Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells made with a few simple ingredients for an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love. Pasta shells stuffed with seasoned ground beef and beans and then topped with cheese and salsa.

What are Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells?

Pasta shells are generally associated with Italian food, but if you stuff them with taco meat, they crossover and become a delicious Mexican food that has become a staple at my house. You only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy pasta recipe. All you need is seasoned ground beef, refried beans, cheese and salsa and jumbo pasta shells. Only a few minutes of preparation and you have an easy taco dinner with a little bit of a twist!

What to serve with Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells?

This recipe is a bit of a one-dish meal so you don’t really need too many sides, but we love to serve the taco pasta shells with our favorite Fruit Salad recipe or some Fresh Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips. If you need a simple and delicious dessert, our Pina Colada Poke Cake or Pina Colada Pie both work perfectly!

Ingredients in Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

Jumbo pasta shells: You’ll need about 16 pasta shells, but if you need to fill a few more, just don’t fill them quite as full! Cook them according to package directions and then rinse and drain them thoroughly. I like to dry them out a little bit by laying them out on paper towels to dry while I’m preparing the filling.

Ground beef: I prefer to use ground beef in this recipe, but ground turkey works great too!

Taco seasoning mix: Just use one packet of taco seasoning or use enough homemade seasoning to season 1 pound of ground beef.

Water: You need a little bit of water with the taco seasoning to provide the right amount of liquid for the meat.

Refried beans: One regular sized can is the right amount. Use any type of refried bean you prefer, or make your own with our favorite Instant Pot Refried Bean recipe.

Shredded cheese: You can use any type of cheese that you want. I usually use cheddar or a Mexican blend.

Salsa: You can use picante sauce or any other type of salsa that you have on hand. Homemade salsa like our Easy Blender salsa works great too!

How to make Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

Preheat oven to 350°.

Brown beef in skillet, drain. Add seasoning mix and water. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes or until thickened.

Turn heat off and add beans and 3/4 cup cheese. Mix well.

Spread 1/2 cup salsa into the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan. Fill pasta shells with the beef and bean mixture. Place shells in dish, filled side up. Spoon the remaining salsa over the shells.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for about 10-15 more minutes.