of broth instead of 2; if you like it thicker and saucier, go with 1.75 cups.
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