Who doesn't love an easy 30-minute dinner? This Baked Walking Taco Casserole will please the whole family and is perfect for those busy weeknights! This creamy and delicious dinner will have the whole family coming back for more!
*Originally published January 9,2022 and updated with new copy and photos 6/23/22.
I love quick and easy meals. During the week I feel like I am always running from one thing to the next, always so busy. So when it comes time to actually make dinner, I feel like I am either quick to get takeout or looking for the easiest thing possible. That is where this Ultimate Walking Taco Casserole comes in. It is so easy and everyone is guaranteed to love it!
For some other delicious recipes, check out this Easy Air Fryer Quesadilla, these Air Fryer Nachos, this Creamy Green Pea Pasta, this Old School Tamale Pie, Gluten-Free and Vegan Skillet Lasagna or this Spicy Rigatoni Alla Vodka!
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Why This Baked Walking Taco Casserole is So Great
- 30-minute meal-This dinner is easy and quick to get on the table on a busy weeknight!
- Healthy- This taco pasta is healthy and full of delicious, plant-based ingredients
- Budget-Friendly- Most of the ingredients are pantry staples so this recipe is a bang for your buck and is perfect for families on a budget!
Ingredient Notes
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes- The fire-roasted diced tomatoes in this recipe are perfect for giving a lot of flavors and a little bit of heat! If you don't have fire-roasted tomatoes on hand, you can swap for a can of petite diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chilies.
- Black Beans- I used black beans in this recipe because it is what I had on hand. Beans are a great plant-based protein and are perfect if you are looking to go meatless. Feel free to swap with your favorite type of bean, pinto would be great in this recipe!
- Vegan Cream Cheese- To make this recipe creamy, we use vegan cream cheese. It melts perfectly into the pasta and blends with tomato juices to create the perfect sauce for this dish. Make sure to buy plain cream cheese, my favorite vegan brand is this one here!
- Spices- This recipe uses smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and salt. These are all standard spices that you would find in a packet of taco seasoning. Feel free to swap these spices for one packet of taco seasoning.
- Noodles-I used penne noodles in this recipe because I love the shape and texture they have. Feel free to swap for your favorite noodles, some of the ones that I would recommend would be rotini or fusilli
See the recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Finely dice the bell peppers and onions. Saute the bell peppers and onions over medium heat until the onions are translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Add the drained black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and seasonings.
- In a large Dutch Oven, bring salted water to a boil and boil the noodles according to the package directions.
- Drain the noodles and add to the vegetable mixture, stir to combine.
- Dollop the vegan cream cheese on top of the skillet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. After taking it out of the oven, stir the melted cream cheese into the pasta until it is mixed through and the sauce has coated the noodles.
- Top with Fritos and garnish with lettuce, cilantro, tomato, and pickled jalapeños if desired.
Hint: I love using these Cast Iron Skillet handles when cooking with my cast iron. It helps to not burn my fingers!
Substitutions
- Low-Sodium- Make this dish low sodium by using low sodium beans.
- Gluten-Free-Make this skillet gluten-free by using gluten-free noodles
- Extra Spicy- If you want to add a little extra spice, dice up a jalapeno and saute it with the peppers and onions!
Variations
- Tomato Sauce -Instead of using diced tomatoes, you can add four ounces of tomato sauce to the skillet to mix with the cream cheese. This will give it more of a tomato flavor and an even creamier sauce!
- Corn - Pump up the vegetables in this taco pasta by adding some corn. Corn is a great addition to any Mexican flavored dish.
- Beefy - If you want to make this taco pasta with meat, try adding in some impossible meat or beyond beef crumbles to give it that extra beefy texture.
FAQ's
Store the leftover Walking Taco Casserole in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. The fritos might get a little soggy, but I always have an extra bag on hand to top off.
A walking taco is traditionally a taco made in a mini bag of fritos. You eat it with a fork so it is perfect for on the go.
Yes you can! Just add all of the ingredients into the casserole dish and then dollop the cream cheese on top and bake as instructed. I prefer using my skillet because it is just one less dish to clean, however this would be great in a casserole dish.
Yes, just be sure the pasta and corn chips are gluten free. Tortilla chips will also work.
If you garnish the dish with lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños, I think the casserole is a complete meal on its own.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need.
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Spatula
- Colander
- Dutch Oven
- Chef Knife
Storage
Store this skillet in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave. This is the perfect meal prep recipe!
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tips
- Topping ideas for this Creamy Taco Pasta include fresh jalapeno slices, avocado, and sliced green onions.
- If you are sensitive to heat, be sure the taco seasoning that you buy is mild. This dish is not meant to be spicy.
- Make sure you are using a skillet that is stove and oven safe. Some nonstick skillets are and most enameled cast iron is. I love using my trusted cast iron skillet.
Other Skillet Pasta Dinners You'll Love
- Cajun Pasta with Smoked Sausage
- Gluten-Free and Vegan Skillet Lasagna
- Fall Butternut Squash Vegan Tortellini
- Easy 30 Minute Vegan Chili Mac
Ultimate Baked Walking Taco Casserole
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet
- 1 spatula
- 1 Colander
- 1 Dutch Oven
- 1 chef knife
Ingredients
- 1 14.5 ounce can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 16 ounces Penne Noodles
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 14.5 ounces Black Beans
- 8 ounces Vegan Cream Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup Fritos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Finely dice the bell peppers and onions. Saute the bell peppers and onions over medium heat until the onions are translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Add the drained black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and seasonings.
- In a large Dutch Oven, bring salted water to a boil and boil the noodles according to the package directions.
- Drain the noodles and add to the vegetable mixture, stir to combine.
- Dollop the vegan cream cheese on top of the skillet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. After taking it out of the oven, stir the melted cream cheese into the pasta until it is mixed through and the sauce has coated the noodles.
- Top with Fritos and garnish with lettuce, cilantro, tomato, and pickled jalapeños if desired.
Notes
- Topping ideas for this Creamy Taco Pasta include fresh jalapeno slices, avocado, and sliced green onions.
- If you are sensitive to heat, be sure the taco seasoning that you buy is mild. This dish is not meant to be spicy.
- Make sure you are using a skillet that is stove and oven safe. Some nonstick skillets are and most enameled cast iron is. I love using my trusted cast iron skillet.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
kaydimaggio says
Yum! So delicious and easy to make!
Cinder Falter says
Please add the optional lettuce, cilantro, tomato and pickled jalapenos to the ingredients list. I didn't see those ingredients til I was already cooking! P.S. Try with Chili Cheese Fritos for more flavor!
plantsdelish.com says
Tacos and pasta combined. That can never, EVER be a bad thing. This recipe looks so good I can't wait to make this at the weekend. The kids will love this too I've no doubt.
Thanks for the recipe
Tavo says
How did this never occur to me?? I lived in Mexico for eight years and now living in Italy! I just had this for lunch, and it brought me so many memories back! Thank you!
Emily Flint says
This was such a fun meal for my family. It's now on the rotation list!
Emily says
Great recipe! My family is attempting a "Veganuary" diet, so this recipe is much appreciated. It's the kind of food that my kids are used to eating.
Natalie says
Yum, that looks amazing Can't wait to give this recipe a try.
Liz says
This dish sounds delicious! Love all the veggies you added! Gives a great taste, texture, and color! Excited to give it a try!
Audrey says
Such a great dish
Sue says
I can never go wrong with taco flavors in this house. Love that you made a vegan version!
Natalie says
Excellent family dinner idea. My family loves pasta bake. I will definitely give this vegan version a try.
Marinela says
This vegan taco pasta bake is the best! A lovely plant-based dish is full of wholesome ingredients. So healthy and unbelievably delicious!
Serena says
So many veggies! Love it!
Dennis Littley says
I'll be making this for a vegan friend coming to dinner next week!
nancy says
it's like the best of both worlds!
Andrea White says
this taco pasta bake is so so good! sooooo delicious and a hit with the family!
Bernice says
This was a tasty and very quick dinner on a very busy night. I love how it's full of healthy ingredients and you use your own spices instead of a package of taco seasoning.
Shilpa says
Yet another lovely recipe to try. I love all your recipes and this one looks perfect!
Stine Mari says
I love this fusion of tacos and pasta, it is so tasty!
Choclette says
I'm all for healthy comfort food this month. Those fire roasted tomatoes sound amazing. Can't wait to get down to the kitchen and make it. Yum!
Anaiah says
Ultimate foodie recipe! I love how delicious this turned out. My family is all for it!
Agnieszka says
Great recipe! Can't wait to make this casserole again.
Denise says
This is my kind of recipe! Quick, easy and delicious, Thank You for sharing it.
Brianna May says
This looks so tasty!
Lauren Michael Harris says
Taco bakes and pastas are some of my favorite kinds of recipes. I love that this one can be made vegan without sacrificing flavor at all! So good!
Jamie says
This was a great weeknight dinner for my family! The spices in this add so much flavor and it was ready in no time!
Ramona says
This is the perfect recipe for a quick lunch! This healthy vegan taco pasta bake looks super delicious and I love how vibrant the colors look together on this. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Amanda Dixon says
I made this pasta bake over the weekend, and everyone raved about it! The vegan cream cheese added such a decadent touch, and it had the perfect kick of spice.
Healing Tomato says
As a vegan, I always appreciate a pasta bake. It’s always been my favorite dinner, so I am making this often. Your recipe looks easy to make.
Naiby says
Tacos AND pasta together! My little one is gonna looove this. I love what you've done here. And it's so easy to make!
Elaine Benoit says
I made this last night for hubby and I and he had THREE helpings. 🙂 It is so good and I'll definitely be making it again.