Description
A quick and cheesy weeknight dinner with hearty taco flavors and minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 g (1 lb) ground beef
- 150 g (1 medium) yellow onion, finely diced
- 9 g (3 cloves) garlic, minced
- 30 g (3 tbsp) taco seasoning
- 400 g (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 480 ml (2 cups) chicken or beef broth
- 300 g (10.5 oz / about 3 cups) uncooked short pasta (penne, rotini, or shells)
- 150 g (1½ cups) shredded cheddar cheese
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cilantro and lime for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef for 5–7 minutes, then add the diced onion and cook until translucent.
- Add minced garlic and taco seasoning, stirring until aromatic.
- Deglaze with broth, scraping the pan to lift browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and uncooked pasta, pushing the pasta down to submerge.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring every 2 minutes, until pasta is al dente (10–12 minutes).
- Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar until melted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with cilantro and lime, and any desired toppings.
Notes
For a gluten-free version, substitute pasta with gluten-free short pasta. For a vegetarian option, use cooked lentils or plant-based ground crumbles.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1½ cups
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg