Taco Pasta

This is a really easy recipe that has entered our regular rotation of dinner recipes.  My kids both like it, which is pretty rare.  The recipe came from here:  Taco Pasta  There are some great recipes on this site, so make sure you either check out the recipe index or go to home and scroll back through her recent recipes.

Taco Pasta
1 pound ground beef or turkey or morningstar crumbles
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes but I used the green chilies and my kids didn't say it was too spicy)
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream ( I used reduced fat)
Salt and pepper

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

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 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. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.