Stuffed Pasta with Taco Flavors (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Stuff You Need for the Shells
01 -
20 to 24 jumbo pasta shells
02 -
1 cup of salsa or chopped-up tomatoes with spices
03 -
A pound of ground beef
04 -
1 medium onion, chopped up
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3/4 cup of water
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3 tablespoons of taco spice mix
07 -
A jalapeño or serrano pepper, minced fine
08 -
1 (10 oz) can of Rotel or diced tomatoes, drained
09 -
1 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
10 -
1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
11 -
Green onions, sliced up (optional for topping)
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with a cooking spray so the food doesn’t stick.
02 -
Boil a big pot of water and cook the shells based on what the box says. Stop cooking them while they’re still firm (al dente). Drain and let them cool a bit.
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While the pasta is cooking, cook the beef in a skillet on medium-high heat until halfway cooked. Stir in the chopped onion and cook the rest of the way until the meat is browned, and the onions soften. If there’s extra grease, pour it out.
04 -
Mix the taco seasoning and water into the beef mixture. Let that simmer for about 10 minutes while the flavors mix, and the liquid thickens. Add in the salsa, stir it up, and pull it off the heat to cool a little.
05 -
Once it’s cooled down a bit, add in half of the Jack cheese and half of the cheddar cheese into the meat. Stir it all together.
06 -
Take the cooked pasta shells and stuff them with the cheesy beef mix. Lay them one by one into your baking dish with the open side up.
07 -
Spread the last of the cheese, drained Rotel tomatoes, and tiny pieces of jalapeño over the stuffed pasta. Cover everything with foil, bake for 20 minutes, then pull the foil off and bake for another 5 minutes so the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden.
08 -
Scatter some extra minced jalapeño or chopped green onion on top if you’d like. Serve right away for the best experience.
# Notes:
01 -
If you chop spicy peppers, consider wearing gloves, or at least wash your hands well and avoid touching your face.
02 -
To mellow out the heat, scrape out the seeds and the inner veins of the peppers with a spoon.
03 -
Put leftovers in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.