Vegetarian Taco Pasta is an easy and healthy meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes! Using whole wheat rotini makes it even better, and your kids won't even notice the difference.
Bulk Items Used: Black Beans, Whole Wheat Rotini
My friend recently had a baby and I wanted to take dinner over to her and her family. (I loved it when people did that for me!) It was really hard for me to decide what to make for her. I didn't want to drop something off that her family wasn't going to like, ya know?
While looking through recipes on Pinterest, I got the great idea to look at her Pinterest account and just pick a recipe that she had pinned. Scrolling through her board, I noticed that she had pinned the same recipe for Chili Mac twice. That seemed like a sign and I made it for them.
It looked like a delicious recipe, but I wanted to make some changes to make it more the way my family would enjoy it. The result is today's recipe: Vegetarian Taco Pasta.
Tips for making Vegetarian Taco Pasta
- The first thing I changed about the original recipe was to add in more veggies. I added in a bell pepper and corn. I would have added olives too if I didn't have a child who was adamantly against them. It doesn't matter what color of bell pepper you use. I've used all of them and they all end up tasting the same. Green are typically cheaper than any of the other colors.
- Second, instead of hamburger, I use black beans. This makes the meal vegetarian, faster to make, and also less expensive. You could also use Pinto or Kidney beans if that is more your style.
- Third, I like to use whole wheat pasta. Most of the time my kids complain about whole wheat pasta, claiming it tastes bad. However, in this recipe there is so much sauce and flavor happening, they never know the difference! Why is it so fun to trick your kids?
The best part about this dinner is that it made in only one pot! That means only one dish to clean. Plus it's just so easy and fast to make. It's perfect for a weeknight meal. Oh, and did I mention it makes great leftovers? For some reason I love to eat these leftovers for breakfast. I'm a weirdo, I know.
📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed or 1¾ cup cooked black beans
- 2 cups water or broth for more flavoring
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 cups whole wheat rotini (or your favorite pasta shape)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
- cilantro optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot on the stove, saute the onions and pepper in the olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic powder, cumin and chili powder and saute for an additional minute.
- Add in the beans, tomato sauce, water, and uncooked pasta. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the pot is boiling, cover and let simmer 9-12 minutes, or until pasta is soft. Make sure to remove the lid and stir the contents of the pot occasionally to prevent the bottom burning onto the pan.
- Take off the lid and mix in the cheese until melted. Salt and pepper the dish to taste. Sprinkle cilantro onto individual servings if desired. Enjoy!
erika says
This looks so delicious! Two of my favorite things are pasta and tacos so getting to combine them sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe (:
Erika Marie | https://imerikamarie.com
Melissa says
The flavor in this is incredible! I could eat this all day! I love that you cook with cumin so often, I feel like it's a forgotten spice. I added olives and avocado and I licked my bowl clean! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Dawn Conklin says
This looks so delicious! Some fresh tomatoes on top (I can never have too many tomatoes lol) and I am set 🙂 Fortunately my kids are not too picky so I can put just about anything in dinner and they won't complain - they have a couple dislikes but it's easy to manage!
Emily says
Yes! Fresh tomatoes would be great on top! That is great that you don't have picky kids.
Emma Harrel says
I love the combination of Italian & Mexican, I might have to try something like this for dinner this evening!
Lori says
Made this tonight. It’s delicious. Added some Hilo chips on the side. I will be making this again👍
Emily says
Woo! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this. Thanks for your comment.
Helen at the lazy gastronome says
The black beans really give this an extra umph. We’ll have this one again.
Oscar says
What a great recipe and loved all the flavor combos, I love anything taco and with the added rotini it was delicious. Thank you.
Ramona says
I love everything about this recipe, it can’t get any better! Thanks for sharing.
megane says
So easy and so good. Loads of flavour and simple just the way I like to cook.
Rob says
This taco pasta is so delicious that the non-vegetarians in our house ask for it, which is fine by me because it is so easy to prepare!
Robin says
Can this be frozen ?
Emily says
Technically, yes, you can freeze it. Defrosted noodles, however, can sometimes get soggy, so just be aware that they might be mushier than when it was pre-frozen. You can prevent the noodles from getting mushy by cooking them until they are just barely soft.