American
Smoky Cheddar Taco Pasta
Ridged macaroni catches a smoky tomato-beef sauce while sharp cheddar melts in off heat, giving this taco-spiced pasta a creamy finish without dulling its chile flavor.
6 servings · 15 minutes prep · 30 minutes cook
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for 4 quarts pasta water
Beef and Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, about 7 ounces, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crumbled
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with their juices
- 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
Cheese and Finish
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
- 1/2 cup sour cream, for serving, optional
Directions
Boil the Macaroni
- Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) water to a boil and season it with the pasta-water salt. Add the elbow macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the package time, until firm at the center. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
Brown and Season the Beef
- Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Press in the ground beef in a broad layer and leave undisturbed for 3 minutes; break it into small crumbles and cook until browned and at least 160°F (71°C), about 3 minutes more.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and scallion whites from the scallions; cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and Mexican oregano; stir for 1 minute until the paste darkens slightly.
Sauce, Melt, and Rest
- Add the diced tomatoes and beef broth. Simmer for 6 minutes, scraping the skillet, until lightly reduced. Fold in the drained macaroni and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce coats the pasta.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the cheddar in three handfuls, stirring each until melted before adding the next. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and add salt only if needed; if the sauce is tighter than a creamy coating, loosen it with reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time. Rest for 5 minutes. Finish with scallion greens and offer the sour cream at the table.
