One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta
This Mexican-inspired pasta dish can be made in 30 minutes or less. Even the pasta gets cooked right in the pot!
Oh, Monday. Monday has decided to rear it’s ugly head yet again but I’m hoping I can make it a little better with this glorious pasta I have for you today. And it’s not just any kind of pasta. It’s a one-pot-skillet-kind-of-pasta, loaded with cheesy goodness, freshly made salsa, corn, beans, tomato, avocado and ground turkey. And it comes together in less than 30 minutes, perfect for those busy weeknights!
Here’s how it comes together:
We’ll start off with some ground turkey, but feel free to use ground beef or ground chicken depending on your preference.
Then we’ll stir in some tomato sauce and fresh made salsa.
Once that heats through, go ahead and toss in some corn, beans and tomatoes. You can add in your favorite veggies too – it’s completely customizable!
Let that come together and give it a good stir.
Next comes the good stuff – cheese, cheese and some more cheese. I added Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar but I would love to try this again with jalapeno Monterey Jack next time!
That’s it! How easy was that?
This came together so beautifully in my new Elite Nonstick 3-Qt. Covered Saute Pan, Calphalon Williams-Sonoma newest line of premium cookware that just launched online on September 12th. This new line has been engineered to have lasting durability to withstand the rigors of metal whisk, spoon and spatula use, leaving you to cook with all of your favorite utensils without ruining your nonstick cookware! Not to mention it’s oven safe to 500°F and dishwasher safe, leaving you with such an easy clean up. This saute pan is incredibly versatile and it has become my most used kitchen equipment, and I can make anything from my favorite fried rice dish to mac and cheese!
And you know I can’t keep raving about this amazing Elite Nonstick line without offering a chance to win one for yourself! So be sure to enter the rafflecopter to win the new 10″ Elite Nonstick Fry Pan ($150.00 MSRP). Good luck!
Giveaway ends on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at 9:00 p.m. Pacific time. The winner will be selected by random.org and contacted by email. If there is no response after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to US residents only.
The Elite Nonstick is sold as an 11-pc. set ($699.95 MSRP), as well as individually. You can shop around Williams-Sonoma.com for your favorite piece, or you can visit Williams-Sonoma stores starting September 27th.
One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 2 cups salsa, homemade or store-bought
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in pasta, salsa, chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.
- Stir in tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine. Stir in cheese until melted through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, topped with avocado and cilantro.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Calphalon Williams-Sonoma. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you! Our menu since Covid has become a redundant chore…our party of 5 is starting to not like eating. We decided to change our menu to Around the World in 7 Day…resetting each week with a random country each day. It was my turn to cook (dad) and everyone really enjoyed this. I was surprised with the 1/2 cup of cheese, but after using 1 cup I completely understand why, it’s already very deliciously rich. Next time I’ll follow the recipe! Thank you, so much!
Visually appealing. Flavorable. I cut tomato sauce in half fearing too much liquid and used only 1/2 cup pasta setting remainder aside – spouse on diet. Put in 2 tsp of granulated sugar to neutralize acidity and declare it too much. – just use 1sp, if any. I wish there was nutritional info.
My entire family LOVES this dish! It’s one we come back to often.
My husband and I love this recipe! We typically have these ingredients on hand because it is definitely on of our go-to meals! Have you ever used rice instead of the pasta?
I have not but that sounds amazing! 🙂
I’ve been making this for a long tine and it’s delicious every time! I love it.
What is the serving size? I’m wondering if I need to double it for a family of 6.
The recipe yields 6 servings. In order to get the serving size, you would have to divide the full amount by 6 servings.
This is my favorite recipe! Love it, so easy and yet so damn delicious!
This recipe turned out so great. My family loved it. I used the the hot salsa and it was still really good. I used the 2 chicken bouillon cubes in 1 1/2 cups of water because I didn’t have any chicken broth. I did not add cilantro because i am not the biggest fan of it.
So easy to make after moving and only knowing where one pot was! 🙂 I did use a can of enchilada sauce instead of the tomato sauce. It will become a go-to meal, the husband loved it!
The pasta must be uncooked while stirring it? or cooked?
Uncooked.
This is the second time I have made this dish. Very hearty and yummy but I had to add some water to help the pasta cook.
Just made this and it’s delicious. I added more than 1 cup of beans and I used high fibre whole wheat pasta to increase the fibre content. I added minced onion with the ground chicken for a little more flavour. The avocado and cilantro are a must to complete the dish. My toddler is picky about her food touching so I made a deconstructed version of this for her and she ate most of it.
Thanks for the great recipe! I will be making it again 🙂
This was great for a quick family dinner. I added in some spices (chili powder, cumin, etc.) to make it more taco flavored. If I made it again, I might do half as much tomato sauce (it seemed plenty saucy to me), and maybe add in a few more veggies. Thanks!
This is fantastic! Thank you. Thumbs up from the entire family.
I just had to pop over and say that not only have I made this recipe before and will be making it again this weekend, but I’ve made quite a few of your recipes and have always loved them. Thanks for sharing such great stuff!
Made this for dinner tonight with a few substitutions – I had some leftover taco filling made with ground beef that I substituted for the turkey. I was also out of salsa, so I substituted a can of diced tomatoes, a small can of diced green chilies and about 3/4 packet of fajita seasoning. It is delicious! Topped with sour cream and my 3-year-old gobbled it all up! I love these one pot meals – so fast, easy and minimal dishes to clean up after dinner.
I love these one-pot recipes. Perfect for working women (and men)!
made this tonite after getting home late and it was fabulous!!! Loads of flavour, texture, just pure yumminess and the kids cleaned their plates! Winning!! Thanks so much for the gorgeous recipe
Can i make a vegetarian version of this? would you have any suggestions?
thanks
You can swap out the ground turkey altogether and add more veggies to compensate.
i made this into a more summer dish by doing the basic recipe then putting fresh cold tomato, avocado and sour cream on top. Yum!
This is so delicious. I am so glad I found it on Pintrest!
I tried this recipe but instead of black beans I substituted Black Bean pasta (http://www.tolerantfoods.com/). It went perfectly with this recipe and the result was delicious!! I would say I didn’t need 2 full cups of broth and would cut it down to 1 cup next time.
Hi Chung Ah, I really do want to try this One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta, but I do have a couple of questions. 1) Do you drain the corn? and 2) Is the pasta cooked or uncooked before adding to your recipe, cause one statement you say to cook it first then down at the bottom of the comments you say to put in uncooked. Very confused :(. But I am going to try it with the pasta cooked al dente before adding to the rest of the dish. Thanks for any help you can give me. 🙂
Joann, please refer to the recipe – it has been tweaked over time and may not match what is stated in the comments.
To answer your questions –
1. If you are using canned corn, yes, it should be drained. As a general rule of thumb, canned corn should always be drained prior to using. You do not want that excess liquid in your dish.
2. The pasta is left uncooked. That is the beauty of a one-pot meal!
This looks delicious, cant wait to try it! Do you cook the pasta before adding it to the mix, or does the pasta cook with everything else?
The pasta cooks with everything else – that’s the beauty of this recipe!
I found this recoil about a month ago and have made it twice! So yummy and hearty!
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I love easy one-pot meals and this looks loaded with FLAVOUR!
I’m going to do make it tomorrow. (THEN I can’t wait to try your Sweet and Sour chicken!)!
BTW, we’re not fond of cilantro though. Are there any substitutes (or can I just leave it out without changing the recipe too much?)
**Just found your website today – I love it!! – ESPECIALLY the process of step-by-step with photos. GOOD JOB!!!!!
You can substitute parsley for cilantro for a milder taste, or you can omit altogether. It shouldn’t change the taste of the dish too much!
Made this recipe tonight and it was fabulous! I made it with homemade salsa so I already had tons of chopped tomatoes in that so didn’t add the extra diced tomato ingredient. The recipe is SO easy to make, is a great Summer dish and something new to try!
Found this recipe on Pinterest, it was delicious! My entire family loved it!
I made this tonight for me and all my roommates! It was absolutely delicious. I also added rice and green chili to the ingredients ! There’s not even a drip of tomato sauce left in the pan! Everybody loved it !!! I’ll be making this again !! Thanks for sharing !
Honestly I can’t handle to look at your website while at work…I just want to drop whatever I’m doing, run home, and stuff my face with everything! But somehow I still end up on your site, at my desk drooling like a fool. It has become my new favourite website and I cannot wait to try this recipe!
I always ask my husband to rate the meals so that I know when to make one again, and I got home from work and he put a giant 5 out of 5 stars on a piece of paper right by the pan. He LOVED it 🙂
Awwww, so cute! I’m so glad he liked it 🙂
So it says add posta. Does this mean cooked pasta??? Because it’s not real clear. I am making this now and added uncooked pasta. Since it is a one pit recipe right? If we heve to add cooked pasta this should be in the instructions. And it wouldn’t really be one pot. But if it’s uncooked it doesn’t say how long to cook it….
It’s actually stated very clearly in the ingredient list that “2 cups cooked elbows pasta” would be needed. It is best to read through the ingredient list first before proceeding to the instructions.
Feel free to refer to the original recipe that is linked at the bottom of the recipe – she adds uncooked pasta along with some more liquid to cook it right in the pot.
Made this tonight, it was phenomenal! Hearty without being heavy and full of flavor. I’ll be making this again for sure!
Pinterest find….DELISH!!! I’ve had this pinned for awhile & finally got to make it & will make it again and again! Perfect quick and easy meal. Thanks! 🙂
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You never mentioned adding the pasta…was the pasta already cooked?
Alison, as mentioned in the ingredient list, you will use “2 cups cooked elbows pasta”. The addition of pasta is also indicated in the directions, “Stir in tomato sauce and salsa until well combined. Add pasta, tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine.”
this looks absolutely yummy – real comfort food. I’ve never tried putting diced avocado on top of a pasta but it’s something I’d love to try too.
I made this today with some changes, I used ground beef, didn’t have any roma tomatoes so I used canned diced southwestern tomatoes and mexicorn. It turned out DELISH!
I made this tonight and it turned out amazing! I added chili flakes to the topping for a little more spice
I love one pot meals! I made this one last night and it was easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
-Felicia
lotussaturday.com
Made these last night minus the cilantro for the kids and everyone loved it. Instead of the pasta, we ate it with rice 🙂 Then, later the kids decided to dip tortilla chips in it and ate it that way too.
Loved this pasta dish! Super easy to make and full of yummy, hearty flavors!
Made this the other night and I loved it. I also made some fresh pico and threw it on top too. One thing that’s important to remember with skillet pasta dishes is that it’s always best to under cook the pasta in the water, and then let it finish cooking in your skillet. This way the pasta has more time to incorporate into the dish and it absorbs more of the flavor. This is what I did (and always do) and it came out great… Also, I added a little tomato pasta for a little more tomato flavor. This is going into my keep file 🙂
This looks delicious. I also love that it is a single pot meal, that makes dinner so much easier.
Sounds good, but you shouldn’t call it a one pot meal, because you need a second pot to cook the pasta. to truly be a one-pot meal the pasta would be cooked in with the rest of the ingredients by adding extra water to the skillet, bring to a boil and add the pasta in there to cook.
Julia, as noted to another reader above, you can definitely add the pasta to the skillet by following the original recipe, making it a true one pot meal. I personally like to cook it separately so I don’t have to add too much excess liquid to the skillet.
I’m vegan and was wondering if this delicious sounding recipe could be made just skipping the meat altogether? If not, I could use boca burger pieces. And vegan cheese, of course. Thanks
I’m sure you could skip the meat altogether – there’s lots of goodies in here to make up for it!
I made this last night and it was a hit! Everyone loved it. I grabbed a little more spicy salsa and it gave it the perfect flavor. This time was also my first time cooking grounded turkey!
I’m so glad it turned out well for you – this pasta dish is one of my favorites!
Great recipe and so perfect for weeknights when a quick meal is needed!
Would I sound like a suck up if I said “One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta”? GREG
Haha not at all! This dish is my absolute favorite – definitely on rotation at our house!
Any recipe would be great in this pan as it’s a wonderful pan. Thanks for the opportunity.
Yum! I’ll be trying the Mexican dinner.
ooh id make some fried rice with beans
I would make a cookie pie!
I would make Chicken Marsala!
I would try this recipe. We always have taco Tuesdays this would be a good one to try besides tacos thanks.
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Paella – yummy 🙂
I would make Parmesan Crusted Chicken!
I would have to make this recipe! It looks delicious!
I would make a frittata stuffed with garden veggies!
If I won, I would probably make fajitas, either steak or chicken. I have wanted to add calaphon to my kitchen for a while, would love to win.
I would make turkey lettuce wraps!
The first thing I would probably make is a Paella!
I hope I win! I would probably make some sort of pasta dish too 🙂
Chiles rellenos!
I want to try this mexican skillet…sounds yummy.
I would make my favorite stir fry recipe!
Looks sooo yummy! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I would make a quinoa stir fry.. Any meat, vegetables, onion, garlic, soy sauce and a couple of scrambled eggs.. Yum
I’d make chicken fajitas!
crab cakes…love them 🙂
I would make turkey chilli
I would make a skillet brownie!!
I would make this recipe first! Oh my!!
I would make a lot of pasta dishes and chilis. This is perfect for comfort food!
Crab Cakes would be great!
A veggie omelet!!
First, a bowl of this pasta is just what I wanna stick my head into! Second, I would make a big puffy pancake in this fantastic skillet!
crispy potatoes from real mom kitchen blog
I love this pan, I would enjoy making my favorite Dirty Rice recipe with ground turkey ummm Yes!!! I would enjoy having this there is so many things to make in it…
This pan would be perfect for my glazed salmon – starts on the stove top and finishes up in the oven.
omelete
I would definitely make this one-pot mexican skillet pasta!!! It looks delicious!!!
I’d make my famous TUNA CASSEROLE. Its’ creamy and cheesy :-).
I’d make chilaquiles! (For some reason I really love the look of pans that are that exact shape, even though I don’t actually own any shaped like that…)
It looks delicious and seems pretty easy to make. A great quick meal for a busy weekday!!
That was pretty simple and easy to make. A quick family meal to cook during a busy week!
This recipe would be a winner in my house! I cant wait to make it! All of my pots stick, so this non-stick skillet would be a welcome addition.
Eggs for breakfast would be delish!
Would love to have one of those pans!
Delicious scrambled eggs..among many other things !
This is right up my alley! My kids would love it – I’d use radiator shape pasta since that’s my guys’ fav 🙂
I would make your fried rice!!!
I would make blackened tilapia for fish tacos!!
I would love to make mac & cheese in this skillet!
I would make Southwestern Chicken Fettucine Alfredo. 😀 Oh my goodness, just writing that down made me incredibly hungry…
I would defiantly make some delicious pancakes …yumm! 😀
I’d make banana pancakes!
That is one good looking bowl of food! 😀
Perfect weeknight meal!
Gorgeous – simply gorgeous! Love the combination of salsa into this!
I might try the One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta.
We love eggs at my house, I would make scrambled eggs!
This skillet pasta is fantastic! These type of one pot meals are lifesavers on busy weeknights! This one looks just Yummy!!!
I’d make jambalaya! And try your amazing Mexican skillet pasta also!
I would make poached Wild Alaskan Salmon for salads and dinners!
That is such an easy and delicious looking dish. Gotta love one pot meals. I’m thinking some sort of lasagna skillet dish would be good if I had that pan 🙂
What a wonderful pan! The first thing I would make is chicken lasagna.
Cheesy weeknight friendly pasta dishes are always welcome in these parts! Love all these Mexican flavors!
This looks delicious! I love one pot meals!
Hey, that’s really easy! I recently bought some teddy bear shaped pasta and I can’t wait to try it out with this recipe. All those crevices would trap tons of sauce with each mouthful. mmm..
yummy that looks really good!! I would make hamburger zucchini rice skillet!
You always have such beautiful recipes, and this one is no exception! Love the one pot-ness. 🙂
I would make some great grilled cheese sandwiches! yummy!
I’d make a garlicky Swiss Chard sauté with white beans and smoky bacon!
I’d make a great big frittata!
Yummy grilled cheese sandwiches first, then anything goes!
I’d make skillet lasagna. Thank you for the chance.
There are so many options. I have been looking at pans like this for awhile.
I would make a mushroom pasta.
what would I make? one pot chicken and dumplings! and THIS!!! damn, looks great, Chung-Ah!
This looks delicious! I’m making for dinner tonight!!!
I would make chicken tenders.
I would make a chicken and veggie pasta meal! Your one pot mexican skillet looks really delicious too!
Um, YUM! This looks amazing, my friend! Must make!
I would make my mom’s spaghetti! Or beef and broccoli!
I would make my mom’s spaghetti! Or beef and broccolli!
I would make so many things–chicken dishes, goulash, salisbury steak–the list would go on. But I think I’ll make this skillet dish tonight for supper.
I would probably make my morning eggs in it!
Oh how I’d LOVE a new set of pots & pans – these sound great! For the new skillet I might just have to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich (which may or may not have bacon on it!). Mmmm!!
western omelets or stir fry
One pot meals are a lifesaver! I’d make your skillet pasta first!
I would make a Chorizo and White Bean stew that my family loves. I love one pot cooking.
I would have my husband make a delicious stir-fry using veggies from our garden. Thanks for the giveaway.
what a great recipe today and giveaway! would probably be making something with eggs… breakfast for dinner during the fall is awesome!
I would make some Chicken breast with Teriyaki sauce.
I would cook salmon patties
I would make this here pasta!
Maybe a fall vegetable stir fry of sorts.
Truth in titles … need different pot to cook pasta…. not truely one pot meal!
You can actually throw uncooked pasta with 2 cups water right into the saucepan and let it cook through (this is the method of the original recipe) – I just prefer to have my pasta cooked separately.
LOL at your ridiculousness! Cook the pasta in a large saucepan — transfer to dish once it’s cooked. Continue on with recipe. Man, that was hard.
I’d like to take advantage of this excellent pan’s stove-top-to-oven capability, and make something like chicken breasts that start with a quick saute in olive oil to brown them. After that, soften some onions in the pan, make a quick sauce right in the pan (scraping up all that goodness from the bottom of the pan), replace the chicken, cover it, and pop it in the oven to finish. I make a similar dish now, but the perfect pan would be, well, perfect!
I would make fajitas!
I’d make stir fry or chili!
I would make beef and broccoli stir fry.
I would make stir fry in this pan
Oh my goodness, I am so in love with this recipe and I haven’t even tried it yet. Looks incredible!
I would make omelette first
I would make veggie stir fry!
I would make a big plate of Migas. Extra salsa please and sausage on the side.
I would try out this dish, yum!
Looks delish!
I would make crab cakes.
I would make this dish with Brussels sprouts, ground chix sausage, and sweet potato one pot recipe.
chicken!
New to your site, I would try the Mexican skillet recipe.
I love one pot meals, so I would make your one pot mexican skillet. Looks yummy!
I would make fajitas
I’d make a chicken dish.
Love the one pot idea! Question, when you add the pasta is it dry or already cooked?
The pasta should be cooked when you add it in.
Wait, what?? I noticed in the pictures that the macaroni looks cooked, but in the instructions it lists uncooked noodles, and then cook 13-16 minutes or until pasta is tender. Plus the 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, the recipe sure seems to use uncooked.
Yes, the recipe requires uncooked pasta noodles.
I would make sauteed fish in this pan!
I would make some spicy sauteed vegetables.
I would make turkey chili!
Omelets sound like a great idea!
I would make lots & lots of omelets!! I am so very unsuccesful with them with my current pan 🙁
One-pot meals are the saviour of the weeknight dinner.
That looks delish!
Nice recipe. Thank you. Have a super Monday and week.
Tofu scramble!
Your one pot Mexican Dinner.
I would love to make pancakes! Our go-to non-stick skillet is fried, so we definitely could use a new one!
sauteed veggies – yummmy.
I tried to leave a comment on the give-away and I messed it up!!! I would love a new non-stick because I currently DO not have one 🙁 so it would be a WONDERFUL addition to my sweet lil’ kitchen!! my husband and I both have high cholesterol, and last summer found out my son who is 11 has it as well. It is hereditary in our family, and I try my best to cook healthy, So a nonstick pan would be great!!
Love to make some black bean chili!
LOVE one pot meals! This looks awesome!
I would definitely make ground meat for stuffed peppers. One of my favorites
I would make weekend brunch breakfast omelets with spinach, cheese and tomatoes and also some homemade pancakes for my family too!
Love one pot meals like this; sounds simple and tasty.
some beef stroganoff
I’d go with a chicken parmesan, from cooktop to oven!
chicken fried steak
This looks delicious! And the Calphalon skillet is awesome too!
I have been craving some asian pork tenderloin chops!
I just saw this today at the William Sonoma store and was wishing for it! I’m big on pastas and stews.
I am all over a one pot meal – and this sounds amazing!!
This looks delicious!! I can’t wait to try it myself!
I’d make…bananas foster! This is a great skillet and gorgeous pasta you made!