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If you love Mexican food and pasta, this quick and easy Taco Pasta is the perfect dinner! It takes less than 30 minutes to make and is loaded with protein and fiber to help you feel full and satisfied.
This taco pasta recipe uses simple ingredients like ground turkey, salsa, cheese, and spices, along with high-protein pasta for a lightened up meal. The pasta adds more protein and fiber to the dish without changing the taste. Whether you’re just making dinner for yourself or looking to feed the whole family, healthy taco pasta is the perfect addition to your weeknight meal rotation!
If you like easy Mexican-inspired dinner recipes, you will love my Mexican Quinoa Casserole and Zucchini Taco Boats!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious Combination of Flavors: If you love a cozy bowl of pasta and the flavor of tacos, this is going to be your new favorite meal. It combines bold Mexican seasonings with cheesy pasta to make a flavorful comfort meal.
- Takes Less Than 30 Minutes: One of the best things about this easy taco pasta is that it cooks in less than half an hour! It’s perfect for busy weeknights or nights when you don’t feel like cooking an elaborate meal.
- Healthy Spin on a Nostalgic Dish: This dish is perfect for fans of Hamburger Helper because it combines similar ingredients and will remind you of your childhood, but it’s more flavorful and better for you!
- Low-Calorie Meal: At 400 calories, this meal is lighter and balanced better in nutrition while still tasting great and being higher protein and fiber.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken: This lean ground meat is a great, low-calorie option when you make tacos, pasta, or this taco pasta. Ground chicken also works great to make a healthy chicken fried rice.
- Chickpea Pasta: Plant-based bean pasta has more protein and fiber and fewer carbs than regular pasta. This helps balance the macronutrients and keeps you feeling full and satisfied for a longer period of time.
- Salsa: A thick, chunky salsa is ideal for this dish. Use your favorite jarred salsa at your preferred heat level.
- Zucchini: Not only is zucchini delicious, but it’s also a great source of fiber and aids in digestion. Sneak it into all of your pasta to get more veggies into your meals, like in this zucchini pasta salad.
- Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese adds a little creaminess and adds even more flavor to your pasta. Use a plant-based cheese or skip it if you don’t want to add dairy.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Use a Different Meat: A lean meat like ground turkey or lean ground beef can be used in your pasta dish. You can also shred a rotisserie chicken or use shredded chicken instead.
- Make It Vegetarian: Try using a plant-based ground, like Impossible or Beyond Beef or tofu, if you want to make this easy taco pasta vegetarian. You could also use a can of black beans or edamame for protein instead.
- Add More Veggies: You can never have too many veggies in this pasta! Diced mushrooms, corn, carrots, or spinach are all great additions to this spicy pasta.
- Use a Different Pasta: A high-protein pasta that’s whole-grain can be used in place of chickpea like Barilla Protein Plus, edamame, black bean, etc. Any pasta you enjoy!
How to Make Taco Pasta
This Mexican pasta dish is so easy to whip up! You’ll just need a large skillet and a pot for the pasta. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a flavorful and filling meal on the table for dinner.
- Step 1: Sauté the Chicken and Veggies. Cook the red bell pepper and zucchini in a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil until they are tender. Add the ground chicken breast and break up the meat with a spatula, cooking until the meat is browned. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions while the chicken cooks.
- Step 2: Add Seasonings, Salsa, and Pasta. Add the cooked pasta, seasonings, and salsa to the skillet with the chicken and vegetables. Stir to combine them and let them cook together for 5-7 minutes.
- Step 3: Stir in Cheese. Add shredded cheese to the skillet, then stir to melt the cheese and disperse it throughout the pasta.
- Step 4: Taste and Serve. Before serving your pasta, taste test it and adjust any seasonings, then serve it. Enjoy it with this healthy Mexican street corn salad.
Expert Tips
- Cook the Pasta Al Dente: Plant-based pastas can overcook quickly and turn mushy. Drain the pasta as soon as it reaches a slightly firm al dente texture to avoid overcooking it.
- Give the Pasta Time to Absorb the Flavor: Don’t skip adding the pasta to the skillet and letting it cook for up to 10 minutes in the salsa and seasonings so it absorbs all of the flavors.
- Use Chunky Salsa: A thick, chunky salsa is best for this dish because it will stick to the pasta better and result in a thicker sauce.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers for 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat the dish in the microwave in 60-second intervals until it is heated through. You can also reheat them in a skillet on the stove. If the dish is a bit dry, add a little more salsa for moisture. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating them.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing beats a quick and easy meal! This one-pot taco pasta is the perfect nourishing meal that only takes 30 minutes to whip up. It makes a whole meal on its own, or you can serve it with cornbread or side dishes to add a little more to dinner. This is definitely going to be a new favorite weeknight meal.
- Serve an easy appetizer with dinner, and serve up a healthy pinto bean dip with some tortilla chips.
- Make your pasta even creamier and add my creamy salsa to it! It’s made with just salsa and Greek yogurt.
- Bread and pasta are always a winning pair, and this low-calorie taco pasta tastes great with pumpkin cornbread.
Recipe FAQs
This often happens when using a thin salsa instead of a chunky salsa. Choose a chunky salad and if it still looks watery, try turning up the heat and cooking off a bit of the moisture for a few minutes.
Overcooking plant-based pasta for even a minute or two will make it turn soft and mushy. Be sure to stop boiling the pasta when it reaches al dente or just a bit firmer than al dente to avoid overcooking it.
I find cooking it separately gives you more control over the texture. But if you prefer, you can try cooking the pasta directly in the skillet by adding 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth to the skillet with the dry pasta. Then cover the skillet and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Be sure to stir several times to avoid the pasta sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
More Healthy & Easy Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Healthy Taco Pasta recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Taco Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Chicken Breast, or ground turkey or ground beef
- 1 ½ tablespoons Olive Oil, or oil of choice
- 6 oz Chickpea Pasta Rotini, or pasta of choice
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Zucchini, sliced
- 1 cup Salsa, sugar free
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅔ cup Low Moisture Cheddar Cheese, shredded, omit for dairy free
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil, red bell pepper and zucchini. Cook 4 minutes until tender then add the ground chicken breast. Break up the chicken breast with a spatula as it cooks 7-8 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Add the seasonings, salsa and pasta to the skillet with the chicken and veggies. Stir to combine and cook together another 5-7 minutes until the pasta absorbs the salsa then add the shredded cheese, stir, remove from the stove and serve!
Notes
- Don’t cook the pasta beyond al dente to ensure it doesn’t overcook and turn mushy.
- Let the pasta soak in the salsa and seasonings for at least 5-10 minutes to absorb as much flavor as possible.
- Use a thick, chunky salsa so it sticks to the pasta and makes a thick sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the serving size? Can you add that to your recipes please?
All my recipes already have the serving size listed at the top of the recipe card before the ingredients. This one is 4 servings so 1/4 of the recipe equals one serving.