This pasta recipe is so easy to make! Everything comes together in one pan and is ready in less than 30 minutes. Not to mention, it's absolutely delicious! This dish is perfect for weeknight dinners.
It can be extremely difficult to get a home-cooked meal on the table most nights of the week. We're all just so busy these days and I totally understand and can attest to having a pizza dinner over the kitchen island once or twice per week. That's how this easy pasta One Pan Taco Pasta recipe came about.
I got off of work and felt the need to actually prepare a decent meal for my family (just my husband and I for now). I rushed to the grocery store and grabbed the ingredients for this dish and was out of there in ten minutes and headed home to whip it up.
Making One Pan Taco Pasta
The preparation of this dish can't get any simpler. Everything comes together in one skillet - no dirtying up a sink full of dishes. Doing the dishes is my absolute least favorite part of cooking by the way! I added the chopped bell peppers simply because I already had some in the fridge that I needed to use up. The dish is absolutely delicious without them if you chose to omit them.
First, sauté your veggies and meat of choice until veggies are tender. Add the salsa to your pan.
Next, add your pasta and water and let everything simmer together until the pasta is al dente.
Cooking the pasta in same pan with the salsa and other ingredients creates a nice flavorful sauce. No need to make a separate sauce!
I am a pescatarian hence my choice of meatless ground meat, but feel free to use any ground meat you choose.
We like things a little spicy in our house so I added some crushed red pepper flakes also for an added kick.
Your family will think you spent way longer preparing dinner than you actually did and they are sure to LOVE this dish! Serve this pasta up all on its own or with a side salad and bread if you like.
You Will Also Love this Easy Blackened Shrimp Taco Recipe!
📖 Recipe
One Pan Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 12 oz package of MorningStar meatless grounds or 1 lb ground chicken or ground turkey
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- ½ green bell pepper - diced
- ½ red bell pepper - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¾ cups water - plus more as needed
- 1 ½ cups prepared salsa
- 3 cups uncooked whole wheat or gluten free pasta - such as rotini, fusilli, penne, or shells
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet with a lid or a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the meatless crumbles or ground meat of your choice, onion, and red and green bell peppers. Brown the meat, breaking it apart with a spoon, until it is fully cooked through and the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook just until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the water, salsa, and pasta.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, then cover the pan. Let simmer gently, stirring occasionally, just until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed (more liquid will absorb once removed from heat), about 12 to 15 minutes. Check to make sure the pasta isn't drying out while stirring. If so, stir in water as needed to keep it moist and simmering.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in half of the cheese, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Serve hot with any of your favorite toppings such as sour cream, green onions or cilantro.
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