Description
Delicious Mexican-Italian fusion Taco Spaghetti brings zesty flavors dancing across your plate, blending comfort food with spicy excitement. Cheesy, meaty, and irresistibly simple, this one-pot wonder will become your new weeknight dinner obsession you cannot wait to share.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pasta and Base:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) uncooked spaghetti noodles
- 1 can (10 ounces/284 grams) fire-roasted Rotel with green chilies
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning)
Seasonings and Optional Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional for extra creaminess)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh cilantro or green onions (for garnish)
Instructions
- Boil the spaghetti in a generously salted pot of water for 8-10 minutes until perfectly al dente. Carefully drain and set pasta aside.
- In a spacious skillet, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Introduce ground beef, breaking into crumbly fragments while cooking until rich brown and thoroughly caramelized.
- Enhance the meat’s depth by incorporating tomato paste, allowing it to bloom for 60 seconds. Pour in fire-roasted Rotel, robust taco seasoning, savory beef broth, and season with salt and pepper.
- Allow the mixture to simmer vigorously for 5-7 minutes, developing intense flavor profiles and reducing liquid slightly.
- Optional creaminess emerges by stirring in heavy cream, transforming the sauce into a luxurious coating.
- Integrate cooked spaghetti directly into the skillet, tossing meticulously to ensure complete sauce coverage.
- Sprinkle generous handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts into a glistening, tempting sauce.
- Transfer to serving dishes, adorning with fresh chopped cilantro or thinly sliced green onions for a vibrant finish.
Notes
- Test pasta doneness by tasting a strand to ensure perfect al dente texture without becoming mushy during final cooking stage.
- Choose lean ground beef with 80/20 or 85/15 fat ratio for optimal flavor and reduced greasiness in the dish.
- Customize heat level by selecting mild, medium, or spicy taco seasoning based on personal preference and family tolerance.
- Transform recipe into vegetarian version by substituting ground beef with plant-based crumbles or black beans for protein-rich alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 446 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 570 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg