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Cheesy taco pasta

Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

This Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta is the perfect meal for a lazy afternoon or quick dinner, made with ground beef, pasta shells, and all your favorite taco flavors.

Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot

4.93 from 42 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Pressurize Time 10 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 605 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cooking oil
  • 1/2 pound (227 g) ground beef
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 3/4 cups (414 ml) beef stock
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) salsa mild to spicy
  • 4 ounces (113 g) tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon (3 g) taco seasoning
  • 8 ounces (227 g) dried small or medium pasta shells
  • 1 cup (113 g) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup (59 ml) heavy cream
  • Extra cheese and cilantro for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Turn on sauté mode on the Instant Pot. When hot, add the cooking oil, then add the ground beef and break up the meat as it cooks, about 2 minutes on high. Drain excess fat from the pot before moving on.
  • Add the onions and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Turn off sauté mode. Add the garlic and simmer for 30 seconds.
  • Add the beef stock and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the browned bits.
  • Add the salsa, tomato paste, taco seasoning and pasta. Stir to combine. Make sure all shells are under water.
  • Set the pot to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. It will take 5-10 minutes to come up to pressure. When done, manually release the pressure. Stir the pasta.
  • Add in the cheese and heavy cream. Stir to combine and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving with your desired garnish.

Notes

  • It’s best to shred your own cheese from a block for this recipe because it melts better than pre-shredded cheese, which can make a gloopy mess.
  • If you like sour cream, you can stir that in with the cheese, rather than using heavy cream.
  • You can vary the heat in this recipe by using mild to hot salsa.
  • If you like it really spicy, add some fresh jalapeno to the pot before cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 605kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 28gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 926mgPotassium: 904mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1149IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Ground Beef, Pasta
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