One Pan Mexican Pasta Skillet

One Pan Mexican Pasta Skillet cooks entirely in one pot and takes only 3o minutes to make.  This easy weeknight or weekend dinner is perfect for busy families!

You all probably know by know how much I love quick and easy meals. I pretty much depend on them to get dinner on the table in a hurry and to avoid going the fast food route. My favorite easy dinners are definitely those that you can make all in one pot.  After all, who wants to spend time cleaning up a bunch of pots and pans?

My family loves pasta, and they love Mexican food, so I thought it would be fun to switch things up a little and combine two of our favorite flavors into one easy skillet meal.

This Mexican pasta dish starts off with the same base that I use for a lot of our favorite south-of-the-border inspired dishes, including Southwestern Lasagna.

It starts off with seasoned ground beef, onions, jalapeno peppers, black beans and corn.  Then, I add canned diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, a little bit of water and pasta. I let this eclectic mix simmer in the sauce for about 10 minutes before adding some shredded Mexican-blend cheese. And that’s basically all there is to it — easy peasy!

I used medium shells in this recipe, although it really doesn’t matter what type of pasta you use. I like how the meat and sauce get into all of the little nooks and crannies of the shells, so I would recommend using a similar pasta just for this reason. It’s like a burst of flavor with each bite — yum!

How To Make One Pan Mexican Pasta Skillet

One Pan Mexican Pasta Skillet

A savory blend of pasta, ground beef, black beans, corn and tomato sauce all mixed together in one skillet.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Author: Dee

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
• 1 cup diced white onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 cup frozen corn thawed slightly
• 1 14.5- oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked medium pasta shells about 1/2 a box
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Instructions

• In a large skillet, saute the jalapeno peppers and onions in olive oil over medium high heat
• Add the ground beef, and cook until brown
• Add the spices, corn and black beans, and stir
• Add the diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes
• Add the pasta and water
• Turn heat to high, and cover with foil
• Cook for 10 minutes, remove foil, stir, and lower heat to medium
• Check to make sure pasta is firm, but cooked. You can add more water and cook longer if needed
• Stir in the cheese
• Serve, and enjoy!

Loved this recipe?Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

I love that this one pan Mexican pasta skillet is so low maintenance. I checked the pasta a couple of times to make sure that it wasn’t too dry, but it wasn’t. I didn’t have to keep stirring or anything, so that was a big plus.

You can always add a little more water if you think you need to.

And if you really want, you can skip the individual spices and use a packet of taco seasoning, instead — whatever is easiest for you!

My family loved this dinner, and my little guy even asked for seconds. Whenever he does that, I know it’s a good recipe. Go me!

Have a super day, friends!

Sharing At

The Scoop, Wow Us Wednesdays, Weekend Potluck, TT&J, Met Monday