Taco Sausage and Pasta
This dreamy dish features taco-seasoned sausage and tender pasta in a chunky tomato-based sauce. Then the whole thing is topped with gooey Mexican cheese! Show-stopping, crowd-pleasing, and ready in minutes.
I’m completely floored by the complexity of flavors in this dish because you need very few ingredients. Much of the flavor in this dish comes from store-bought taco seasoning and Rotel tomatoes. Both ingredients add savory nuances and incredible depth of flavor. If they aren’t two of your pantry staples already, they should be! My pantry is never without a packet of taco seasoning and can of Rotel tomatoes.
What type of sausage should you use? I used ground pork sausage sold in a roll, NOT in links. Just regular ground pork sausage. You can also use sausage links, just remove the casing before browning the meat. Also, I used mild sausage, but you can use Italian sausage or hot sausage. You can even use chicken sausage!
You can can make this dish mild or hot. There are many ways to add heat to this dish, so it’s completely customizable. First, you can use hot sausage. Then, you can use hot taco seasoning. You can also use hot Rotel tomatoes. If you use hot versions of all three, plan for an extra fiery dish!
This dish works with beef and ground poultry too. I used ground sausage in this dish, but you can easily swap in lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
What type of pasta should you use? I used elbow macaroni, but any small-shaped pasta works. You can use small shells, orzo, ditalini, or any small pasta of choice. Yes, gluten-free pasta works too!
What should you serve with your taco sausage and pasta? Because this dish contains protein, pasta, and vegetables, it’s essentially a complete meal. If you want to serve extra veggies on the side, I suggest a crisp green salad, or steamed broccoli or green beans.
Taco Sausage and Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni, or small pasta of choice
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1- ounce packet, or 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, regular or hot
- 14- ounce can tomato sauce
- 10- ounce can Rotel tomatoes, regular, hot, or fire-roasted
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Chopped green onions for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as is cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until soft.
- Add the taco seasoning and stir to coat. Add the tomato sauce and Rotel tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes (or until the pasta finishes cooking).
- Fold in the pasta and cook for 1 minute to heat through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Top the sausage and pasta with the cheese. If desired, place the pan under the broiler to melt the cheese.
- Top with green onions, if using, and serve.