Taco Pasta Shells

A twist on a classic, Taco Pasta Shells meld the best of two cuisines into one delectable dish with just the right amount of spice!!

We love traditional Stuffed Shells, but these Taco Pasta Shells is a Mexican-flavored twist on an Italian classic. Imagine a Beef Taco wrapped inside a jumbo pasta shell!

A Twist on a taco

In our house, we LOVE Mexican food. We eat it at least a couple of times a week. One thing I love about Mexican food, is you basically use the same ingredients in every dish, just in a different way!

Tacos, enchiladas, flautas, tostadas… you are basically using a form of masa, meat, veggies, and similar seasonings. But they all sure taste delicious!

It’s fun to shake things up sometimes and take the twist even further. I’m talking about some food mash ups! In this case, I took a classic Italian stuffed shells, and made it Mexican by filling it with the spices and flavors of my favorite ground beef tacos!

Talk about a tasty twist!!

How to make Taco Filled Pasta Shells

PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.

GROUND BEEF. Cook ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain grease. Add water and taco seasoning and bring to a boil. Add cream cheese, stir, and reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the cream cheese is melted.

Transfer meat mixture to a bowl and let cool.

PASTA. Cook pasta according to package directions and toss in melted butter. Set aside.

FILL. Spoon salsa into a 11×7 casserole dish. Fill buttered pasta shells with a scoop of the meat mixture and place back in baking dish.

BAKE. Drizzle enchilada sauce over shells and bake for 20 minutes. Add shredded cheese and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

SERVE. Add toppings, like crushed Fritos, diced tomatoes, green onions, fresh cilantro, or sour cream to shells before serving.

Variations:

• Increase the heat by using a spicier taco mix. You can also add some sliced jalapenos to the meat mixture. 
• Add sliced olives to the mixture.
• Include some frozen corn or canned black beans in the taco meat.
• Add diced onions.
• Use any kind of shredded cheese you like: colby, cheddar, Mexican cheese blend, etc.

Recipe Tips

Ground Beef: Use at least 80/20 or leaner. You can also use ground turkey.

Taco Seasoning: You can use a 1oz pre packaged mix or make your own Taco Seasoning.

Jumbo Pasta Shells: I suggest boiling 15 shells for two reasons. First, sometimes a shell will tear making it hard to fill, so it’s nice to have an extra shell. Second, depending on how full you stuff the shells you may even have enough filling for a few extra. 

Enchilada Sauce: I bought green chili sauce to make this recipe. Should you wish to make your own, I have a delicious  Green Chili Enchilada Sauce Recipe. You can also try using Red Enchilada Sauce. 

Fritos: I topped these shells with crushed Fritos and it was the cherry on top of a great dish. You can also use other types of crushed chips like Tortilla Chips, Nacho Doritos, Tostitos. 

FAQ

Can you make it a freezer meal? Complete the recipe except for adding the cheese on top and do not bake. Instead, cover the dish with plastic wrap and then again with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove foil and plastic, sprinkle cheese on top and bake according to directions. 

How to store? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw if needed.

How to reheat? To REHEAT in the oven, set it to 350°F and heat for about 10 minutes or until warm throughout. You can also reheat in the microwave. 

For more Taco recipes, try:

• Taco Casserole
• Taco Pie
• Chicken Taco Salad
• Taco Soup
• Homemade Taco Pizza