Taco pasta shells
My family loved these easy taco shells. Sometimes, you want the flavor of tacos with the ease of a casserole. This recipe combines classic taco ingredients with jumbo pasta shells for a fun and satisfying twist. Featuring ground beef, cheese, and salsa, this dish is easily customizable with your favorite toppings.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 659Kcal
Ingredients
- Large pasta shells
- 28 oz can of plain tomato sauce not spaghetti or any type of Italian sauce
- 12 oz jar of salsa
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese or your favorite combination with mozzarella in it
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Cook ground beef and add about ½ cup of water and taco seasoning. Simmer until most of the water is gone. Set aside and let cool a bit.
- Boil jumbo shells about 2 minutes less than cooking instructions on the package. Drain and rinse shells with cold water.
- Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with nonstick spray
- Pour enough tomato sauce then a layer of salsa to thinly cover the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Take a cooked cooled shell and stuff it with the ground beef/taco spice mixture. Add cheese on top of each stuffed shell. Place into casserole dish.
- Once all shells are assembled and in a casserole dish, drizzle on the balance of salsa sauce. Sprinkle on any remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in oven for about 25 minutes. Remove foil and finish baking for another 5 minutes. This will allow the cheese to brown.
Notes
A delicious recipe when you just feel like Mexican and pasta together in one meal.
Optional Toppings after cooking - chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, guacamole, black olives, and chopped cilantro. Think of this casserole as a base for other taco/nacho favorite ingredients.
To reheat, thaw in fridge overnight (if frozen). Individual portions can be microwaved or the casserole can be reheated in the oven until hot (approx. 20 minutes at 350F).
Storage
In a sealed container, these can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They may be frozen if the container is well sealed for up to 3 months.To reheat, thaw in fridge overnight (if frozen). Individual portions can be microwaved or the casserole can be reheated in the oven until hot (approx. 20 minutes at 350F).
Nutrition (I am not a nutritionist. These are estimates only)
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 659Kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1326mg | Potassium: 1000mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1113IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 5mg