This cheesy beef taco pasta is an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love. I call it my famous leftover taco meat pasta. It's a great recipe to make on busy weeknights; especially, if you have leftovers from taco Tuesday.
I don't know how many times I've made this taco casserole. If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with tacos so it's not unusual for me to have leftover taco meat. So this easy recipe was a no-brainer. It has so much flavor and it's the perfect one-pot meal.
When I'm doing my weekly meal prep, a batch of taco meat is almost always included. I brown up lean beef with onions and taco seasoning. I keep some in the fridge for the week but I also freeze a portion to use for next week.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- 20-minute meal - This is an easy weeknight dinner that you can get on the table in record time.
- Who doesn't love cheesy taco pasta bake? It's the perfect comfort food recipe with Mexican flavors.
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED...
You probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now.
PASTA
- Dried pasta. A 1 pound box. You can use rigatoni as I did. But any pasta will work in this recipe. This easy pasta dish can be made with elbow macaroni, lasagna noodles, pasta shells, or even spaghetti. You can go wild here.
TACO MEAT (Use leftover taco meat, if you have it)
- Beef or chicken. 1 lb of lean ground beef or diced chicken. You can also use ground turkey to make taco meat.
- White onion. ½ medium onion finely diced.
- Taco seasoning mix. 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. I make my own homemade taco seasoning blend.
MIX-INS
- Rotel tomatoes. 1 - 10 ounce can.
- Red enchilada sauce. 1 - 19 ounce can.
- Black beans. 1 - 15 ounce can drained.
- Corn kernels. 2 cobs of fresh corn or 1 cup frozen
- Cheese. 16 ounces of shredded colby jack cheese, cheddar cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend.
FAVORITE TOPPINGS
- Green onions. ½ bunch green onions chopped thin
- Sour cream.
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo - Fresh salsa is great with this recipe.
Other than the ingredients for this enchilada pasta recipe, you'll need a few things.
- 9 x 13 pan. Or something of equivalent capacity to bake the pasta casserole.
- Large bowl. Use a large bowl to mix the ingredients together before putting them in the casserole dish to bake.
- Baking sheet. I put the 9 x 13 pan on top of the baking sheet to catch any melted cheese or bubbling sauce.
HOW TO MAKE Taco Pasta Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Boil the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the directions. I usually use the small number to make sure it's very al dente. Drain the pasta and add to a large bowl.
- Brown the taco meat in a large skillet with the onion and the taco seasoning blend. (Use leftover taco meat if you have it)
- Rotel tomatoes. Add ⅓ of the Rotel tomatoes to the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Reserve the the remainder to add to the pasta.
- Combine the ingredients. Get the large bowl. Add the cooked pasta, browned taco meat, beans, corn, the enchilada sauce, the remainder of the rotel tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss to combine.
- Assemble. Add the pasta mixture to the 9x13 pan. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake. Bake until the cheese is melted. Roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve. Top with sliced green onions and reshly minced cilantro. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Taco Pasta Tips
When stored in an airtight container taco meat will last about 5 days in the fridge. If you are going to store it longer than that freeze it in a zip-top bag or in a container.
Yes, undercooked pasta is best when making a pasta casserole. Because you will be cooking the pasta in the oven and additional liquid is usually added, it's a good idea to undercook the pasta so that the pasta doesn't get overcooked and mushy.
Recipe Variations
- Switch up the meat: Any meat can be used for this recipe. Just season it with a little taco seasoning and give it a quick sauté.
- Make Taco Soup: To make taco soup, leave out the cheese and add in 4 to 6 cups of chicken broth. You can top the soup with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
What To Serve with Taco Pasta
A big leafy green salad is always a great side to serve with a casserole.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Having a few go-to spices on hand allows you to add a lot of flavor to whatever you are cooking really easily.
This taco seasoning is great on chicken, beef, or peppers and onions if you are making veggie tacos. I also use it in my tortilla soup recipe and my 5 Alarm Fire House Chili.
More Mexican Inspired Dinner Recipes & Sides
- Mexican Rice
- Shredded Beef Tacos
- Carne Asada Tacos
- Esquites - Mexican Corn Salad
- Elotes - Grilled Mexican Street Corn
- Escabeche - Marinated Mexican Vegetables
- Creamy Shrimp Enchiladas
MORE EASY DINNER RECIPES
Sometimes you're not in the mood to cook dinner but don't you dare pick up that phone and order in. I have so many easy dinner recipes that you can make in under 30 minutes.
Sheet pan dinners like Steak Fajitas or Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry are perfect when you don't want to do a lot of dishes. Everything bakes together on one sheet pan.
I'm practically famous for my fried rice recipes like Spam Fried Rice, Spicy Dirty Rice and Beans, and my Easy Take-Out Style Chinese Fried Rice. Any of these are great if you have some leftover rice.
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Taco Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 box pasta cooked al dente
Taco Meat
- 1 lb ground beef browned with onions and taco seasoning
- ½ medium onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
Mix Ins
- 10 oz rotel tomatoes
- 19 oz red enchilada sauce
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 16 oz cheese shredded (colby jack, cheddar, or mexican cheese blend)
Favorite Toppings
- 1 bunch cilantro, divided finely chopped
- ½ bunch green onions chopped thin
- 1-2 avocados diced
- sour cream
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Boil the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the directions. I usually use the small number to make sure it's very al dente. Drain the pasta and add to a large bowl.1 box pasta
- Brown the taco meat. Brown the meat with the onion and the taco seasoning. You can use leftover chicken or beef in this recipe if you have it.1 lb ground beef, ½ medium onion, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- Get the large bowl. Add the cooked pasta, browned taco meat, beans, corn, and half of the cheese.1 box pasta, 1 lb ground beef, 15 oz black beans, 1 cup corn kernels, 16 oz cheese
- Rotel tomatoes. Add ⅓ of the Rotel tomatoes to the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Add the remainder to the pasta.10 oz rotel tomatoes
- Enchilada sauce. Add the enchilada sauce to the pasta. Toss to combine.19 oz red enchilada sauce
- Assemble. Add the pasta mixture to the 9x13 pan. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake. Bake until the cheese is melted. Roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve. Top with sliced green onions and fresh minced cilantro. Serve with your favorite toppings.1 bunch cilantro, divided, ½ bunch green onions, 1-2 avocados, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo
Jessica Robinson
LOVED making this! Super simple to make and perfect for our busy weeknights. Such great flavors!
Marc
Interesting idea. I wonder if anyone makes a pasta that contains some nixtamilized corn to give it that special corn tortilla flavor?
Laura
That's a fantastic idea for a pasta. Like a marriage between Fritos and orcchiette.
Connie
Looks delicious! Looks like an easy meal this week!!!
Laura
Let me know how it turns out. It is super easy and yummy.
Connie
Looks delicious! Will have to try this soon.