One-Pot Taco Spaghetti - 30-Minute Weeknight Dinner

The first time I made taco spaghetti, I stood over the pot convinced I'd ruined it. Three cups of water looked like soup, and the noodles were still stiff as sticks. Fifteen minutes later the pasta had drunk every drop and the whole thing smelled like a taco stand. I've made it about a dozen times since, and the pot still looks wrong before it looks right.

That's the one thing I'd tell you before you start: don't panic at the watery stage. Dried spaghetti cooks in the seasoned tomato liquid, so the starch thickens the sauce and the noodles take on the beef and chili flavor instead of plain water. You're not boiling pasta and draining it. You're cooking it in the good stuff.

It's a 30-minute dinner from one stockpot, which means one thing to wash. My kind of Tuesday.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown the beef with the onion

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, diced onion, and taco seasoning. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until no pink is left and the onion has softened.

2. Stir in the tomato paste and tomatoes

Add the tomato paste and the canned diced tomatoes with their juice. Stir for about a minute so the paste darkens slightly and coats the beef.

3. Add the pasta and water

Break the spaghetti in half and lay it in the pot. Pour in the 3 cups of water and push the noodles down so they're mostly submerged. It will look like too much liquid. It isn't.

4. Cover and simmer

Bring the pot to a boil, then cover it, drop the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has mostly been absorbed.

5. Melt the cheese off the heat

Pull the pot off the burner. Add the cheddar, mozzarella, diced Roma tomato, and cilantro. Stir until the cheese melts into the sauce.

6. Serve right away

Spoon into bowls and top with more diced tomato and cilantro if you like. It's best in the first 20 minutes, while the cheese is still soft.

How to Store One-Pot Taco Spaghetti

Delicious Variations

Black bean version

Swap half the beef for a drained can of black beans and add it with the tomatoes.

Spicier

Use hot taco seasoning or add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne with the packet.

Creamy

Stir in 2 tablespoons of cream cheese with the shredded cheese for a thicker sauce.

No taco packet

Use 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you make it, start with the 3 cups of water and trust the lid. That's the whole trick. Feed the people you love, simply.

One-Pot Taco Spaghetti – 30-Minute Weeknight Dinner

Ground beef, taco spices, and spaghetti simmer together in one pot, then get topped with cheddar, mozzarella, tomato, and cilantro. Dinner in 30 minutes.

10 minPrep time20 minCook time30 minTotal4Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ cup diced yellow onion
• 1 ¼ oz taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 10 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 8 oz dried spaghetti noodles
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 roma tomato (diced, plus more for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (plus more for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1Brown the beef with the onion — Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, diced onion, and taco seasoning. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until no pink is left and the onion has softened.
2. 2Stir in the tomato paste and tomatoes — Add the tomato paste and the canned diced tomatoes with their juice. Stir for about a minute so the paste darkens slightly and coats the beef.
3. 3Add the pasta and water — Break the spaghetti in half and lay it in the pot. Pour in the 3 cups of water and push the noodles down so they're mostly submerged. It will look like too much liquid. It isn't.
4. 4Cover and simmer — Bring the pot to a boil, then cover it, drop the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has mostly been absorbed.
5. 5Melt the cheese off the heat — Pull the pot off the burner. Add the cheddar, mozzarella, diced Roma tomato, and cilantro. Stir until the cheese melts into the sauce.
6. 6Serve right away — Spoon into bowls and top with more diced tomato and cilantro if you like. It's best in the first 20 minutes, while the cheese is still soft.

Chef's Note: Taco seasoning packets vary a lot in salt and heat, so taste the sauce before the cheese goes in and adjust from there.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker10 minutes20 minutes30 minutes

Written by Priya Raman
Priya writes about eggs and breakfast casseroles, cookies and bars, and slow cook breakfasts that feed a crowd without fuss. Her angle is flexible, budget-minded cooking: one base recipe that scales for two or for a holiday table, with clear notes on freezing and reheating. She keeps the writing light and story-first, then lands on a tight recipe card.