Mexican Spaghetti Recipe
Mexican spaghetti is a mashup of two dinnertime favorites: pasta and tacos! Tex-Mex seasoned meat is paired with veggies, spaghetti, cheese, and all your favorite taco toppings to create this kid-approved one-pot dinner.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
- ½ cup chopped onion (1 small onion)
- 1 large bell pepper (any color), chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 3 cups water
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken in half
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (shred it yourself for best results)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Optional garnishes: avocado, lettuce, tomato, green onion, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, etc.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine flour, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- Heat a large skillet (that has a cover) or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, onion, and peppers and cook until turkey is browned and cooked through and onions are translucent, breaking up turkey as it cooks.1 pound lean ground turkey, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 large bell pepper (any color), chopped
- Add tomato paste and spice mixture. Keep stirring until tomato paste coats all the meat, about 1 minute. Be sure to keep stirring so the tomato paste doesn't burn.2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add water and tomatoes. Stir well and bring to nearly a boil.3 cups water, 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- Add pasta, stir, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 10 to 11 minutes (use pasta directions as a guide) or until al dente, stirring occasionally to make sure pasta gets cooked evenly. Add more water if pasta seems too dry. If it's sticking, reduce heat a bit.8 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken in half
- When pasta is cooked, reduce heat to low, stir in cheddar cheese and cilantro, stirring until cheese is melted.1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Serve immediately, topped with any taco garnishes you love.Optional garnishes: avocado, lettuce, tomato, green onion, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, etc.
Video
Notes
- Meat options: If you prefer, use ground beef, chicken, sausage, or chorizo instead of ground turkey.
- If you have taco seasoning in your pantry, substitute it for the seasonings listed in the recipe: chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. I suggest using 1½ to 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning, based on taste. Try my homemade taco seasoning — no artificial ingredients or additives.
- To reduce sodium content, use no-salt-added tomatoes and tomato paste.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 656mg | Potassium: 942mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2552IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 282mg | Iron: 4mg
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