Tex-Mex Enchilada Pasta 

Tex-mex is calling and we’re answering! We’re swapping tortilla’s for pasta. Grab the box of noodles sitting in your pantry and bring your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant to your kitchen. Curly cavatelli noodles are simmered in cheesy beef enchilada-inspired sauce to a heart-warming dinner that has easily become one of our weeknight favorites.

Our favorite part about this recipe? It’s SO easy! It’s a one-pot meal that takes just about 30 minutes to make. Grab a large pot and your ingredients and let’s get to cooking!

Looking for more easy dinner ideas? Check out these!

Bacon Mac and Cheese

Loaded Tex-Mex Sheet Pan Nachos

Spicy Beef Parmesan Stuffed Peppers

Roasted Chickpea and Gnocchi Salad

Dill Pickle Pizza

Marry Me Chicken Meatballs

How to make Tex-Mex Enchilada Pasta

This dish is a one-pot pasta dish will quickly become a weeknight dinner favorite because it’s so easy to make! Grab a dutch oven or large pot and let’s get to cooking! Here’s what you need to do!

Cook beef in dutch oven.

Start by cooking ground beef in a dutch oven or large pot. Use a wooden spoon to break up large chunk of meat and stir as you continue to cook. Once the meat has turned from a pink to brown color, you can add in the onions and seasonings.

Next, onions, garlic and taco seasoning. 

Roughly chop a yellow onion and add it into the meat. You will also add minced garlic and taco seasoning. We always use fresh garlic because it has a more vibrant flavor. 

For the taco seasoning, you can either use a package of taco seasoning or make your own. We have directions for making your own taco seasoning below.

Tip for mincing garlic: If you are comfortable with your knife skills, mince with a knife. If you are not very comfortable with your knife skills or want a quicker options for mincing, use a garlic mincer.

Mix in liquids ingredients and bring to a soft boil.

Next, add in tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and beef broth and stir into the meat mixture until fully incorporated. You are essentially making an enchilada sauce with this mixture. 

Bring the broth mixture to a soft boil. When you start to see it bubble, it’s time to add in pasta.

Add pasta cook covered.

Choose your favorite pasta and add 16 oz of it to the dish! We recommend a curly noodle to catch all the yummy cheesy enchilada sauce, but use what you have on hand! 

Stir in the pasta noodles to make sure the are mostly, if not fully submerged in the broth. Cover the dish and let it simmer on medium-low heat for 9-11 minutes, or until al dente. 

Stir in cheese and serve.

Lastly, mix in the shredded cheddar cheese until it is nice an gooey. Scoop into bowls and enjoy while hot! 

Feel free to top with cilantro, diced tomatoes, avocados, sour cream or extra cheese!

What makes this taste like Enchiladas? 

Enchilada sauce is what give enchiladas a vibrant flavor. We created a version of enchilada sauce that simmers in with the pasta that tastes just like your favorite enchiladas. The mixture of taco seasoning, tomato paste, beef broth, cheese and apple cider vinegar make a deliciously savory and tango sauce. 

How to make your own taco seasoning

Taco seasoning is a delicious blend of cumin, onion, garlic, paprika and sometimes some additional spices for flavor and heat. It’s delicious to add flavor to meat in tacos, tortilla soup, queso, enchiladas and more. 

If you have all the spices on hand, go ahead and make a homemade seasoning!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (add more or less to adjust the heat to your liking)

Mix all spices in a small bowl. Store in a jar or spice dish.

How to Store Enchilada Pasta

Whether you’re prepping the dish to make ahead of time or storing leftovers, here’s what we recommend. 

Making ahead of serving

If you are planning on making both ahead, store pasta and dressing separately.  The pasta will absorb some of the sauce and the texture of both the pasta and the sauce will change when you reheat. You can store the pasta and sauce for up to 2-3 days.

When you’re ready to serve, heat the pasta and sauce separately, toss coat the pasta evenly.

Pro tip: Toss pasta in olive oil right after stringing and cooking. This will keep the pasta from sticking together in a clump.

Storing leftovers

Store separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The texture of the sauce will change once reheated, but the flavor will still be there!!