31 Days of Frugal Meals // Day 31 Taco Pasta

This is the last day of 31 Days! Can y'all believe it, I actually blogged on time for an entire month, and have an arsenal of meals to boot. We actually didn't repeat a single recipe this month, whoo hoo! I haven't made this recipe yet, but I will be making it next week, with just the two of us it has been hard to eat all these meals. I am still a few meals behind on the consumption front so we are covered through the first few weeks of November.

Taco Pasta

As per the usual this month my changes are in pink:

Ingredients 

• 1 pound ground beef (lean or turkey)
• 8-12 ounces medium pasta shells  (I used whole wheat—yum!)
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (jarred, who wants to chop this stuff?)
• 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained (I used Ro-tel mild)
• 1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
• 3 ounces cream cheese (fat free cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (fat free sour cream)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional) (on the side so J doesn't complain)
• Salt and pepper

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.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat and onions over medium-high heat. Add in the diced tomatoes, garlic and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and remaining pasta water. Continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Simmer for a few minutes over medium heat to reduce the sauce, if needed. 

Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor, if desired.