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Last week was taco week here. Every dish I made was taco-themed. Now, that’s not to say any of them were traditional, but they definitely had that great taco meat flavor. This taco pasta is no exception. The sauce is delicious – creamy with a taco kick.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.
Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 8 ounce dry pasta shells
- ½ medium white onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup salsa thick
- 1 packet taco seasoning or use 3 tablespoons of our homemade version
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup pepper jack cheese shredded
- pickled jalapenos optional, chopped
- cilantro optional, chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta per package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. Drain well.
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot.
- Add onion and cook until just starting to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add the taco seasoning and salsa. Stir. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta, cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve topped with shredded cheese and jalapenos and/or cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.