Spaghetti Tacos (Your New Taco Tuesday!)
A hearty meat sauce with spaghetti noodles fill crunchy tacos to create a new spin on traditional tacos!
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.
Notes
In the instructions I have directed to start boiling your salted water for the pasta once the meat sauce has been made. This allows the flavors of the meat sauce to marry and meld while you cook the pasta to al dente. The sauce greatly benefits from even just a 20 minute simmer. Of course, you do have the option to make the sauce up to 2 days before, which can be handy-dandy for meal prep if you are on a time constraint, or that’s just how you roll.
The nutrition chart contains only meat sauce and spaghetti noodles. It does not calculate for toppings, taco shells, nor the added salt for pasta water. The nutrition chart is a courtesy to you and only a guesstimate.
Nutrition Facts
Spaghetti Tacos (Your New Taco Tuesday!)
Amount per Serving
Calories
510.28
% Daily Value*
Fat
21.07
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
6.63
g
41
%
Trans Fat
0.89
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1.33
g
Monounsaturated Fat
10.3
g
Cholesterol
53.67
mg
18
%
Sodium
599.87
mg
26
%
Potassium
597
mg
17
%
Carbohydrates
56.76
g
19
%
Fiber
5.82
g
24
%
Sugar
9.87
g
11
%
Protein
23.15
g
46
%
Vitamin A
537.3
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
18.1
mg
22
%
Calcium
146.29
mg
15
%
Iron
5.9
mg
33
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!