This Mexican Pasta recipe is a vibrant, spicy twist on a archetype repletion food. Infused with traditional Mexican spices and topped with cheese, it’s unseat to wilt a new family favorite! Plus, it only takes 25 minutes from scratch!
It only takes 25 minutes to make this utterly succulent Mexican pasta!
Why This Recipe Stands Out
Who doesn’t love a good pasta dish? This Mexican pasta is a unique tousle of hearty pasta and vibrant Mexican flavors, all baked to perfection. Here’s why:
-
Quick: This recipe is ready in just 25 minutes, perfect for rented weeknights like our other convenient 30-minute meals.
-
Flavor-Packed: The combination of homemade taco seasoning, salsa, and Mexican tousle cheese gives this pasta a bold, heady flavor.
-
Versatile: You can use either lean ground whinge or turkey, making it unsteadfast to your preferences.
-
Healthy: It’s packed with whole grain pasta, lean meat, and woebegone beans, making it a nutritious choice.
-
Comfort Food: Despite its unique twist, this recipe still delivers the comforting finger of a classic casserole bake.
Key Recipe Ingredients
-
Corkscrew Pasta – The windrow of our dish, whole grain corkscrew pasta not only adds a healthy twist but moreover holds onto the sauce well, guaranteeing that every zest is packed with flavor.
-
Lean Ground Whinge or Turkey – This is the protein of our dish, it adds a hearty element and soaks up the flavors of the taco seasoning beautifully.
-
Homemade Taco Seasoning – It brings a splash of savor and gives the dish its distinctive Mexican flair.
-
Chunky Salsa – We use a jar of stocky salsa to add a tangy kick and to alimony the dish moist and flavorful.
-
Black Beans and Woebegone Olives – These add a nice unrelatedness in texture, and their earthy flavors wastefulness out the spiciness of the dish.
-
Mexican Tousle Cheese – We top our dish with a generous sprinkle of shredded Mexican tousle cheese, which melts into a deliciously gooey layer.
-
Garnishes – Freshly chopped cilantro adds a pop of freshness, while avocado slices bring a linty element to the dish, perfectly rounding off the flavors.
Substitutions And Variations
This hearty Mexican pasta recipe is a flavor-packed dish that’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. But we know that everyone has their own tastes and dietary needs, so let’s squint at some tasty variations and substitutions:
-
Pasta: While we use whole-grain corkscrew pasta, finger self-ruling to substitute it with your favorite pasta type. Gluten-free pasta would work unconfined as well.
-
Protein: The recipe calls for lean ground whinge or turkey, but you could hands substitute it with ground chicken, tofu, or plane a plant-based meat substitute.
-
Seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning is our go-to for this dish, but any store-bought version or your own tousle of spices would work wonderfully.
-
Beans: If woebegone beans aren’t your thing, try pinto beans or kidney beans like we use in our Mexican taco salad. Just make sure to rinse and phlebotomize them well.
-
Cheese: We love the Mexican tousle cheese here, but finger self-ruling to use your favorite cheese. A tousle of cheddar and Monterey Jack would be delicious, or make it spicy with some pepper jack.
-
Garnishes: The options are endless! Whispered from cilantro and avocado slices, consider subtracting a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of untried onions, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice for widow zesty flavor.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
-
Boil pasta in a large pot of salt water until al dente, phlebotomize and set aside.
-
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions and garlic. Add ground meat and melt until brown. Stir in taco seasoning, salsa, woebegone beans, olives, and oregano.
-
Combine this mixture with the pasta, stir in cheese, and transfer to the sultry dish.
-
Top with remaining cheese and torch for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and avocado surpassing serving.
How To Prep Ahead
This Mexican pasta is not only a crowd-pleaser but moreover a unconfined make-ahead option. Take a squint at our favorite prep-ahead strategies for this recipe:
-
Meat Mixture: You can prepare the meat mixture with onions, garlic, ground meat, taco seasoning, salsa, woebegone beans, olives, and oregano superiority of time. Once cooked, let it tomfool and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to hoke the dish, just heat it up.
-
Cheese: Shred the Mexican tousle cheese and store it in an snapped container in the fridge. This way, you’ll have it ready to add to the pasta and meat mixture, and to sprinkle on top surpassing baking.
-
Assemble Superiority of Time: You can moreover entirely hoke the casserole and store it in the fridge for up to 2 hours. When ready to serve, top it with cheese and torch uncovered in the oven.
This Mexican pasta is easy, tasty, and ready in just 25 minutes for a fuss-free weeknight meal.
What To Serve With Mexican Pasta
Salads
-
For a fresh, crunchy side, try this vibrant Mexican Corn Salad or this Fresh Corn Avocado Salad.
-
You can moreover have it with some light, refreshing salad on the side such as this easy chopped Greek salad.
Bread
-
A side of specie can be a unconfined wing to your Mexican pasta meal. We suggest trying this Rosemary Garlic Bread or some sliced French bread.
-
You can moreover go for archetype options like this Garlic Cheese Bread or some easy dinner rolls that the whole family will love.
Chips and Dips
-
Serve Mexican pasta with tortilla fries and The Weightier Guacamole or Restaurant Style Salsa.
Commonly Asked Questions
What type of pasta is weightier for this Mexican pasta recipe?
We used whole grain corkscrew pasta for this recipe but you can use any other pasta of your choice. The key is to melt it al dente to maintain a good texture.
Can I use store-bought taco seasoning?
Absolutely! If you don’t have everything at home to make your own homemade taco seasoning, you can use store-bought taco seasoning. It will still requite your pasta that succulent Mexican flavor.
How long does Mexican pasta last?
Mexican pasta can be stored in an snapped container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply microwave it or warm it up in a pan over medium heat.
Mexican Pasta Bake
Ingredients
-
2 TB olive oil
-
1 lb ground whinge turkey
-
1.25 ounce taco seasoning
-
1 jar salsa mild, chunky, 15-20 oz
-
1 small green pepper chopped and seeded
-
1 tsp garlic powder
-
1 tsp onion powder
-
1 tsp dried oregano
-
12 oz pasta
-
2 cups Mexican tousle cheese shredded, divided
-
½ cup light sour cream
-
fresh cilantro chopped, for garnishing
Instructions
-
Cook pasta in well-salted water to al dente only. Phlebotomize (don’t rinse) and set aside.
-
In large heavy skillet, brown ground meat over medium heat. Phlebotomize if needed. Stir in taco seasoning, salsa, untried pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Bring to boil, stirring. Immediately remove from heat.
-
Meanwhile, combine cooked pasta with 1 cup of the cheese and sour surf and mix well. Spoon into a greased 2-qt sultry dish. Top with the meat mixture and remaining cheese.
-
Bake uncovered 350F for 30 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
Notes
-
When cooking the pasta, make sure that it’s just al dente, or firm to the bite. This prevents it from rhadamanthine too soft when baked.
-
Don’t forget to generously salt your pasta water. It can make a big difference in the overall savor of your pasta dish.
-
Use a large, heavy skillet for browning the meat. This allows for plane heat distribution and prevents the meat from steaming instead of browning.
-
When subtracting the taco seasoning, salsa, woebegone beans, olives, and oregano to the brown meat, ensure the mixture is heated through.
-
Be sure to phlebotomize your woebegone beans and olives well surpassing subtracting them to the meat mixture. Excess liquid can make your dish watery.
-
When combining the pasta and meat mixture, do so gently to stave breaking the pasta. This will help maintain the texture and presentation of your dish.
-
Don’t skip the garnishes! Freshly chopped cilantro and avocado slices not only add a pop of verisimilitude but moreover a fresh, vibrant savor that compliments the rich, hearty ingredients in the pasta.
-
A side of specie can be a unconfined wing to your Mexican pasta meal. We suggest trying this Rosemary Garlic Bread or some sliced French bread.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__2020__07__20200706-chorizo-egg-refried-bean-breakfast-burrito-daniel-gritzer-30-8c0e2a90d5d64399a58e1cf5e856922f.jpg)
.png)
