Taco Pasta

Life as a Lofthouse is one of my favorite food blogs. The recipes are easy to make, and I usually have everything on hand! This recipe was a recent post. It was tasty!

1 lb. lean ground beef
8-12 oz. small pasta shells
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning (regular or low sodium)
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. sour cream (regular or light)
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions (the pasta should be al dente). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and chopped onion over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease, then add minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Stir in cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted and sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced a bit. Serve warm.

Notes: I used 93% lean ground beef and there was no grease to drain. I love tomatoes, so the next time I make this recipe I will probably use two cans of diced tomatoes. Elbow macaroni can be substituted for the small pasta shells. I tried the large pasta shells, but I think I would prefer the small pasta shells or the macaroni. One package of taco seasoning is equivalent to 4 Tbsp.