This Taco Pasta is a one-pot cheesy and creamy weeknight dinner ready in only 40 minutes from start to finish. It’s always a crowd-pleasing dish, especially with the kids because it’s basically like cheesy hamburger helper but so much better!
If you’re a fan of Mexican and Mexican-inspired meals then you’re going to love today’s Taco Pasta recipe! Made with pasta shells, taco-seasoned ground turkey, light cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese, this dish is like that cheesy hamburger helper I loved as a kid but so much better and healthier!
Kids love how cheesy and creamy it is, adults love the lean protein from the ground turkey and everyone loves the pasta shells.
And the best part? From start to finish, this taco pasta takes only 40 minutes to make!
How to make Taco Pasta
Making this taco pasta is incredibly easy. All you do is…
- Cook the ground meat with some tomatoes and taco seasoning
- Mix in some cream cheese until it melts
- Fold in cooked pasta and cheese
That’s it! It’s not complicated at all and the flavor is out of this world.
The secret is in the combination of the taco seasoning and the cream cheese. It makes every bite feel very decadent without being overly creamy. It’s creamy, cheesy and savory in the best way possible that keeps everyone coming back for one more bite.
This recipe is absolutely delicious and I hope you love it as much as I do!
Tips and Substitutions
- This recipe uses a homemade taco seasoning mix, but if you’re short on time or don’t have all the spices that it calls for, you can use 1 packet of your favorite store-bought taco seasoning instead.
- Instead of ground turkey, you can use ground beef, ground chicken, or your favorite plant-based substitute if you prefer.
- To sneak in some extra veggies, add in 2 cups of kale or spinach when adding in the diced tomatoes.
Ingredients
For the homemade taco seasoning*
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
For the pasta
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells (about 3-4 cups dry)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onions (about 1 small onion)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
- 1 pound ground turkey (or chicken or beef)
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 ounces light cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- chopped cilantro and tomatoes, for topping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the taco seasoning. Mix to combine and set aside. (Alternatively, you can substitute the homemade mix with 1 packet of store-bought taco seasoning if you prefer.)
- Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onions and cook for about 5 minutes until onions have softened and are translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add ground meat, break up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink and fully cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Stir to combine and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add water and cream cheese. Stir together until the cream cheese has fully melted to create a sauce.
- Add cooked pasta and shredded cheddar cheese. Gently toss to combine until the cheese has fully melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Top with chopped cilantro before serving.
Isabel’s Tips:
- You can substitute the homemade taco seasoning with 1 packet of store-bought taco seasoning if you prefer.
- Instead of ground turkey, you can use ground beef, ground chicken, or your favorite plant-based substitute if you prefer.
- To sneak in some extra veggies, add in 2 cups of kale or spinach when adding in the diced tomatoes.
Nutrition Information
This was delicious! I made it vegetarian with Gardein ground be’f and used barilla lentil pasta, its still great! I need more plant based stuff in my diet, so sneaking those ingredients into this recipe was unrecognizable from the regular stuff since this sauce is so flavorful.
Can this recipe be made ahead and frozen?
Hi Bex! Yes it can!
My husband and I throughly enjoyed this pasta dish. Made the homemade seasoning and it is truly outstanding. I can’t imagine anyone that would not enjoy this dish. Thanks again for a great recipe!
The recipe calls for 10 ounces of diced tomatoes, are you using a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies i.e rotel or just regular diced tomatoes? Thanks in advance for the answer. Looking forward to making it this week.
Hi! Isabel used a can of regular diced tomatoes for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Tasted great! Will make again. Really liked the homemade taco seasoning , much better than store bought.
Delicious and easy to make! My kids devoured it.
Delicious and steady to make! My kids devoured it.
It is rare that my sons go back for seconds, the more cilantro the better for them. Used ground beef and turned out great.
Easy and super yummy dinner! I would say it makes 4 servings not 6, or maybe it was just that yummy.
Also easy to double since I halved the cream cheese block and box of pasta.
Made it, loved it! Truly a comforting weeknight meal with easy instructions and simple ingredients I managed to all have at home. I ended up adding extra cumin, onion + garlic powder, and some crushed red pepper flakes to mine as well as about 3/4c additional Monterey Jack cheese I needed to use up. I had Large shells in the cupboard instead of medium, and they worked just fine. Flavor was simple and good, husband remarked several times that “Yeah, I’d eat this again, please make this again,” before dinner was over. Thanks for making meal planning a little easier with this simple + delish dish!
I’ve made this twice and it’s a keeper, for sure! I’d order my groceries this week and the store substituted my 90/10 beef for 70/30 – would NOT recommend! The taco seasoning is very subtle, but there’s just enough cumin to make it stand out. I doubled the cheese, but used a cup of Monterey Jack I needed to get rid of.
Hellooooo, comfort food. Also freezes well, so when I made it a second time I made a double batch! This is easy and delicious, and as always your recipes are easy to follow.
I came to your site for a refried bean recipe and stumbled upon this… my mom used to make a dish so similar! She would use canned cheese soup or another type of cream-based soup (think something funky by Campbell’s). I’m feeling nostalgic, and am going to make this tonight–thanks for the recipe(s)!!
Aww, thanks Kayla. I hope you like it! It’s so creamy and cheesy, it’s the best.
I made this with chickpea pasta and DF cheeses and it was sooooo good!! Just didn’t look pretty enough for a pic and an IG tag! 😀 Sorry! But this was AMAZING!!!!!
What a refreshing and healthy option to hamburger helper dishes. My children loved it and they’re picky eaters! I cream cheese/cheddar cheese combo is the right blend of cheesiness. That mixed with my favorite herbs and spices makes this all in one (Mexican),dinner a frequent meal. Yum.
I’m so happy to hear that you AND the kiddos loved it! The cream cheese for me makes it so good, so I’m happy you liked it! Thanks!
I love this dish! We just finished eating the leftovers for dinner tonight, and wauw the flavors are even more amazing the following day! I did use beef, as ground turkey is not readily available where I live in Copenhagen 🇩🇰 and I had to substitute the cream cheese with mascarpone, cos that’s what had at home, but added some lime juice to offset the richness of the mascarpone. It’s a definite keeper. I’ll make it with regular cream cheese next time!
I’m so glad you liked it, Sarwat! Yay! That makes me so happy 🙂
My kids will love this! Pinning!
Thanks, Karly! It’s a definitely family crowd pleaser!