Beef Taco Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 2 cups beef broth
• 8 oz wide egg noodles
• 2.25 oz can sliced black olives
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2-3 green onions, sliced

Directions

1. Chop the onion into a dice and mince the garlic. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, stopping once they start to soften. Crumble in the ground beef and keep cooking until the meat is fully browned.
2. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, diced tomatoes, and diced green chiles, leaving the liquid from the tomatoes and chiles in the pot. Mix everything through the beef.
3. Add the noodles and beef broth, give it all a stir, and nudge the noodles down so most of them sit under the broth. Cover the pot and let the mixture reach a simmer. Once it is bubbling vigorously, lower the heat a little to just above low and keep it simmering for 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes so the pasta does not grab onto the bottom of the pot.
4. After about 10 minutes, the pasta should be cooked through and the broth should be mostly absorbed. If the pot still looks a little soupy, cook it uncovered for a minute or 2 more. Taste, and if you want more heat, stir in the cayenne pepper.
5. Pour off the liquid from the black olives, then fold the olives into the pasta. Add the cheese and keep stirring until it melts completely. Slice the green onions, scatter them over the top, and serve.