One Pot Taco Spaghetti

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One Pot Taco Spaghetti has all the flavors of a taco, in an easy weeknight skillet. The spaghetti soaks up every bit of sauce by cooking in the same pot. Delicious on its own, or finished with your favorite taco toppings

This post and recipe card updated August 22, 2019

I love tacos. They’re versatile, delicious, and one of my go-to lunch recipes. When I’m doing a quick lunch I’ll usually go for beef or chicken tacos because they’re ready in about 10 minutes. When I want to up the ante, I make Beer Battered Fish Tacos.

My newest pantry obsession is Gogo Quinoa Pasta Spaghetti, that I discovered on sample day at Costco. It cooks and tastes just like pasta, but it’s made with quinoa.

I made a delicious Spicy Garlic Shrimp Pasta with it, and I also make it quite often when I get a craving for a bowl of pasta.

We’re in the heart of back-to-school time when life is crazy busy and we want meals that are easy to make and delicious. Casseroles are great for that, but they’re sometimes heavy which kills the benefit of a healthier pasta. So I created ONE POT TACO SPAGHETTI

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• It’s a one-pot recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes
• You can customize the ingredients and the toppings
• It’s perfect for busy weeknights and leftovers

INGREDIENT TIPS FOR ONE POT TACO SPAGHETTI

You need beef with good fat content since it cooks the longest, so I use 85% lean (85/15). I don’t recommend anything more than 90% lean, or the meat will get chewy.

I make my own taco seasoning because it’s very simple to make and uses spices you probably have in your pantry. You know exactly what’s in it, and you can make a big batch and use it for all kinds of dishes.

Rotel Tomatoes & Chiles is perfect for this recipe. I use the original, but you can kick up the heat with medium or even hot.

Tomato Paste adds a more intense tomato flavor.

Cook the spaghetti in the same skillet, so it absorbs the sauce as it cooks.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Heat Avocado Oil in a large pan over medium heat, and saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes.

Add ground beef, break into crumbles with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink. Season with 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning and combine.

Add Rotel and combine. Add tomato paste. Break quinoa pasta spaghetti and add it to the pan.

Add water, and stir to combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover the pan.

After about 8 minutes, uncover pan and stir ingredients. If the mixture is a little too thick or pasta is sticking, add a little more water. Continue cooking, covered, until the pasta is done.

FINISHING ONE POT TACO SPAGHETTI

I like to add a little bit of fresh to brighten up a dish, so right before serving I add chopped cilantro, as well as quartered grape or cherry tomatoes. The fresh tomato adds a nice burst of flavor. If you’re one who hates cilantro, you can omit it or use parsley.

One Pot Taco Spaghetti is fabulous just like this, but there are a couple of topping options that keep One Pot Taco Spaghetti in line with traditional tacos:

• Cheddar Cheese. When I use cheese, I add it at the very end and mix it into the entire dish before serving
• Diced avocado adds a nice cooling effect
• I rarely use sour cream, but when I tried a little dollop of light sour cream I was in heaven from the luxurious texture that the sour cream adds

SUBSTITUTION IDEAS FOR ONE POT TACO SPAGHETTI

• Use ground turkey, chicken or venison instead of beef
• Make it vegetarian by using veggie “meat” crumbles
• Use regular spaghetti. Of course, then the dish will no longer be gluten-free
• Mix it up and use a short cut pasta instead.

LEFTOVERS AND REHEATING

This recipe works great for leftovers, and I have a few tips for best results.

I recommend reheating in portions, or the leftovers will be really heavy. Microwave for 1 minute, add a little bit of water and stir and continue to heat until done. The water helps to slightly thin out the sauce.

If you know you’ll have leftovers, don’t add the cheese, fresh tomatoes or cilantro to that portion. That way, you can add that burst of fresh flavor when you’re ready to eat.

MORE FABULOUS WEEKNIGHT RECIPES

• Spicy Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry
• Chimichurri Shrimp Vegetable Bowl
• Dirty Rice Chicken Skillet
• Easy Shrimp Scampi
• Farro Sausage Stuffed Peppers
• Crunchy Baked Fish Sticks

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One Pot Taco Spaghetti

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

One Pot Taco Spaghetti has all the flavors of a taco, in an easy weeknight skillet. The spaghetti soaks up every bit of sauce by cooking in the same pot. Delicious on its own, or finished with your favorite taco toppings

Print

Ingredients

• 8 ounces ground beef (I use 85/15)
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 1/2 can Rotel tomatoes & chiles, with liquid
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 ounces quinoa pasta spaghetti
• 12 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• minced cilantro, for garnish

TACO SEASONING (MAKES 1/2 CUP)

• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Optional Toppings

• cheddar cheese
• diced avocado
• sour cream

Instructions

1. Combine all taco seasoning ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 3 minutes
3. Add ground beef to pan. Break up beef with a spoon and cook for 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Season beef with 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning and combine well
4. Add Rotel and combine. Break quinoa pasta spaghetti in half, and add to the pan, along with the tomato paste.
5. Add water to the pan, and stir to combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and then cover the pan. 
6. After 8 minutes, uncover pan and stir ingredients. If the mixture is a little too thick or the pasta begins to stick, add a little more water.
7. Continue cooking, covered, until pasta is done. Quinoa pasta spaghetti will cook in about 12 minutes
8. Add cherry/grape tomatoes and combine into mixture. Garnish with fresh cilantro
9. OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado

Notes

The taco seasoning mix makes about 1/2 cup, but you only need 1 Tablespoon for this recipe. Store the rest in an airtight container in the pantry.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• When I use cheese, I add it at the very end and mix it into the entire dish before serving
• Diced avocado adds a nice cooling effect
• Sour cream adds a luxurious texture, and you only need a little bit

SUBSTITUTION IDEAS

• Use ground turkey, chicken or venison instead of beef
• Make it vegetarian by using veggie “meat” crumbles
• Use regular spaghetti. Of course, then the dish will no longer be gluten-free
• Mix it up and use a short cut pasta instead.

LEFTOVERS AND REHEATING

I recommend reheating in portions, or the leftovers will be really heavy. Microwave for 1 minute, add a little bit of water and stir, and continue to heat until done. The water helps to slightly thin out the sauce.

If you know you’ll have leftovers, don’t add the cheese, fresh tomatoes or cilantro to that portion. That way, you can add that burst of fresh flavor when you’re ready to eat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 2 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 554Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 1703mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 37g

Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, etc