This Healthy Taco Pasta is packed with flavor and nutrition! With a combination of ground turkey, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, and creamy pumpkin, we’ve got a wholesome healthy 30 minute meal perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Table of contents
Healthy taco pasta, along with this Mexican chicken and rice, chicken burrito skillet, and taco skillet, is one of my favorite Mexican-inspired one pot dishes!
What you get is a flavorful and satisfying pasta dish full of fresh healthy ingredients bringing together the best of both worlds!
Pumpkin, which you can hardly taste, is the secret to a creamy texture in many healthy pasta dishes without having to add much cheese.
It also provides a ton of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, and when paired with taco seasoning tastes amazing!
For this healthy taco pasta recipe, I use whole wheat pasta which has more nutrients than plain white pasta. But you can also use brown rice, quinoa, chickpea pasta or any gluten free pasta!
I add turkey for lean protein along with plant based protein like black beans and some good fat from the avocado.
If you’re like me and love any and everything that has to do with tacos, you’ll love my turkey taco soup and ground turkey tacos!
Ingredients Needed
The key to healthy one pot meals is having bold flavors come from simple, fresh, and healthy ingredients.
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics that get sautéed first to produce the base flavors of the entire dish.
- Taco seasoning: I have a great homemade taco seasoning I like to use.
- Ground turkey: Lean meat provides extra sustenance but you can leave it out and add more beans instead for a vegetarian version.
- Black beans: Drained and rinsed from a can, unless you have some Instant Pot black beans or cooked dried beans you need to use up! Beans add fiber and plant-based protein.
- Corn: It’s a staple in Mexican dishes, so we’re adding it to our healthy taco pasta.
- Diced tomatoes: Gives this dish some acidity to cut the creamy textures.
- Pumpkin purée: Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling! Pure pumpkin puree, is literally that – puréed pumpkin. If you’re not a fan, replace it with tomato sauce instead.
- Uncooked pasta: Use whole wheat pasta or gluten free pasta. If you’re using leftover cooked pasta, add it in at the end to warm through.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Freshly grated from a block so that it melts nicely and you avoid the anti clumping agents that come in pre shredded packages.
- Avocado: A creamy, healthy fat added at the end to retain its texture!
- Green onion: Garnish and a pop of color.
How to Make Healthy Taco Pasta
Whipped up in 30 minutes, this one-pot healthy taco pasta dish couldn’t be easier. It’s a deliciously cozy and satisfying!
Grab a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven to use. It needs to be large enough to hold everything. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Any higher and the garlic will burn.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes, while stirring occasionally.
From there, you’ll add in the taco seasoning and ground turkey. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the turkey as it cooks. It’s also a great way to see which pieces are still pink.
Toss in the beans, corn, diced tomatoes, pumpkin purée, water, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring it to a boil.
Add the uncooked pasta and make sure it’s submerged in all the liquid. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the avocado, and stir.
Sprinkle with cheese and green onions and replace the lid so that the cheese melts for a few minutes. Serve while it’s hot and enjoy!
If you like the look of a rustic table setting, serve it family style and bring the pan right to the table.
Taco Pasta Toppings
This isn’t your traditional pasta, so you can definitely get creative with the toppings!
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Sliced jalapenos for heat
- Cilantro
How to Customize
- Vegan: Omit the turkey and cheese and ramp up the amount of beans. You can leave out the cheese and enjoy the creaminess of the pumpkin or you can use your favorite vegan cheese instead.
- Vegetarian: Skip the meat but keep the cheese if you’d like! Add more beans, but also increase the amount of veggies to bulk it up.
- Other ground meat: Use lean ground beef, Italian sausage, or ground chicken.
- Additional veggies: Toss in some bell peppers, jalapenos, mushrooms, and zucchini.
FAQs
You can prepare many of the components of this dish ahead of time. Brown the turkey, dice the veggies, grate the cheese and drain and rinse your beans. Things like that!
It will make everything much easier when you’re ready to cook.
It’s a filling meal, so a simple side salad, grilled veggies, or a slice of crusty bread is all that is needed to feed your hungry crew.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: Keep leftover healthy taco pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy the next day and the day after that for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.
- Freeze: Transfer to the freezer for up to 3 months. If you still have lots, portion it out so that way you only need to thaw what you’re going to use.
More Healthy Pasta Recipes
- Healthy pasta
- Healthy Tuscan chicken pasta
- Ground turkey and broccoli pasta
- Ground turkey casserole
- One pot spaghetti
- Zucchini ricotta pasta
Or you can browse through my favorite healthy pasta recipes for more inspiration!
Healthy Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 15 oz can black beans rinsed & drained
- 2 cups corn frozen
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 14 oz can pumpkin puree
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 4 cups whole wheat pasta or gluten free pasta uncooked
- 1 cup 4 oz sharp hard cheese shredded
- 3 avocados diced
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add oil, onion and garlic, and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add taco seasoning and ground turkey. Sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking turkey into pieces with spatula.
- Add beans, corn, diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, water, salt and pepper; stir and bring to a boil.
- Add pasta, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, add avocado and stir; sprinkle with cheese and green onions, cover for a few minutes to let cheese melt. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Vegetarian: Substitute with another can of beans for vegetarian version.
- Pumpkin: Substitute with a can of tomato sauce if not a fan of pumpkin.
Do we Substitute tomato sauce same 14 oz as for pump purée?
😊 thx
What is pump puree? If it’s thick liquid then yes.
Under ingredients list you mentioned pump purée & for the substitution you said tomato sauce will work..
So I wanted to know do we add tomato sauce same 14 oz instead for pump purée under ingred list?
😊 thx
Ohhhhh, you mean pumpkin puree…yes, same 14 ounces amount of tomato sauce instead. Enjoy!
Thx Olena..
appreciate your response about tomato sauce 🥰
Came out so gud…
Made it w/o Turkey for a vegetarian version.
Thx..
Awesome! Glad to hear that!
Hi Olena. I love your recipes and I’m looking forward to trying this one. I do have a question. If I use leftover precooked pasta, do I still need to use the 2 cups of water? Are any other adjustments needed when using left over precooked pasta? Thanks for your reply 🙂
Hi Sally, the recipe has not been tested with precooked pasta. I would start by omitting the water, but you may need to add some back in if it’s too thick. But easier to add then to take away.
Perfect for my Pasta loving girl – feels good to get in all those extra nutrients.
That’s fantastic Melissa!
I made this tonight. Very yummy. I’ll be adding it to my recipe rotation. Plus, I get 8 meals out of it. I’m sure it’ll taste as yummy out of the freezer. It’s not very spicy, for those who like spice, I’d suggest adding some jalapenos. Also I’m in a higher altitude, so I ended up having to add 2 more cups of water to the mix and boiling it again at the end. I figured I’d have troubles with the pasta, as everything here takes longer to cook. Thanks for the great recipe.
You are very welcome, Michelle. Pasta is not my favorite to freeze but it will do. 🙂
I forgot avocado oil! I hope it’s going to be fine with olive oil????
Totally! Any oil for frying.
First time I’ve tried pumpkin, won’t be the last! Pasta to die for <3
Glad to hear that, Rosie!
This was amazing!! Honestly I wasn’t sure about the pumpkin thing… but you wouldn’t know it’s there just adds a wonderful creamy texture to the dish!! Very good!! I forgot to buy avocados though so I left them out, will make it with next time ? I really have yet to find a recipe on this site I haven’t really really liked – and I have made A LOT. awesome good food and good for you. Simple and easy to make, even the ones when you look at the recipe and think “oh man, that’s a lot of work” they’re really not!! So happy I found this site!!
I love everything with pumpkin in it, especially when it’s called ‘taco pasta’. I can’t wait to try it myself!
Great job on the video! I It makes it easier to follow the recipe…at least to know what it should look like. 🙂
Thank you!