There are some things in this world that seem like they simply should not exist, yet they do, and somehow you feel better off for having witnessed it. (Take, for example, the gold cape gown Rihanna wore to the Met Gala this year — weird, but flawless.) These spaghetti and meatball tacos by Vulgar Chef, however? They just bend the rules of reality in a way my brain can't totally process. Part taco, part pasta, the latest creation to come from twisted culinary genius Kyle Marcoux will leave you feeling uncertain about things that always made sense to you before — namely, tacos, pasta, and parmesan cheese. Seriously, people, I don't know if taco night will ever be the same.
In theory, all of the pieces seem to fit together. There's really nothing to hate about a hearty bowl of noodles, or a warm tortilla oozing with meat, cheese, and more cheese. And yet, bring these two delicious meals together, and you're suddenly faced with a dinnertime dilemma you're not really sure how to handle. Then again, blowing our minds is kind of Marcoux's forte. The creator of the popular Vulgar Chef Instagram account has built up a hungry following of people both shocked and awed by dishes like Bagel Bite pizza, Cheetos-crusted mac and cheese doughnuts, and my personal favorite, a whoopie pie made 100 percent out of cheese (I dare you to try to tear your eyes away from that one). His concoctions range from the curious to the downright dangerous, and once you see them, you can't totally unsee them — which, I suppose, accounts for his amazing success.
As for these spaghetti tacos? They're actually fairly simple to make, once you're able to overcome the initial shock value. Marcoux simply mixes pasta with egg, and then bakes it in the oven to make everything both malleable and crunchy. Then he cuts the pasta into tortilla-sized circles just waiting to be filled with tomato sauce, meatballs, and cheese. Another quick pop in the oven, and these babies are all ready to go — so long as you think you can handle all the spaghetti insanity.
I, of course, am always up for a challenge — especially of the taco variety, and these meatball masterpieces got me thinking about all the other foods you could dress up as tacos. In case the Vulgar Chef is ever looking for suggestions, here are some ideas I came up with, from one hungry mind to another.
1. S'mores taco
Can someone please invent a graham cracker taco shell A.S.A.P.? Because a chocolate and marshmallow s'mores taco is pretty much the only thing on my mind right now. I mean, a s'more is kind of already a taco anyway, in that it's a bunch of yummy things smushed in between more yummy things. This is just the obvious next step.
2. Pizza taco
DUH. Trade in your flour tortilla for a personal mini pizza and just fill it up with whatever you want. Pepperoni, veggies, three kinds of cheese, more pizza... unleash your creativity.
3. Bacon taco
Also duh. I feel like this could be Taco Bell's next great breakfast option. Weave together some bacon into the shape of a tortilla, and then just stuff it full of scrambled eggs with all the fixings. Then, just pray that your heart doesn't explode.
4. Waffle taco
Filled with ice cream and hot fudge, naturally.
5. Grilled cheese taco
This one is almost like a double taco, because not only do you have a layer of melty cheese between your fried slices of bread serving as a taco shell, you also have even more melty cheese in the middle, because I honestly don't know what else you use to fill up a grilled cheese taco. I'm just thinking out loud here, folks.
6. Macaroni and cheese taco
I imagine you would make this pretty much the same way you would make a spaghetti and meatball taco, only you would use macaroni noodles, of course. And then you could put whatever you wanted into it, because there is literally nothing on this earth that would make macaroni and cheese taste bad. (That being said, I can't help but think a lobster mac and cheese taco would be particularly on point.)
Anyway, I have to go. I just realized that while being a writer is pretty fun, dreaming up artisanal tacos is my true calling. See you guys later.
Images: The Vulgar Chef; Giphy (6)
