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30-minute meal
This Easy Taco Pasta is the perfect healthy recipe for any night of the week. However, I feel like weeknights especially, I want a recipe that doesn’t take more than 30 minutes. What I don’t want is a quick meal lacking in great flavors. A few times a week we make a burrito bowl which has similar ingredients to this dish, but one day I decided to mix it up. It was an experiment of sorts.
A lot of Mexican style pasta dishes require also baking the entire dish in the oven. During the warm months, turning the oven on doesn’t sound like a great plan to me. It definitely heats up the house a little too much on those spring or summer nights.
So I decided to take this idea in a different direction and make it a quick, 2-pot, stovetop dinner. One pan to cook the pasta and one for everything else. These are my favorite type of dinners and usually become a go-to when I don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking.
Bring all the taco flavors
This Easy Taco Pasta is loaded with all the yummy flavors of tacos, plus the addition of a few extra veggies (because that’s how I roll), and of course topped with cheese! Balance is key people! Plus, tacos wouldn’t be tacos without the cheese. Yes please!
This recipe has a little spice from the jalapeño….just enough for a light kick. Feel free to omit if you don’t like things too spicy. I also like the addition of black beans and Greek yogurt on top because it provides added protein. It’s fun to experiment what added veggies you could try in this. I love sneaking extra veggies in wherever I can. This recipe would also be good with the addition of a sweet corn.
I use whole wheat pasta for this dish but you can substitute any pasta you like best. I don’t eat pasta or bread everyday, so I still incorporate them into my healthy lifestyle. I’m not big on cutting entire food groups out for the sake of a certain diet or meal plan. I just balance it out and still get to enjoy the foods I love.
Whole wheat pasta
Whole wheat has a lot of healthy benefits! For starters, it is full of fiber and protein. With 1 cup of a whole wheat pasta like the rotini in this recipe, you are getting 8g of protein on top of 7g fiber which is about 25% of your daily value. Add in lots of vegetables and another protein source and you are looking at a balanced and healthy meal.
Obviously, you don’t want to consume too much pasta all the time, so make sure you’re sticking to a correct portion size. Pasta as part of a healthy diet can be highly beneficial to your health. The main things to watch are portion size and making sure you are choosing a 100% whole grain wheat pasta without other ingredients. Organic is even better!
I find that when I incorporate a little whole wheat here and there, I feel fuller for longer. On days when I am doing an intense workout or strength training session, those kind of carbs can help fuel my body. One way I balance out having pasta, bread, or pizza is by making the rest of my food in the day super clean, including lots of water, veggies and lean protein.
Balance for the win
So when you’re thinking of meals that are healthy, don’t leave out some of the foods you love. It helps your body to not feel deprived and maintaining a healthy weight will actually be easier. For a great article on whether pasta is healthy or not, check out this one HERE by Dr.Axe. Of course if you have a medical diagnosis like Celiac disease and can’t have wheat, there are other great pasta options out there.
I hope you give this Easy Taco Pasta a try this week! It is so delicious and full of great flavors! Feel free to send any comments or questions my way….I’d love to hear from you! Also, check out my Ground Turkey Spaghetti Recipe HERE for another healthy dinner option.
Easy Taco Pasta
This Easy Taco Pasta Recipe is a quick and healthy option for any night of the week. Loaded with all the delicious flavors of traditional tacos but with a twist.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Whole Wheat Rotini Pasta (dry) -OR- 1/2 16oz Box
- 1/2 Lb Lean Ground Turkey
- 1/2 Large Onion, Diced
- 1/2 Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
- 1 Cup Zuchinni, Diced (1/2 Small Zuchinni)
- 1 Jalapeño, De-Seeded and Minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 14.5oz Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 1 8oz Can Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Low-Sodium Black Beans (1/2 of a 15oz Can)
- 1 Cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
- 1/2 Cup Reserved Starchy Cooking Water
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Dried Tarragon
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- McCormick Hamburger Seasoning to taste
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt (we like Fage), for topping
- Cheddar Cheese, shredded for topping
Instructions
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Boil water in medium sauce pan. Once boiling, add pasta and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook 9 minutes or until al dente. Measure out 1/2 cup strachy cooking water for sauce. Drain pasta and set aside.
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In a large skillet pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, and bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes or until slightly tender. Add hamburger seasoning to taste.
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Add ground turkey to the pan along with minced garlic. Cook until meat is browned slightly and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Continue to stir and break down into small chunks.
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Once meat is cooked through, add chicken stock, zuchinni, tarragon, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, more hamburger seasoning, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer 5 min then add black beans and starchy cooking water. Cook another 5-10 minutes on medium heat.
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Once liquid has reduced in the meat mixture a bit, add pasta and toss together.
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Serve warm in a bowl. Top with Nonfat Greek Yogurt and shredded Cheddar Cheese.
