Description
Rotel pasta brings zesty southwestern charm to dinner tables across America. Creamy cheese and spicy tomatoes combine in a quick, satisfying meal that promises comfort and bold flavor for hungry families.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef or sausage
- 8 ounces (226 grams) pasta (penne or rotini)
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chilies)
Cheese Ingredients:
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
Seasoning and Cream Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente following package guidelines, then drain thoroughly and reserve.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high temperature, crumble ground meat, and cook until golden brown and fully rendered.
- Eliminate excess grease from meat, returning skillet to stovetop.
- Pour Rotel tomatoes into meat, incorporating garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper; allow mixture to simmer and develop flavors for approximately 5 minutes.
- Introduce cream cheese and heavy cream, stirring continuously until sauce transforms into smooth, velvety consistency.
- Gently fold reserved pasta into skillet, ensuring each pasta strand becomes generously coated with creamy sauce.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over surface, gently mixing until cheese melts completely and creates luxurious, glossy texture.
- Transfer to serving dish, garnishing with optional fresh herbs for enhanced visual appeal and subtle aromatic finish.
Notes
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a leaner, lighter version that still packs incredible flavor.
- Choose gluten-free pasta to make this dish completely gluten-free without compromising the creamy, zesty texture.
- Reserve some pasta water before draining to help create a smoother, silkier sauce if the mixture seems too thick during cooking.
- Experiment with different cheese blends like pepper jack or smoked gouda to elevate the dish’s complexity and add unexpected depth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 485 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg