Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This 30 minute one pot taco pasta with ground turkey and black beans is creamy, satisfying, and the pasta cooks in the same pan as everything else. This is a hearty recipe that will be a hit with your family, and you can easily change anything that your family may not be a fan of.
How long it takes: 30 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large pan or Dutch oven
Servings: 6
Easy One Pot Pasta Recipe
One pan to wash! You’ll find several one pot pasta recipes (more than 20!) on my site. I love these recipes because only one pan is used which means clean-up is always easy. I thought it was time to combine two of my favorites: tacos and pasta. Who doesn’t like tacos and who doesn’t like pasta? It’s a win-win situation, right? And you can make this dynamic duo in one pan, and one pan only.
The pasta cooks perfectly right in the sauce. The magic of this recipe is that the pasta cooks right in the pan with everything else. No need to boil water in a huge pot, no need to dirty a colander, no need for any of that nonsense. It’s ridiculously easy.
Like Hamburger Helper, only better. This recipe is based roughly on my homemade healthy Hamburger Helper recipe but with a southwestern spin. My husband absolutely loves it. He’s also a fan of creamy beef and shells, another one pot pasta.
“This was so great! It was easy to make and very delicious, my husband and I loved it! Definitely making this again!”
Taco Pasta Variations
This recipe is super flexible. Change it up to make taco pasta just the way you and your family like it. Here are a few suggestions:
- Use a different protein. Try ground beef, pork sausage, or spicy chorizo instead.
- Try different beans. Pinto beans, red beans, or kidney beans are good choices.
- Add green power. Stir in baby spinach leaves, cook until wilted.
- Make it spicy. Sprinkle in a pinch or two of cayenne powder or red pepper flakes. Substitute Cajun seasoning for the taco seasoning.
- Choose your favorite pasta. Perhaps you’re not a fan of whole wheat pasta. This recipe works great with regular pasta, too. Macaroni is perfect. Make sure to peek at the box to check cooking time so you don’t overcook your noodles.
- Make it extra cheesy. Add another handful of shredded cheese. Another trick to make creamy pasta is to melt two ounces (or more!) of full-fat cream cheese into the pasta mixture after the pasta has cooked.
Suggested Toppings
That brings us to toppings which are my favorite part of almost any recipe. Top this one pot taco pasta just like you would a normal taco. Here are my suggestions:
- Cilantro
- Avocado or guacamole
- Green onions or chopped white onions
- Sliced jalapeño peppers
- Sour cream
- Shredded lettuce
- Extra cheese (cheddar, queso fresco, cotija)
- Chopped tomatoes
- Pickled red onions
Refrigerate/Freeze: Leftover pasta should be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep for three to four days. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for two to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave in one minute increments until heated. Larger amounts can be heated in a skillet.
Make a casserole. Put taco pasta in a greased pan, top with more cheese or crushed tortilla chips, and bake at 350 °F until lightly browned and heated. If you like the idea of a casserole, try my walking taco casserole. It’s made in one pan, too!
Free Meal Plans
Interested in weekly meal plans that include this recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #5 and Meal Plan #67. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
One Pot Pasta Recipes
Taco Pasta Recipe (One Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey (see note)
- ½ cup chopped onion (1 small onion)
- 1 bell pepper, chopped (any color)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (see note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup whole or 2% milk (see note)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (such as Rotel)
- 3 cups uncooked whole wheat rotini (or another short pasta)
- 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained (low-sodium preferred)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Optional garnishes:
- diced avocado, lettuce, tomato, green onion, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, or sour cream
Instructions
- In large sauté pan or skillet with a cover (a large saucepan or Dutch oven will also work), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, onion, and peppers and cook until turkey is browned and cooked through and onions are translucent, breaking up turkey as it cooks.1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 pound ground turkey, ½ cup chopped onion , 1 bell pepper, chopped
- Add tomato paste, flour, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Keep stirring until tomato paste coats all the meat, about 1 minute. Make sure to keep stirring so the tomato paste does not burn.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- Add water, milk, and tomatoes. Stir well and bring to nearly a boil.2 cups water, 1 cup whole or 2% milk, 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- Add pasta, stir, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes (use pasta directions as a guide) or until al dente, stirring occasionally to make sure pasta gets cooked evenly.3 cups uncooked whole wheat rotini
- Reduce heat to low; stir in black beans and cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Serve immediately topped with any taco garnishes you love.
Notes
- Meat alternatives: If you prefer, use ground beef, chicken, sausage, or chorizo instead of ground turkey.
- Milk: I recommend using whole or 2% milk because milk with lower fat percentage tends to curdle at a higher heat, which is necessary to cook the pasta. If you don’t have it, omit the milk and use 3 cups (total) water.
- Make it extra cheesy. Add another handful of shredded cheese, or stir two ounces (or more!) of full-fat cream cheese into the pasta mixture after the pasta has cooked. It melts better if the cream cheese is at room temperature. Add it by spoonfuls, rather than one big chunk.
- Seasoning shortcut: If you have taco seasoning in your pantry, substitute it for the seasonings listed in the recipe: chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. I suggest using 1½ to 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning, based on taste. Try my homemade taco seasoning.
- Reduced sodium: Choose no-salt-added tomatoes, tomato paste, and black beans. They have far less sodium than regular canned products and you won’t notice a difference in taste.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
This was a great, simple one pot meal that me, the kids AND the husband liked (that’s a rare find for our family!) I made it with sausage instead of turkey, but I’m sure turkey would be great too and I’ll probably do that next time. I did use a can of tomatoes with green chiles not thinking of it being spicy and it was…so for our spicy wimpy family, I’ll probably just stick with regular tomatoes next time. Ha!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!
Hi Rachel, this looks totally delicious. I am looking at the ingredients and trying to figure out why it weighs in at a whopping 850 calories and over a thousand mg of sodium?
Whenever I use canned beans, tomatoes etc, I know that sneaky salt appears, but none of the ingredients seem to be very high in calories…except cheese of course. Hmm… I don’t count calories exactly, but try to have meals that don’t exceed 600 calories. My husband needs to gain weight, so, I will make this and just have a small serving. Do your “healthy meals” have to meat any criteria? Love your recipes! (And your attitude and energy!.) Cheers! Judy Ludovise
Hi Judy! Our nutrition calculation is definitely an estimate and the calculations are done by computer so they are sometimes flawed. It will depend on what exact ingredients you use (like you mentioned, you can use low sodium beans, etc). Also I have this as 4 servings but they will be larger servings and may not be the right serving size for every individual. My husband always eats more than I do. ;)
I hope that helps! Thanks for the kind words! :)
This was so great! It was easy to make and very delicious, my husband and I loved it! Definitely making this again!
So glad to hear that, Maya! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Hi! I made this last fall and it was a big hit! It made quite a bit more than we needed, so I froze an 8×8 pan of it. Totally forgot about it until this weekend when I was rummaging through the freezer and was pleasantly surprised when I found it!! Baked it straight from the freezer at 350* for 1 hr and 15 min, and with 30 min left added a bunch of cheese to the top. It tasted great – no signs that it had been frozen and not dried out at all!!
Will definitely make this and freeze it before baby #3 comes around the holidays!!
Thanks for the freezer tips! I’m so happy to hear it works out well!
Has anyone calculated the nutritional information?
Hi Tiffany! Nutritional information will always be included on my most recent recipes at the bottom of the recipe card, so you can find it there! Please understand that I am not an RD and exact numbers will vary on what brands and ingredients you buy (see full disclosure if you’re interested), but it’s a good starting place.
I always love such easy dinner ideas and this looks delicious!
Thanks Richa!
On my to do list, thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe!!
Thanks Hadia! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Holy cow this looks so amazing. I have a severe pasta AND taco problem and this just sounds so perfect. Saving this to try sometime soon!!
I hope you love it as much as we do!
This was a hit with my hubby and kids! Husband went back for seconds and I appreciate the easy cleanup as well! My daughter brought the leftovers to school for lunch. Thanks for sharing such a yummy and flexible meal. I shared with all my coworkers and family.
Love all of your recipes and your blog. Thanks for being awesome!
So happy to hear you all liked this one pot pasta! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment – I loved it so much, I read it out loud to my husband. :)
Hi Rachel – I made this pasta last night and it was a hit with my husband and two-year-old! I think this would be a great dish to make ahead and freeze to bring to a new mom. If I want to do that, what are the baking instructions for when they’re ready to eat it?
So glad your family liked it! You’re right, it would be great dish to make ahead! I’d cook it as directed and then pour it into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with a touch of extra cheddar, because why not? Cover with foil and freeze or refrigerate. I’d bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes to an hour (until heated through) depending on if it’s frozen or just refrigerated. If the baking dish is cold, put it in the cold oven before preheating the oven so it doesn’t crack. Thanks for taking the time to comment!