Taco Pasta

I have seen this recipe on Pinterest for a while, and have been meaning to make it.  I finally made it this week, and it's good!  It is basically like a homemade Hamburger Helper, but way better.  I used medium salsa and it was a bit spicy for me, so next time I will use mild and some hot sauce on the side.  For the cream cheese, I used the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cooking Creme, and it was easier than waiting for the cream cheese to melt.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (I used 94% lean)

8 ounces small pasta

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup salsa

1 packet taco seasoning

3 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

salt and pepper

Shredded cheese for topping

Directions

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

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink.  Once the meat is cooked through, drain off the excess fat and mix in garlic.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the salsa and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Top with shredded cheese and more sour cream and salsa if desired.