Homemade spaghetti with meat sauce is stuffed into toasted hard taco shells to create the ultimate kids’ dinner. These spaghetti tacos were a favorite of my daughter’s when she went through her iCarly phase!
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“My kids have been after me to make Spaghetti Tacos because of iCarly! So glad I found you via Pinterest as this will be Tuesday night’s dinner when I have to feed the babysitting kids too. Should be a hit for all. Thank you!!” -Amber Joy, FoodieCrush reader
Homemade Spaghetti Tacos, Just Like iCarly
I know, I know. You’re sitting there, staring at this post and thinking this recipe is one of those “Oh, let’s see how outlandish we can be and create an oddball recipe just to be different.”
Well, it is and it isn’t.
Blame it on Spencer. He’s Carly’s big brother in the TV show iCarly. When I first created this recipe years ago, Smudge was deep in her iCarly phase and one night when her friends were over for a sleepover, I asked “How about spaghetti for dinner?”
What I heard in return was a symphony of, “SPAGHETTI TACOS!!!!!!”
Seriously? Well, why not?
This recipe is a riff off my my favorite bolognese sauce. The beauty of a heavier pasta sauce like this one is that it tastes even better the next day which makes it perfect for a back-to-school dinner. You can let it simmer and have regular spaghetti dinner on Sunday, and add a taco shell or two with the leftovers on Monday.
It’s all about easing into the week.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- Tenderize that beef. This recipe uses both white wine and milk to tenderize the ground beef and create a moist and flavorful meat sauce. Don’t worry, the alcohol in the wine cooks off, so your kids can chow down on these spaghetti tacos without issue.
- Sneak in some greens, if you want. I added some shredded zucchini to my batch of spaghetti because back in the day Smudge wasn’t always good about eating her vegetables (what kid is?). You can omit the zucchini, if desired.
- Toast your taco shells. Hard taco shells are already fairly hardy, but a quick toast in the oven makes them even sturdier so they don’t crumble when loaded up with spaghetti.
What You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef — I prefer using 85/15 ground beef. You need some fat so that your sauce tastes rich and flavorful.
- Soffritto — A blend of onion, carrots, and celery forms the base of many Italian sauces, including this bolognese-inspired sauce.
- White wine + milk — Both tenderize the beef and create a succulent spaghetti sauce.
- Crushed tomatoes, sauce + paste — The three canned tomato products work together to create a sauce that tastes like it simmered for hours rather than just one.
- Balsamic vinegar — Another tenderizing and flavoring agent that adds depth to the sauce.
- Spaghetti noodles — Normally I’d say you can use any kind of noodle you’d like, but spaghetti is the easiest pasta shape to stuff into taco shells. Skip anything short and sturdy, like penne, which will be nearly impossible to keep cradled in the tacos.
- Hard taco shell — I used white corn taco shells, but you can use any you like. Spaghetti tacos won’t work with soft tortillas.
How to Make Spaghetti Tacos à la iCarly
- Make the spaghetti sauce. The ground beef and soffritto are cooked in a large pot, then the remaining ingredients are added and the sauce simmers for an hour over low heat.
- Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Make sure to salt the boiling water generously to season the noodles from the inside out.
- Toast the taco shells, then assemble. Just 3 to 4 minutes in a 400ºF oven turns the taco shells golden brown.
Heidi’s Tip: For easy taco assembly, I suggest using a pair of kitchen tongs to fit the spaghetti and meat sauce into the taco shells.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Spaghetti Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 28 ounce canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 8 ounces 85% lean ground beef
- 8 ounces ground Italian sausage
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 16 hard shell corn shells
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pulse to purée the whole tomatoes. Add 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes and their juice to a food processor (or use an immersion blender) and pulse 3-4 times until mostly smooth. Set aside.
- Brown and flavor the ground beef. Place 8 ounces 85% lean ground beef and 8 ounces ground pork in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high. Cook the meat undisturbed for a few minutes, then break up into smaller pieces and cook just until gently browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Flavor the olive oil. To the same skillet over medium, add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and 4 garlic cloves,. Cook while stirring for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat. Don’t let it brown too much or it will become bitter.
- Cook the sauce. Carefully add the tomatoes to the oil (watch for splatters) and return to medium-high. Add the cooked meat, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes up to 1 ½ hours. The longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor.
- Boil the noodles and combine with sauce. Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Add enough kosher salt (about 2 tablespoons) to make the water taste like the ocean. Cook 8 ounces spaghetti until al dente, about 8 -10 minutes. Drain, then add noodles back to the stock pot. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Remove from heat.
- Toast and fill the tacos with spaghetti. Heat the oven to 400ºF. Place 16 hard shell corn shells on a baking sheet and toast for 2-4 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven, fill the taco shells with spaghetti noodles in sauce, and sprinkle with ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
What to Serve with Spaghetti Tacos
More Spaghetti Recipes to Slurp Up
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Crab Spaghetti
- Spaghetti Pasta Salad
- Best Ever Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
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At this time I am ready to do my breakfast, later than having my breakfast coming yet again to read other news.
Emma
Nothing new. Here in Mexico, we make pasta and bean tacos. Very thin pasta, maybe like angel hair pasta, just cook it by frying it a little bit and then add some tomate sauce, little bit of onion and pepper, some chicken stock, cook it until its dry(and cooked). Use cooked pinto beans, mix them with the pasta and put in a soft tortilla taco. They are called “tacos de fideo con frijoles”
Amber Joy
My kids have been after me to make Spaghetti Tacos because of iCarly! So glad I found you via Pinterest as this will be Tuesday night’s dinner when I have to feed the babysitting kids too. Should be a hit for all. Thank you!!
Cathy @ Noble Pig
My kids always wanted spaghetti tacos from iCarly!! Love these…will share on Facebook!
Julia
My carb lovin’ self is totally ok with these.
Kristen
Oh we have big iCarly fans around here…. and this is what is going to make you mom of the year. Actually making spaghetti tacos? Brilliant.
Kristen and Katie, so glad to hear there are more crazy iCarly followers out there. But the big question is: 1D or Big Time Rush for best boy band? :)