Spaghetti Tacos
What do you get when you combine your favorite tacos with fun-to-eat spaghetti? Spaghetti Tacos and these tasty eats are not just delicious, but they’re a tasty alternative to pasta or tacos. Messy and fun to make and eat, these Spaghetti Tacos might just be my new favorite!
I love tacos, and I love spaghetti, so why not combine them? That’s exactly what I did here, and with plenty of beef, flavor, and tasty cheesy tortillas, these aren’t your typical tacos!
Spaghetti Tacos
Inspired by my friend Carol Ann who showed me how to make the tortillas, this is a great recipe for kids, kids at heart, and anyone who can’t decide between tacos and pasta for dinner! We were both celebrating our 60th birthday for a weekend when she asked me if I’d ever had a spaghetti taco? How, in 60 years, had I never had a bite of this goodness? I love her tips and recipe, and how she showed me how to make the ultimate tacos filled with spaghetti (oh, and the cheesy shells)!
I’ve served these on a platter, on a board, and individually on plates. No matter how you eat them, pass the napkins around and get ready to dig into flavor!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s a fun and tasty fusion between tacos and spaghetti, and this family-friendly recipe never fails to amuse and delight my family and guests!
- This is an inexpensive recipe, and much of it can be prepped ahead of time.
- Spaghetti Tacos is a fun twist on spaghetti and meatballs, and who doesn’t love eating with their hands?
Gather these ingredients
- Ground beef – Use 90/10 or 80/20.
- Egg
- Italian bread crumbs
- Grated Parmesan cheese – You want the powdery kind, like Kraft in the green canister.
- Taco seasoning
- Garlic salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Spaghetti pasta – I like to use spaghettini or capellini because it is thinner.
- Marinara sauce – 1 jar of your favorite brand and flavor.
- Flour tortillas – Look for medium-sized tortillas.
- Cooking oil – I like olive oil or canola oil.
- Shredded Parmesan cheese – The good stuff for garnishing the top of your tacos.
- Fresh cilantro – Chopped.
- Roma tomatoes – Diced.
- White onion – Diced.
There are a few steps to making spaghetti and meatball tacos, but you can do some of it, like the meatballs, ahead of time! See my tips below for prepping this recipe in advance.
How to make Spaghetti Tacos
- Preheat your oven to 350-F and line a baking sheet with raised sides with parchment paper. Set this aside.
- Combine the beef, egg, Italian bread crumbs, taco seasoning, ⅓ cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well mixed.
- Scoop the meat into small balls about 1.5 inches in diameter and roll them with your hands to form a meatball. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet and repeat until the mixture is all formed into meatballs.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through to 165 degrees F with a digital meat thermometer. They might shrink in size – that’s okay!
- Transfer the meatballs to a few layers of paper towel to absorb the excess grease. Press down gently to remove any residual fat.
- Cook that pasta according to package directions, but before adding it to the boiling water, snap the spaghetti in half so the strands aren’t so long. Cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time so it is very al dente.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Add the marinara sauce, meatballs, and ⅓ cup of Kraft grated Parmesan to the noodles and mix gently with a large spoon. Keep this warm until ready to serve.
- Add the oil to a medium skillet large enough to hold a tortilla flat. While the oil is heating, add the remaining grated Parmesan cheese to a flat plate. Heat the oil then lightly brown each side of a tortilla then dip one side of the oil-coated and browned tortilla into the cheese. Transfer the cheese-coated tortilla to a plate and top with a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat until all the tortillas have one side coated in cheese.
To assemble
- Fold a tortilla gently in half without breaking it, with the cheese side outward. Fill the taco with sauce-coated spaghetti and 1-2 meatballs.
- Scoop a bit more sauce on top and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese, chopped tomato, diced white onion, and a bit of chopped cilantro.
- Repeat and serve immediately.
More topping ideas for your Spaghetti Tacos
- Shredded lettuce
- Hot sauce
- Guacamole or diced avocado
Tips & substitutions
- You can make the meatballs ahead of time and pop them into the fridge until you’re ready to make the rest of the dish. Just warm them in the oven before adding them to the pasta and sauce. Or, heat them in the sauce, then add the sauce and meatballs to the hot pasta.
- Make extra meatballs and freeze them for another meal!
- You can use any kind of long, thin noodle but I find thinner spaghetti works better in the tacos. And it cooks faster, too!
Serving suggestions
Keep with the fusion theme and serve these pasta tacos with a Pizza Salad or your favorite greens with a great dressing. You could also pair your tacos with more finger food, like this fun-to-eat chips and dips board. The sky’s the limit! Serve with pull-apart bread, or breadsticks with the extra sauce for dipping, or just make a feast of the tacos!
Storage
The tortillas are best eaten fresh, but you can store the spaghetti and meatball filling in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make the cheesy tortillas as needed then use up the leftovers!
Check out these awesome pasta recipes while you’re here
- Pasta Bake Board
- Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta
- Bacon and Onion Pasta
- Chicken Flortentine Pasta
Get the Recipe:
Spaghetti Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ c. Italian bread crumbs
- 1 ⅔ c. Kraft grated Parmesan cheese, divided (the powdery kind)
- 2 Tbsp. mild taco seasoning
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb. thin spaghetti pasta
- 1 jar favorite marinara sauce
- 8-10 medium size flour tortillas
- 3 Tbsp olive or canola oil, or more if needed
- Fresh Parmesan cheese, for topping
- Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- ¼ white onion, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Make the beef meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, egg, Italian bread crumbs, taco seasoning, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, garlic salt, and pepper.
- Scoop the meat into small balls about 1 ½-inch in diameter, and roll with your hands; transfer to prepared baking sheet with parchment paper. The meatballs will shrink in size as they bake.
- Bake 20 minutes until cooked through. If you are making smaller meatballs, cook for less time. If you want larger meatballs, cook an additional couple minutes. Take a few paper towels and press down on the cooked meatballs, to remove any of the grease.
- Meanwhile, prepare the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water, breaking the pasta in half before you place it in the boiling water; cook according to package directions. Cook al dente, about 1-2 minutes less. Drain the pasta and and return to pot.
- To the large pot of spaghetti, add your favorite marinara, the baked meatballs, and ⅓ cup Kraft grated Parmesan. Gently mix together with a large spoon, to not break up the meatballs. Keep on warm until ready to serve.
Preparing the flour tortillas:
- Add the remaining 1 cup of Kraft Parmesan cheese to a large plate.
- In a medium skillet, add the oil and heat to HI. Lightly brown both sides of each flour tortilla in oil and then dip one side in grated Parmesan, making sure it’s nicely coated in cheese. Place each tortilla in between parchment paper until ready to serve.
To assemble the spaghetti taco:
- With the Parmesan coating on the outside, fold the browned tortilla in half. Fill with hot thin spaghetti pasta and 1-2 meatballs (optional to cut the meatballs in ½). Scoop a little more sauce, and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, chopped tomato and white onion (dice small), and fresh chopped cilantro.
- Tacos will be messy but amazing! Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- More cheese, like Cotija or Mexican blend
- Shredded lettuce
- Hot sauce
- Guacamole
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
OOOOOOOOOOOOOH, you know what I’m thinking? brush the tortillas with garlic butter, THEN brown them and dust them with the grated cheese. That way it’s wrapped in something like garlic bread…..this is a nifty idea – thank you! I’m going to make these in the Fall. You and your blog are AWESOME!
When I made this, i crumbled up my burger instead of making meatballs. Better distribution of the meat throughout.