Cheesy Tex Mex Pasta made in ONE POT with seasoned ground beef, bell peppers, salsa, vegetables, and cheddar cheese with rigatoni pasta, ready in under 20 minutes!
Easy Mexican inspired recipes are my go-to on busy weeknights including QUICK Enchilada Sauce, Mexican Rice and my crazy popular Cheesy Taco Pasta!
CHEESY TEX MEX PASTA
Cheesy Tex Mex Pasta is savory, cheesy, and incredibly EASY to make in one pot in under 20 minutes. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner, made with ground beef, taco seasoning, cheddar cheese, tomato sauce, and pasta. Plus it’s full of vegetables like bell pepper, black beans, corn, and salsa. You can use store-bought salsa, or freshly made salsa with my homemade Pico De Gallo. I also like to use my Homemade Taco Seasoning, because I usually make a big batch and have it leftover in the pantry.
HOW LONG DOES CHEESY TEX MEX PASTA KEEP?
This pasta will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but will always be the best the day of. Make sure you store it in an airtight container to keep the pasta from drying out.
CAN YOU FREEZE CHEESY TEX MEX PASTA?
You can make this ahead of time and freeze it for a busy night. I recommend only cooking the pasta until it’s al dente, so it can finish cooking the rest of the way when it’s reheated. I would also leave the cheese out if you’re making this to freeze.
Defrost in the refrigerator the night before, then reheat in a large skillet, adding some extra broth as needed. Stir in the cheese before serving.
WHAT OTHER VEGGIES CAN YOU ADD?
- Mushrooms
- Jalapeños or poblano peppers
- Peas
- Kale
- Spinach
- Black olives

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MORE EASY WEEKNIGHT PASTA RECIPES
- Ground Pot Roast Pasta
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Creamy Turkey and Swiss Pasta
- Creamy Lemon Baked Pasta (5 Ingredients!)
- Cheesy Florentine Pasta
TIPS FOR MAKING CHEESY TEX MEX PASTA
- I’m using rigatoni pasta in this recipe, but you can use penne or any other noodle if that’s what you have.
- I like to make this with ground beef, but you can also make it with ground chicken, turkey, or sausage. Or cut up leftover rotisserie chicken!
- I always serve this with extra cheese and some fresh cilantro on the table.
- If you want to make this extra crunchy, top with some crushed tortilla chips before serving.
- You can make the cheese golden brown and bubbly by using an oven-safe skillet and broiling for 2-3 minutes. Watch closely, to make sure it doesn’t burn as the broiler is very hot.
- Make this extra spicy by adding ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, or make it smokey by adding some chipotle seasoning.
- You can leave the pasta out of this dish entirely and replace it with rice, or serve the seasoned meat and vegetables with warm tortillas for a Tex Mex burrito bowl.


Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces cooked rigatoni pasta
Instructions
- Add the canola oil, beef, onion and bell pepper to a large skillet and cook on medium-high until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the taco seasoning, beef broth, tomato sauce and salsa and cook until it thickens, 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the corn, black beans, cheese and pasta and stir to combine.
This looks very good. Do you typically use canned or frozen corn in this?
I typically use canned but you can use frozen too. I’d recommend rinsing it in a colander and letting it drain before adding it at the end. It will have a bit more bite to it. Enjoy!
This dish is amazing! I cooked it for my wife and children. Let’s just say there was no leftovers. Very, very good!
So happy to hear you all loved it!
YUM! This looks delicious! Perfect weeknight meal for my family!
Hope you enjoy it!
I love how quick & easy this is!! It is full of flavor & ingredients that I like to keep on hand!
Easy peasy!
This is our new family favorite recipe! All the flavors and textures we love.
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Do you think this would be good without the meet? It looks super delish!
I’ve haven’t tested it like that yet but I don’t see why not. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks!
We love how quick and easy this hearty dinner is……so good!
This recipe was DELICIOUS!!! My family loved it! I will defiantly make it again. The next time I prepare this dish, I plan to serve it along side of tortilla chips. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Sounds like a delicious idea! So glad you enjoyed it!