Spaghetti Tacos fill crisp, flat-bottom taco shells with broken spaghetti, taco-seasoned beef, tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes, and melted Mexican cheese. The recipe keeps the playful pasta-and-taco combination manageable by shortening the noodles and standing every shell upright in one baking dish.
The batch makes exactly 10 tacos, equal to 5 servings, in 35 minutes: 10 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The filled shells need only 4–6 minutes at 400°F because the pasta and beef are cooked before assembly.
Spaghetti Taco Ingredients
Gather 6 ounces uncooked spaghetti noodles, broken in half; 1 pound lean ground beef; ½ cup water; 1 ounce mild taco seasoning; 1 cup tomato sauce; and one 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained.
You also need 1¾ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend and exactly 10 Old El Paso stand-and-stuff taco shells. The cheese is divided: 1½ cups go into the spaghetti mixture, and the remaining ¼ cup melts on top.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Fajita Chicken Casserole.
How to Make Spaghetti Tacos
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Break 6 ounces spaghetti in half, cook according to package directions, and drain.
- Brown 1 pound lean beef over medium-high heat, crumble it well, and drain the grease.
- Add ½ cup water and 1 ounce mild taco seasoning; stir until coated.
- Reduce heat to low, add 1 cup tomato sauce, then stir in spaghetti and the drained 10-ounce Rotel.
- Remove from heat and mix in 1½ cups Mexican cheese.
- Stand 10 shells in a 9×13-inch dish, fill evenly, and add the remaining ¼ cup cheese.
- Bake 4–6 minutes and serve the 10 tacos immediately.
For food-safety guidance while cooking, use the USDA safe minimum temperature chart.
Break the Spaghetti before Boiling
Brown One Pound of Lean Beef
Season with Water and One Ounce
Add Tomato Sauce over Low Heat
Fold in Pasta and Drained Rotel
Mix in One and a Half Cups of Cheese
Fill Exactly Ten Taco Shells
Finish with the Reserved Quarter Cup
Bake Four to Six Minutes
Prepare Filling Ahead, Not Filled Shells
Conclusion
At 400°F, cook and drain 6 ounces spaghetti broken in half. Brown and drain 1 pound beef, then add ½ cup water and 1 ounce mild taco seasoning. On low, stir in 1 cup tomato sauce, the pasta, and one drained 10-ounce can Rotel. Off heat, mix in 1½ cups of the 1¾ cups cheese. Fill exactly 10 stand-and-stuff shells in a 9×13 dish, top with the reserved ¼ cup cheese, and bake 4–6 minutes. Serve 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Why should the spaghetti be broken in half?
Shorter noodles fit inside the taco shells and make the finished tacos easier to fill and eat.
- → How is the 1¾ cups cheese divided?
Stir 1½ cups into the filling off heat, then sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup over the 10 tacos.
- → How long do Spaghetti Tacos bake?
Bake them at 400°F for 4–6 minutes, until the topping cheese is completely melted.
- → How many tacos and servings does the recipe make?
It makes exactly 10 tacos, divided into 5 servings of 2 tacos each.