Mexican Spaghetti

I’ve got to tell you about this recipe I’m totally loving right now. Mexican Spaghetti, or as I like to call it sometimes, Taco Spaghetti. It’s basically two of my favorite things combined: tacos and spaghetti! How fun is that? It’s got all those taco flavors I crave, like seasoned ground meat, peppers, and corn, mixed right into a saucy spaghetti dish. It’s so easy to make and is a great way to change up dinner for your whole family.

In our household, pasta and tacos are common recurring things. Jason is always ready for a big plate of pasta, and if it has “taco” in the name, I’m all in! We’ve made everything from Taco Pasta to Taco Casserole, and even some authentic Mexican fideo recipes like Sopa de Fideo and Espagueti Verde. It’s always fun when tacos and pasta come together in one delicious meal!

Today’s Mexican Spaghetti has all the comfort of a big pot of spaghetti but with a fun Mexican twist, thanks to the taco seasoning in the meat sauce. It’s a quick and easy weeknight meal that’s sure to keep everyone happy with its bold, new flavors.

Ingredients Needed

• Olive oil – I use this for sautéing the veggies, but you can use any oil you prefer.
• Veggies – Onion, bell peppers and corn. I love using a mix of red and yellow for a pop of color, but you can use any color available. Frozen corn works perfectly here after it’s thawed, but fresh or canned corn is also a good option.
• Garlic – Always.
• Ground Beef – I use ground beef (85/15 lean), but you can easily swap it with ground turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
• Taco seasoning – I highly recommend my Homemade Taco Seasoning. It’s super simple and quick to make with everyday pantry staples.
• Rotel – Adds tomatoes and a bit of spice from the chilies.
• Tomato sauce – Helps blend everything together into a nice sauce for the spaghetti.
• Spaghetti – You could also use other shapes like penne or rigatoni, but spaghetti is always a classic. 

Mexican Spaghetti Recipe

So, here’s how I make my Taco Spaghetti, it’s super simple! I start by cooking the spaghetti in a big pot of boiling water. Once it’s done, I drain it and set it aside for later.

While the pasta’s cooking, I heat up some olive oil in a large pan. Then, I sauté diced onions and bell peppers for about five minutes until they soften up.

After that, I add in the garlic and let it cook for just a minute. Next, I throw in the ground beef and break it up while it cooks. Once it’s browned, I stir in the taco seasoning. Please try to always use a homemade blend, it does make a big difference. I let that cook for a minute to really bring out the flavors.

Then I add the corn, Rotel and tomato sauce to the mix. I stir it all together, cover the pan and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, so everything gets nice and saucy.

Finally, I add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and toss everything together until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce. Then, I serve it right away, usually with toppings like cheese, cilantro, or maybe even some avocado. And that’s it! Super easy and always a hit at my place.

Alpana’s Tips

• Spice level: If I want more kick (which I often do), I I add some chopped jalapeños when sautéing the veggies.
• Ground Meat: On some days when I’m looking for lighter options, I like to use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
• Veggie Boost: I think some mushrooms, zucchini, or frozen mixed veggies can go great in this recipe.
• Homemade taco seasoning: I love making my own taco seasoning because it lets me adjust the salt, heat, and spices exactly how I like it. Store bought taco seasoning is loaded with sodium and somehow lack the punch of flavors.
• Make a Casserole: This is a fun twist. I like to turn my Mexican Spaghetti into a casserole by layering the spaghetti and sauce in a baking dish, topping it with cheese, and baking until bubbly.
• Leftovers: This dish reheats really well, so I always save any extras in an airtight container and reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Give my fusion flavors a try on your next spaghetti night or even Taco Tuesday! These taco spaghetti flavors are seriously awesome, and I bet your family will be all in for the tasty twist.

Mexican Spaghetti, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Some more great pasta recipes:
Frutti di Mare
Gigi Hadid Pasta
American Chop Suey
Kielbasa Pasta
Pasta e Piselli
Spicy Sausage Pasta
Jambalaya Pasta

Mexican Spaghetti

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

My easy Mexican Spaghetti is a totally fun fusion dish that only takes about 30 minutes. Perfect weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic, finely chopped
• 1.5 pounds ground beef (you can use any ground meat of your choice)
• taco seasoning (see note)
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 10oz can rotel
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 8oz spaghetti

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot of water and bring it to rolling boil. Cook spaghetti according to the direction on the packet. Drain and set it aside.
2. While water is boiling, heat olive oil in large skillet or pot and sauté diced onion and bell peppers for 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for a minute.
3. Add ground meat and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking with spatula to break it into chunks. Cook until its brown all over.
4. Add in taco seasoning and cook for a minute.
5. Add corn, rotel and tomato sauce. Mix well, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Add in cooked spaghetti to the sauce and mix well until spaghetti is well coated with meat sauce.
7. Serve immediately with any of your favorite toppings like cilantro, cheese, green onion or avocado.

Notes

1. Homemade Taco seasoning: Just mix following ingredients in a bowl and use the whole recipe for my amazing taco seasoning that is always a big hit on taco nights.

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
  1.5 tsp cumin
  1 tsp garlic powder
  1/2 tsp onion powder
  1 tsp oregano
  1 tsp paprika (we use smoked)
  1/4 tsp red chili flakes
  1 tsp salt
  1/2 tsp black pepper

In a pinch you can use 1 envelope of store-bought taco seasoning.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 474Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 101mgSodium 539mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 35g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.