Taco Pasta - with Healthy Options

Tacos and pasta together in the same meal...what's not to like?!

I found a recipe on Pinterest awhile back for Taco Spaghetti that was the inspiration for this meal, but I made several changes, one major one being the type of pasta I used - Landon and Layla are slightly less messy with shaped pasta than with spaghetti noodles, and I actually like them better in this dish as well. 

The original recipe called for 1 lb of meat, but I only use 1/2 lb of chicken keema, because I also like adding black beans. This version of the recipe serves 5-6 people, and technically I guess it's more of a "halved" version - I use half a jar of salsa, half a packet of taco seasoning (they're precious enough to save the extra half for later).

Up your veggie content: Add extra bell peppers, diced tomatoes, diced zucchini, or chopped spinach! I have started adding chopped spinach and zucchini in every time, and we love it. You can't even taste the spinach, and since there's also chopped cilantro in there, it doesn't look weird either, just extra green! 

Taco Pasta

1/2 lb chicken keema (ground chicken) ** (see footnote)

1 big or 2 small onions, chopped **

1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped **

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup water

1/2 package of taco seasoning, or equivalent seasonings

4-5 jalapenos from the jar, chopped

1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

Handful of chopped Coriander Leaf (cilantro) 

1 cup of shredded cheese (we like our cheese, so you could use less)

1/2 of a 500 gram package of Rotini, or penne, or similar pasta

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, brown the chicken keema along with the onions and red pepper (and zucchini, if using). Add the black beans, water and taco seasoning, and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until some of the water reduces. Stir in the salsa, jalapenos, and corn (and spinach, if using). Continue cooking on medium heat till everything is heated through.

When pasta is finished cooking, drain and then add to the sauce mixture. Stir well, and then stir in the cheese and chopped coriander leaf. Done!

We love to eat this with tortilla chips - adds extra crunch and a bit of salt! I highly recommend adding the coriander leaf - it adds such a brightness to the dish! I even sprinkle a little extra on mine before serving, because I just love the pop of flavor and smell.
Extra healthy options: Instead of mixing in pasta, serve the chicken/veggie mixture over brown rice, or a bed of lettuce!

Also, for the record, here's the specific type of salsa I like to use:

It's my favorite by far of the 4-5 different types of jarred salsa I've tried out here. I'm even picky enough to prefer the "Wrap Salsa" version over the "Taco Salsa" version by the same brand. It's actually very reasonably priced, as well! If you can find it, I highly recommend it (this is, of course, for India. If you're in America, you have a plethora of great salsa options, and probably not this one). 

** Also, another sidenote tip - when I make this, I actually brown the whole pound of chicken keema with the onion and one whole red pepper, and then I separate half of the mixture into a container to freeze for later use. So easy and helpful!!