Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells: the delicious pasta recipe you’ll love

Fusion foods are all the rage lately: sushi pizza, kimchi quesadilla, and taco pizza—these are just a few of the latest fusion examples. So naturally, we wanted to create our own version of a fusion dish. And what’s better than combining two of our favorite cuisines… Italian and Mexican! These Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells are made with an easy, savory filling of ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning mix. It’s then stuffed into jumbo pasta shells and bake to perfection. It’s also easy to make ahead of time. Can’t decide between Mexican or Italian? Have both!

What Kind Of Pasta To Use

Any large dried pasta will work with this recipe. If you’re unable to find jumbo shells (sometimes called conchiglie or conchiglioni), look for cannoli which you can also stuff with the ground beef filling. Alternatively, you can use dried lasagna sheets, and use it in between layers of filling.

How To Store Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells

This recipe is great for the freezer. Simply proceed with the recipe as normal, but stop just before the final cheese and baking step. Leave the filled pasta to cool down, cover with plastic wrap. Cover with another layer of foil. To cook, remove the night before and thaw in the refrigerator, top with cheese and bake as the recipe states. If you have leftovers, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, in an airtight container. Reheat it in the microwave, or in the oven.

How to make Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent.

Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon as you cook the meat.

Cook the beef until slightly browned. Add seasoning, 1 cup tomato sauce, water and garlic and let simmer down until almost no water left.

Mix with ¾ cup cheese.

Fill pasta shells with beef and place into a baking dish.

Cover with more sauce and the remaining cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Recipe Tips and Notes

– Serve these Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells with all the sides you would typically see with Mexican dishes: some fresh pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

– If you can’t find taco seasoning, you can make your own homemade version: simply mix together ¼ cup chili powder (American chili powder, not cayenne pepper), 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp paprika, 2 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tsp black pepper. Store in an airtight container.