Spaghetti Tacos (Your New Taco Tuesday!)
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 – 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Serves: 6
Even at the age of over 40-something, I can still fall into peer pressure. Spaghetti Tacos is not something I would’ve given a second thought. However, to the persistent “nudge“ (might feel more like a push off a cliff), of a young, enthusiastic, church friend, I bowed to the request to make Spaghetti Tacos.
As my routine, and as any food creator should do, I perused the Internet, looking to see what has already been pioneered in the Italian taco realm.
Most recipes were very, very simplistic, using a jar of marinara. I’m not dissing jars, as long as you use an excellent brand. They are out there and generally more expensive than the usual Prego. Homemade marinara, however, is my go-to. Even still, according to how my brain works, I thought to myself, “How do I add some flair to this sauce?“
In consideration of my carnivore husband, the spaghetti tacos will have a meat sauce. Period. Let’s make sure the sauce is super flavorful, yet not too intensely Italian that it can handle taco sauce, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes, should a guest choose to add. Wow, to find the delicate balance. That was the challenge.
Picking the brain of my enthusiastic friend, crunchy taco shells was the way to go. My son piped in that Doritos makes a flavored crunchy shell that I absolutely had to utilize, if I could find them in my area. I did find cheese-flavored crunchy taco shells. The consensus was they were the best! Be sure, however, to give them a quick bake in your oven to crisp up and bring back to life; they can be a bit stale-tasting right out of the box.
Serve with garlic bread or a hearty salad. My son’s girlfriend made a Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, dried oregano, feta, Castelvetrano olives, and a homemade vinaigrette that was out of this world!
You’ll find the recipe below has been thoughtfully and intently drafted, tested, developed and thoroughly devoured.
How many it actually feeds depends on multiple factors… the size of your shells, the amount you actually add to the taco, your appetite, etc. The recipe yields, in my opinion, plenty for 6 people for a dinner, plus maybe a small plate of leftovers for a midnight snack. Best wishes and I hope to be tagged on social media with happy faces!
Enjoy!
Meet Caitlyn, the one who started it all…
Everyone was ready to dig in!
Spaghetti Tacos (Your New Taco Tuesday!)
Ingredients
- 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 for best flavor)
- 1/2 cup onion, small-dice or grated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced, grated, or pushed through a garlic presss
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (you may not use it all)
- 1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes (or other whole peeled tomatoes), undrained
- 1/4 cup mix of fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley), or 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried herbs
- 3 quarts filtered water plus 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt, for pasta water
- 12 ounces spaghetti noodles, I prefer traditional noodles (not thin spaghetti or bucatini)
- crunchy taco shells, follow directions for heating in oven prior to serving
Toppings:
- Parmesan, Mozzarella, or Provolone cheese shredded
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomato
- Taco sauce
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, crumbling with your hands as you add or use a meat masher to break it apart.
- Stir and cook the beef until no pink remains. Pour into a colander to drain well; set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add another tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir occasionally until softened. Turn the heat down if burning. Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 20 seconds.
- Turn the heat down to low. Add half of the can of crushed tomatoes. You can add more at the end if you want the meat sauce to be more “saucy.”
- Add the San Marzano tomatoes, crushing them by hand as you add them; remove any firm cores and discard. Add any extra sauce/liquid in the can. Stir to combine.
- Add the herbs and drained beef back to the pan. Bring up to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust any salt and pepper as desired. Allow the meat sauce to simmer while you begin boiling the pasta water.
- Heat the water and ¾ - 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt in a large pot. Once the water is up to a rolling boil, cook the noodles according to package directions for al dente. Drain well. Do not rinse.
- Add the pasta to the meat sauce and combine thoroughly. Feel free to add more of the reserved crushed tomatoes if desired.
- To serve, fill tacos with the spaghetti filling. Add desired toppings. Serve very warm.
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