Creamy Taco Pasta Bake
This easy Taco Pasta Bake is the kind of weeknight dinner our family loves. Seasoned taco meat in a creamy, spiced sauce with sautéed peppers and onions, tossed through pasta and baked under a blanket of melted cheese until bubbly and golden.
Most taco pasta recipes use salsa or canned tomatoes as the sauce base, which is fine but this version goes creamy instead. Milk and cream thickened with a little cornstarch stirred into the taco meat create a smooth, velvety sauce that coats every piece of pasta and carries all that taco seasoning flavor. You can eat it straight from the pan as a creamy taco pasta, or pour it into a baking dish, layer with cheese and bake until it’s golden brown and bubbling.
If you’ve got taco meat in the freezer from my Freezer Series, this comes together even faster. Defrost a bag, build the sauce, toss with pasta and bake. Twenty minutes of active work for a dinner that looks and tastes like you spent all evening in the kitchen.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the sauce
- Taco meat. I always have taco meat in the freezer which makes this recipe even quicker to throw together.
- Beef stock/beef broth. Warming the taco meat with a bit of beef stock makes it slightly saucier.
- Milk. I always use whole milk/full cream milk. Use whichever milk you prefer.
- Cream. A splash of heavy cream makes the sauce velvety and rich. For a lighter version, use all milk and add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to compensate for the thinner consistency.
- Cornstarch. Mixed with a splash of cold milk before adding to the pan. This is what thickens the sauce into that smooth, clingy consistency that coats the pasta. Don’t add cornstarch directly to hot liquid or it clumps.
For the Peppers and Onions
- Bell peppers. Any color. A mix of red, yellow and green gives you the best visual impact. Slice them into strips rather than dicing so they hold their shape and add texture.
- Onion. Sliced into strips to match the peppers. Red onion adds a little more sweetness than white or yellow.
- Taco seasoning. Feel free to play around with the seasoning – garlic powder, smoked paprika and oregano work in a pinch.
For Baking
- Short pasta. Penne, rigatoni, fusilli or rotini all work well. You want a shape with ridges or tubes that catches the creamy sauce in every bite. Cook until just al dente (a minute less than the package says) since the pasta continues to cook in the oven.
- Cheese. A generous layer of grated cheddar, mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend on top. The cheese should cover the entire surface so every scoop gets that melted, golden layer. A mix of cheddar and mozzarella gives you flavor from the cheddar and the perfect cheese pull from the mozzarella.
How to Make Creamy Taco Pasta Bake
Step 1: Cook the taco meat. If making from scratch, cook the ground beef in a splash of oil until browned. Add the seasonings and tomato paste with a splash of water. Cook until saucy and well-coated. If using frozen taco meat, defrost and warm in a pan with the beef stock. Combine the milk, creamy and cornstarch and whisk together then pour into the taco meat. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for 5-8 minutes.
Step 2: Sauté the peppers and onions. In a separate pan, cook the sliced peppers and onions over high heat until slightly charred on the edges and tender but still with some bite. Season with the taco seasoning. Set aside.
Step 3: Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in a large pot until just al dente in well-salted water. Drain and set aside. Don’t overcook – the pasta will continue cooking in the oven.
Step 4: Combine. Add the cooked pasta and sautéed peppers and onions to the taco meat. Toss until everything is well coated. At this point you can serve it as is for a creamy stovetop taco pasta.
Step 5: Bake (optional but recommended). Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pour half of the pasta mixture into a baking dish. Add a generous layer of grated cheese then add the remaining pasta and finish with a final layer of cheese, covering the entire surface. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Stovetop vs Baked: Which Is Better?
Stovetop (no baking): Faster, saucier and slightly lighter. The pasta is coated in the creamy taco sauce and every bite is saucy. This is the better option for a quick weeknight dinner when you don’t want to wait for the oven. Serve immediately after tossing the pasta in the sauce.
Baked: More indulgent, more impressive and better for feeding a crowd (also great for prepping ahead).
Variations
- Chicken taco pasta bake. Swap the ground beef for shredded chicken. Use my shredded taco chicken a rotisserie chicken. Add the same cornstarch slurry to the salsa-infused chicken for a creamy sauce.
- Spicy version. Add diced jalapeños to the peppers and onions, use a spicier taco seasoning or stir a spoonful of chipotle in adobo into the creamy sauce.
- Add black beans. A drained can of black beans adds fiber, protein and substance.
Make-ahead and Freezing Instructions
- Fridge. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce. The pasta absorbs sauce as it sits so adding a little liquid when reheating brings back the creaminess.
- Freezer. The unbaked version freezes well for up to 3 months. Assemble in a freezer-safe baking dish, cover tightly with foil and freeze. Bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
- Meal prep. This is excellent for meal prep lunches. Portion into containers and reheat during the week. Add a splash of milk when reheating to restore the creamy sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 cups taco meat (half the quantity of the original recipe)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
For the pepper and onions
- 2 bell peppers sliced (I used red and green)
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- salt to taste
For the pasta bake
- 1 lb (500g) short pasta
- 2 cups grated cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C)
- If making from scratch, cook the ground beef in a splash of oil until browned. Add the seasonings and tomato paste with a splash of water. Cook until saucy and well-coated. If using frozen taco meat, defrost and warm in a pan with the beef stock. Combine the milk, creamy and cornstarch and whisk together then pour into the taco meat. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for 5-8 minutes.
- In a separate pan, cook the sliced peppers and onions over high heat until slightly charred on the edges and tender but still with some bite – approximately 8-10 minutes. Season with the taco seasoning.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot until just al dente in well-salted water for 8 minutes (1 minute less than package instructions) and drain.
- Add the cooked pasta and sautéed peppers and onions to the taco meat.
- Toss until everything is well coated. At this point you can serve it as is for a creamy stovetop taco pasta.
- Pour half of the pasta mixture into a baking dish.
- Add a generous layer of grated cheese then add the remaining pasta and finish with a final layer of cheese, covering the entire surface.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling.
- Rest for 5 minutes then serve.
Notes
- I always make my full taco meat quantity and freeze in two equal portions to make recipes like this easier. This equates to around 4 cups of taco meat per portion, perfect for a family of 4-6.