One-pot taco spaghetti is a weeknight mashup of taco night and spaghetti night: ground beef and onion browned with taco seasoning, tomato paste and diced tomatoes, then dry spaghetti simmered right in the same pot with water until tender, finished with melted cheddar and mozzarella, fresh tomato and cilantro. It takes 35 minutes and serves 4, with one pot to wash.
How to make it: Brown the beef and onion to 160°F and drain. Stir in the seasoning and tomatoes. Add the broken spaghetti and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Off the heat, melt in the cheeses and top with diced tomato and cilantro.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot: the pasta cooks in the sauce, no draining.
- 35 minutes: fast enough for a busy weeknight.
- Kid favorite: tacos and spaghetti in one bowl.
- Pantry ingredients: ground beef, taco seasoning, canned tomatoes and pasta.
What Exactly Is Taco Spaghetti?
Taco spaghetti is spaghetti cooked with taco-seasoned ground beef and tomatoes instead of an Italian marinara, then topped with melted cheese and taco toppings. It’s a Tex-Mex-style comfort dish that tastes like a taco but eats like a bowl of pasta. Cooking it in one pot lets the starch from the spaghetti thicken the tomato sauce so it clings to every strand.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef and onion: 1 pound of beef and ½ cup diced yellow onion, browned in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Taco seasoning: 4½ tablespoons, about the amount in a store-bought packet and a half, or your own blend.
Tomatoes: 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 10 ounces of diced tomatoes with their juice.
Spaghetti and water: 8 ounces of dry spaghetti broken in half and 3 cups of water to cook it in.
Cheese: ½ cup each of shredded cheddar and mozzarella.
Toppings: 1 diced Roma tomato and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 4½ tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 10 oz diced tomatoes, with juice
- 8 oz spaghetti, uncooked
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
How to Make One-Pot Taco Spaghetti
1. Brown the beef. In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and diced onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the beef is browned and reaches 160°F and the onions are soft. Drain excess fat.
2. Season. Stir in 4½ tablespoons of taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 10 oz of diced tomatoes with juice. Mix until well combined.
3. Cook the spaghetti. Break 8 oz of spaghetti in half and add it to the pot. Pour in 3 cups of water, ensuring the spaghetti is mostly submerged. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add cheese and toppings. Remove the pot from heat and sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheeses melt. Top with diced Roma tomato and chopped cilantro.
5. Serve. Serve immediately while warm. Garnish with extra tomato and cilantro if desired.
Common Mistakes When Making Taco Spaghetti
- Not stirring. Spaghetti sticks to the bottom of the pot; stir every few minutes.
- Too little liquid. The pasta needs to be mostly covered. Add a splash of water if the pot looks dry.
- Not draining the beef. Extra fat makes the sauce greasy.
- Overcooking. Check the pasta at the end of the simmer; it should be just tender.
- Adding cheese over high heat. Take the pot off the heat first so the cheese melts smoothly.
What Is a Good Sauce for Taco Spaghetti?
The sauce here is built right in the pot as the beef, spices and tomatoes simmer with the pasta water. For a spicier, zestier sauce, use canned tomatoes with green chilies. For a creamy version, stir in a few spoonfuls of sour cream or cream cheese with the cheddar at the end.
Why Cook the Pasta in the Sauce?
Cooking dry spaghetti right in the pot saves a pan and makes the sauce better. As the pasta cooks, it releases starch that thickens the tomato liquid into a silky sauce, and the noodles absorb the taco flavor instead of plain water. Breaking the spaghetti in half helps it fit in the pot and stay submerged.
Variations
- Rotel: use tomatoes with green chilies instead of plain diced tomatoes.
- Creamy: stir in sour cream or cream cheese with the cheese.
- Beans and corn: add drained black beans and corn with the tomatoes.
- Ground turkey: cook it to 165°F.
- Baked: spoon it into a dish, top with more cheese and broil.
For another taco-and-pasta dinner, Taco Stuffed Shells bakes beef-filled shells with salsa, green enchilada sauce and Colby Jack.
If you like taco flavors in pasta, Taco Pizza puts taco-seasoned beef, refried beans, and cheddar on a pizza crust.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water, stirring, until hot, to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Top it with sour cream, salsa, avocado, sliced jalapeños or crushed tortilla chips. Serve with a crisp green salad or a side of Mexican street corn.
More taco-night ideas: walking taco casserole, layered taco bake, taco casserole, quick and easy taco soup and homemade Crunchwrap Supreme. For another pasta bake, try million dollar spaghetti casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is taco spaghetti?
Spaghetti cooked with taco-seasoned ground beef and tomatoes, topped with melted cheese.
What do you eat with taco spaghetti?
Sour cream, salsa, avocado and a green salad.
What are common mistakes when making taco spaghetti?
Not stirring, too little liquid and not draining the beef.
What is a good sauce for taco spaghetti?
A simple in-pot sauce of seasoned beef simmered with canned tomatoes.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Drain the beef, stir the pot often as the pasta cooks and melt the cheese in off the heat. If you add Rotel or black beans, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
One-Pot Taco Spaghetti
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 4½ tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 10 oz diced tomatoes with juice
- 8 oz spaghetti uncooked
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 Roma tomato diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and diced onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the beef is browned and reaches 160°F and the onions are soft. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in 4½ tablespoons of taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 10 oz of diced tomatoes with juice. Mix until well combined.
- Break 8 oz of spaghetti in half and add it to the pot. Pour in 3 cups of water, ensuring the spaghetti is mostly submerged. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from heat and sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheeses melt. Top with diced Roma tomato and chopped cilantro.
- Serve immediately while warm. Garnish with extra tomato and cilantro if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
