I love finding recipes on blogs…but I especially love it when the blogger mentions that their kids loved the meal. If you’ve read my recipe post on Creamy Beef Taquitos, you’ll remember that I have a super picky eater. The Girl Who Ate Everything posted this delicious looking Taco Pasta recipe and her kids loved it And I must say that we have another winner here, as my 5-year old just started gobbling it up…there was no “Mommy this looks gross” or “Mommy I’m not going to eat dinner tonight”…he just started eating it. Even my husband gave it a two thumbs up.
Source: Copied from The Girl Who Ate Everything, who slightly adapted it from Fake Ginger.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
- 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
- 1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.
Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.