Spicy Beef Taco Rigatoni
with Tomato Salsa & Lime Crema
- Wheat
- Milk
Get ready for a crowd-pleasing dinner idea that’s hard not to love—especially that 25-minute cook time! It’s a magnificent mashup only our chefs could dream up: beef taco pasta! We replace the tortillas with tender rigatoni and toss it in a mix of beef and tomato seasoned with our bold Tex-Mex paste. Stir in a blend of Mexican cheeses to create a creamy, velvety sauce that’s packed with flavor. Top each bowl with a spoonful of salsa and a dollop of lime crema for the full taco-’toni experience.
Ingredients
6 ounce
Rigatoni Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Tomato
1 unit
Lime
10 ounce
Ground Beef
1 unit
Tex-Mex Paste
¼ ounce
Cilantro
½ cup
Mexican Cheese Blend
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Dice tomato into ¼-inch pieces. Roughly chop cilantro. Zest and quarter lime.
Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain.
While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add beef*, half the tomato, half the cilantro, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
Remove from heat. Drain off any excess fat from the pan and stir in Tex-Mex paste.
While beef cooks, in a small bowl, combine remaining tomato, remaining cilantro, juice from half the lime, and a pinch of salt.
In a separate small bowl, combine sour cream, juice from one lime wedge (two wedges for 4 servings), and a pinch of lime zest.
Once pasta is cooked, return pan with beef mixture to medium-high heat. Stir in drained rigatoni, cream cheese, Mexican cheese blend, and ⅓ cup reserved pasta cooking water (⅔ cup for 4 servings).
Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted and everything is completely coated in a creamy sauce, 1-2 minutes. TIP: If sauce seems too thick, add an extra splash of pasta cooking water.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Divide rigatoni between bowls; top with salsa and a dollop of crema. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the unique taco-pasta fusion, though some found it needed more seasoning or spice for a bolder taste 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, with clear instructions for most; a few found the pasta-to-sauce ratio challenging.
- Suggestions: Consider using smaller pasta like penne; add extra vegetables, spices, or Tex-Mex paste for more depth of flavor.
- Portions: Some wanted more sauce or tomatoes; others felt the pasta amount was too generous compared to other ingredients.
- Texture: Several found the rigatoni too large or firm; a smaller pasta might better absorb the sauce.
Reviews from our home cooks
I thought the pasta was a good idea and had a good base flavor but it needed more spices I think. It was a little bland for it being spicy beef pasta. Also, my limes were missing so I couldn't make my pico or sour cream mixture. Other than that-great family meal. Kids really liked it.
Ratio of meat, pasta, and salsa seemed off. I would have liked less beef (or more pasta) and at least 2x the tomatoes and crema. But it was an updated spin on hamburger helper, in a good way.
Tomatoes have been marginal for several weeks. Recipe is awesome! Love it! I used a lot of the lime and it really made all the flavors pop.
More crema Please! I loved the addition of the crema and cilantro, my husband on the other hand, not so much a fan of the cilantro, but we still liked it a lot, and the dish was full of flavor.
I wouldn't call this spicy but it was definitely delicious as is so I don't think it needed to be
Different spin on pasta with taco flare! It does have a little kick to it!
This was very delicious. Not spicy at all. Whole family loved it
Quick, easy, and very tasty. A nice twist on pasta and meat sauce
This was great, but I added garlic to the beef. HF should really utilize garlic more. I find it so weird that it doesn't.
This was by far my favorite pasta ever made even outside of HF meals! You should put on the menu of options more! LOVE this meal!
