If you like Tex-Mex and if you like pasta, you are going to love this dish!
The flavor profile of this pasta is classic Tex-Mex. It’s creamy, and cheesy, and loaded with flavor. The pasta brings it all together. If desired, you can top it with easy homemade pico de gallo or salsa. And the only thing better than the taste is that it’s on the table in about 30 minutes!
How To Make Tex-Mex Pasta with Ground Beef
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The Ingredients You Will Need
This recipe is easy to adapt to your and your family’s likes and dislikes. If there are any of the ingredients you’re not fond of, just leave them out! Or, replace it with an ingredient you do like! Here are the ingredients for how we love to prepare the dish:
Short dried pasta – We love rigatoni, but these are great choices, too: Elbow, fusilli, penne, farfalle, cavatappi, or orecchiette.
Salt – Table, for salting the pasta water.
Ground beef – 90% lean is recommended.
Bell peppers – Red, yellow, orange, green, or a combination of them all.
Peppers – Fresh jalapeños are our favorite, but you could go with pickled, too. Serranos have a little more heat but is a great option. Remove the seeds to reduce the amount of heat.
Onion – Chopped.
Seasonings – Chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Ro-tel – Canned diced tomatoes with green chiles. If you can’t find Ro-tel, other brands have something very similar. Or, just go with diced tomatoes, with the juice.
Beef stock – Broth or stock is perfectly fine.
Half and half – Whole milk or heavy cream can be substituted.
Cheddar cheese – Shredded, preferably from a block. Any kind of melting cheese will work, such as Monterrey Jack or Colby.
Cilantro – Fresh, chopped.
Garnishes – Any of the following: Pico de gallo, chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, chopped cilantro, sour cream, salsa.
EXPERT TIP: We find that half and half provide a nice creaminess to the sauce. However, if you prefer, you can go with whole milk, and it will still be delicious. Heavy cream is fine, too, but the sauce will be more dense and luxurious.
Tips for Perfect Tex-Mex Pasta with Ground Beef
Season the Beef Well – Don’t skip any of the seasonings. If you want no spice at all, then you can omit the cayenne. Remember if you go with package taco seasoning, it includes a large amount of sodium.
Cut the Vegetables Uniformly – This helps them all cook evenly and also makes a more beautiful dish.
Choose the Right Pasta – Opt for pasta shapes that hold onto the sauce well, such as penne, fusilli, or rotini. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions, as it will continue to cook slightly when mixed with the hot sauce.
Add Fresh Ingredients – Just before serving, stir in fresh ingredients like chopped cilantro, diced avocado, or a squeeze of lime juice to brighten the dish. Topping with shredded cheese, sour cream, or sliced jalapeños can also enhance the Tex-Mex flair and add a creamy finish.
EXPERT TIP: Adding the cheese at the very end, just before serving, will create an extra cheesy sauce that is wonderful. Turn the heat off, then stir in the cilantro and cheese, and then serve immediately.
How To Serve
This dish is filling and really doesn’t require any side dishes. However, rolls or biscuits are a wonderful accompaniment.
Be sure to stir the cheese in the cheese and parsley right after you take the skillet off of the heat. We serve this right from the skillet at the table.
Like any Tex-Mex dish, toppings add even more flavor. Pico de gallo, chopped cilantro, salsa, and even sour cream are all perfect additions to the dish.
Other Weeknight Dinner Recipes
Busy weekdays don’t mean you can’t put a delicious and satisfying meal on the table. Here is a collection of our favorite “no fuss” scrumptious recipes:
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
- Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Brown Gravy
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Easy Ravioli with Creamy Basil-Tomato Sauce
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
- Pork Chops with Caper Sauce
- Skillet Cajun Shrimp
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats
These are all wonderful and always a huge hit with the entire family. But, in the meantime, isn’t this dish calling your name?
There are so many reasons to love this dish. You can easily adapt it to your tastes.
It’s easy to make. Leftovers are absolutely wonderful.
But, more than any other reason, it’s just so delicious and is always a hit with kids and adults.
Ready to make the most yummy dinner in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Tex-Mex Pasta with Ground Beef
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 pot for cooking pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz short pasta such as rigatoni
- 1 lb ground beef 90% lean
- 2 cups bell peppers 2 to 3 peppers, seeded, chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tsp salt plus extra for pasta water
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 15 oz can Ro-tel undrained, see NOTES
- ½ cup beef stock or broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh, chopped, plus extra for garnish
- pico de gallo for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of liberally salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and stir occasionally while you prepare the meat sauce. Drain the pasta once it is al dente (about 1 minute short of packaging directions).12 oz short pasta
- Meanwhile, add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat and break it up with a wooden spatula. Add the bell peppers, onion, and jalapeño. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Tilt the skillet and use a spoon to remove most of the rendered grease. Discard safely.1 lb ground beef, 2 cups bell peppers, 1 medium onion, 1 jalapeño
- Stir in the salt (2 tsp), black pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, for about 1 to 2 minutes.2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- Stir in the Ro-tel (undrained), beef stock, and half and half. Bring to a simmer and then stir in the cooked pasta. Stir to combine and let simmer for another minute or so.1 15 oz can Ro-tel, ½ cup beef stock, 1 cup half and half
- Remove from the heat and stir in 1¾ cup of the cheese and the cilantro. Stir until the cheese has melted. Serve at once with extra cheese, cilantro, and pico de gallo for garnish.2 cups cheddar cheese, ¼ cup cilantro, pico de gallo
I’m always curious why, when virtually every chili or Tex-Mex recipe calls for both chili powder and cumin, they don’t just make chili powder with more cumin in it in the first place.
Good question! Never seen that! We go through a lot of chili powder and cumin!!! We hope you make the dish and enjoy it! Please keep us posted!