Mexican Spaghetti Recipe
One-Pot Mexican Spaghetti feeds 6 people in 35 minutes with beef, noodles, Rotel tomatoes, and cheese. No draining pasta, no extra pots!
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Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper seeded, diced
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 4.5 ounces chopped green chilies undrained
- 1 cup corn frozen or canned (drained)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 10 ounces Rotel undrained
- 3 cups water
- 8 ounces spaghetti uncooked
- 3 cups shredded cheese I used a Mexican blend or Monterey Jack
- Parsley or Cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and soften the onions and green pepper over medium high heat.
- Once the meat is no longer pink, drain excess liquid (fat) if desired.
- Add the taco seasoning, green chilies, corn, Rotel, and tomato sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for a minute or two to get the seasoning mixed in.
- Add the water and stir. Bring to a light boil.
- Break the spaghetti noodles in half or into thirds.
- Add the noodles to the skillet and stir to mix in. Make sure the noodles don’t stick together and are submerged in the sauce.
- Cover and turn the heat to low.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta noodles are cooked to your liking.
- Remove lid and stir in 2 cups of the shredded cheese.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup and cover.
- Remove from the heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes to allow the cheese on top to melt.
- Uncover and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
- Breaking the noodles into shorter pieces helps them fit in the pot and makes them easier to eat. Long spaghetti strands are messy with a saucy dish.
- Use a large pot or Dutch oven that holds at least 4 quarts. You need room for everything without overflowing.
- Stir well when you first add the pasta to make sure all the noodles are submerged and not sticking together.
- Don't skip stirring occasionally during cooking. The pasta can stick to the bottom of the pot if you don't stir it.
- Add water gradually if needed. Different pasta brands absorb liquid at different rates. It's easier to add more than to fix soupy pasta.
- Letting it rest after adding the final cheese allows everything to thicken and the cheese to melt completely.
- Drain excess fat after browning the beef if there's more than a tablespoon. Too much grease makes the sauce oily.
- Use lean ground beef to minimize excess grease. 90/10 or 93/7 works perfectly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning at the end. Different taco seasoning packets have different levels of salt and spices.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, or a dollop of sour cream for extra flavor and pretty presentation.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 785mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 887IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 3mg
