Taco Pasta

Hello! Hope you're all having a productive Tuesday. As for myself...no. Not at all. The house is clean, laundry is done, the boy is at school, so I'm pretty much bored out of my mind. I have to make my grocery list for tomorrow, but that's about it till 5pm. Jesse has a T-Ball game at 5:30 (on  Tuesday, yes, it's weird), but it's looking like rain, so I'd be surprised if it happens. Oh well. I could always vacuum...again.

I found this recipe over at Foodgawker. It looked like a spiffed up version of Hamburger Helper, so I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately I used the 'Original' taco seasoning instead of the 'Mild', so this had a little too much kick for Jesse. I had to make him a PB&J. My fault.

It was good though! Heath loved it, but this is totally up his alley. I liked it. Nothing special...hamburger meat with shells. A good weeknight dinner. I would absolutely make it again (with the mild seasoning, though).

Ok guys, I'm gonna try and finish crocheting this blanket I'm working on. I have so much yarn in my closet I could go into business, so I'm making afghans to try and use it all up before we move. I know I'm only 31, but sometimes I feel like and 80 year old woman...crocheting on her corner of the couch watching her 'stories' :)  (just to clarify, I do NOT watch soaps all day. I watch Looney Tunes, followed by Tom & Jerry. Respectable shows, thankyouverymuch!)

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'Taco Pasta'

Source: Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or turkey
8 oz pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

3. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water. Continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin. Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

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