Mexican Pasta
This Mexican Pasta is a true on-pan meal. Like magic the pasta cooks in the Mexican inspired pasta sauce!
Servings: 4 Serves
Calories: 715kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Onion
- 3 Capsicum Variety of colours if you can
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 300 grams Beef Mince
- 3 Tablespoons Mexican Spice Mix Nacho Seasoning
- 1 400 gram Can black or kidney beans Rinsed and Drained
- 700 grams Tomato Puree Can or Jar
- 400 millilitres chicken stock One and two-thirds cups
- 350 grams pasta dried
Instructions
- Dice your onion and slice your capsicum
- In a heavy based saucepan or frying pan that can be covered with a lid, heat your oil, Sauté the onion and capsicum.
- Add the mince and brown.
- Add the spice mix and stir until well mixed through the mince, it will smell divine
- Add the beans, tomato puree and stock, stir and bring to the boil
- Once bubbling add the dry pasta. You may need to snap it in half to fit in the pot (if using spaghetti). Push the pasta under the surface of the liquid
- Cover the pot. Leave to simmer for approximately 15 -25 mins. (15 minutes for spaghetti noodles, 25 minutes for spirals/penne.
- Remove lid, Give a good stir and it will be ready to serve
Video
Notes
- f you have family members who are a little weary of beans in meals, you can try one of the hacks that I use in my tortilla casserole recipe. I make a bean and tomato smoothie before adding it to the recipe. You can do this by blending the beans into the tomato purée.
- Cook time for the pasta will vary depending on the pasta shape you use. I find a good rule of thumb is to take the cook time listed on the pack, and double it. Cooking the pasta in the sauce does take longer than if you are just rapidly boiling the pasta.
- Serve your Mexican Pasta with nacho or taco toppings such as salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro/coriander and grated cheddar cheese.
- Corn kernels can also be added to this recipe. Add a cup of frozen or canned corn kernels when you add the beans.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Capsicum: I like to use a mixture of capsicum. In some parts of the world Capsicum are known as bell peppers.
- Mexican Spice Mix: I make my own Mexican Seasoning but you can use your favourite packet of taco seasoning if you prefer. Mexican seasonings typically contain cumin, paprika, garlic powder oregano and chilli flakes.
- Beans: This recipe will work with any canned beans including, kidney beans black beans and pinto beans.
- Tomato Puree: I use store bought tomato puree or passata.
- Chicken stock: This can be homemade bone broth or store-bought. You can also use beef stock if you prefer.
- Pasta: I typically use a short pasta shape such as penne, spirals or macaroni. I've used spaghetti noodles in the past as well. I just snap the spaghetti in half so that they fit in the pan. The cook time for spaghetti is usually shorter than spirals so check your pasta after 15 minutes. I have made this recipe with gluten-free pasta and it worked well.
Baby Led Weaning Suggestions
- Choose a low sodium Mexican Seasoning and stock
- Increase the cook time a little to ensure the pasta, beans and vegetables are very soft and finger squishable.
- Choose a large pasta shape that is easy for yor baby to grasp.
- Consider using the tip I suggest above where I blend the beans into the tomato puree before adding them.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 715kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 1502mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 3691IU | Vitamin C: 135mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 6mg