This One Pot Taco Pasta is a simple dinner with Mexican flavor and melted cheeses. It’s hearty and perfect for a weeknight dinner. It reheats well, too.
We love tacos, and not just on Taco Tuesdays. We also love pasta, so this Taco Pasta was a perfect blend of both. This taco pasta has plenty of Mexican seasoned beef, seasoned from scratch.
Hearty black beans and corn and pasta makes this a hearty meal. The casserole is blended with Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese, and garnished with cilantro and sour cream. It’s a delicious comforting meal.
Homemade Taco Seasoning is very simple to make, since I keep an arsenal of spices in my pantry: kosher salt, teaspoon ground cumin, teaspoon dried oregano, garlic powder, smoked (or regular) paprika, and chili powder
In a pan, saute onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add ground beef and taco seasoning (a commercial packet is okay, too).
Add beef broth and tomato paste and salsa. Add pasta, black beans and corn (frozen is fine).
Add grated cheeses and combine. NOTE: I gave the beef a taste, and decided it needed a little extra “oompf”. Aha! Taco Sauce should do it. We chose mild sauce, because we are sensitive to spicy food.
Combine the pasta and taco sauce (in the future, I’ll add it along with the cooked beef). Give one more taste and adjust salt to your palate
Garnish with fresh cilantro and dinner is ready!
TASTING NOTES: One pot dinners are such a time saver, and this pasta is no exception. The beef was seasoned perfectly. The pasta, corn and beans is such a perfect pairing. A squeeze of lime gave a perfect brightness to the pasta, as well. Sour cream was a perfect garnish. Leftovers reheated really well.
One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (or large heavy pot with lid)
Ingredients
For the taco seasoning:
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
For the pasta:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or other cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced; red, yellow, orange or green bell pepper is fine
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup salsa
- ¼ cup taco sauce
- 1 lb. ground beef preferably extra lean or lean
- 2.5 cups beef broth or water in a pinch
- 8 oz. rotini pasta farfalle or penne is a good alternative. Spaghetti pasta isn't recommended.
- 15 oz. canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups shredded cheese Cheddar and Monterey jack is a good Mexican blend
For garnish:
- chopped cilantro diced avocado, lime wedges, sour cream or any other taco fixings, for serving (optional)
- lime wedges
- sour cream
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil (1 tablespoon) over medium high heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper and sauté until softened and starting to brown (about 3 minutes).
- Add the garlic and ground beef (1 lb.) and taco seasoning (1 tablespoon). Cook until ground beef is fully cooked, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, (about 5 minutes).
- Add the beef broth (2.5 cups) taco sauce, and salsa (1 cup). Bring to a boil. Add the pasta (8 oz.) and stir together. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is cooked all the way and liquid has mostly been absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the drained and rinsed black beans and frozen corn (1 cup). Continue heating for 2 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until corn and beans are heated through. Stir in the shredded cheese (2 cups) until melted. Garnish with fixings of your choice.
Notes
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