Name: Mexican-style Baked Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 12 ounces (340g, about 3 cups) uncooked penne; 1 pound (454g) lean ground beef; 2 cups salsa; 1 cup corn kernels (I use frozen); 1 can (398mL) Bush’s® Black Bean Fiesta; 3 cups shredded cheese (combination of Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and cheddar)

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This Mexican-style baked pasta is so simple to make, and tastes fantastic. You can even prep it ahead of time for a super easy dinner!

This post was sponsored by Bush’s^® Beans as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

We love baked pasta around here. I probably find myself adding some version of baked pasta to the menu plan every couple of weeks.

It’s easy, it’s tasty, and everyone loves it. There isn’t really a downside. It even reheats well if there are leftovers.

I’ve been making different versions of this Mexican-style baked pasta for at least 10 years. And it’s still a recipe that the whole family loves.

I think all of 3 of my kids have asked to make this at least once when it’s their turn to cook, so you know it’s good! Plus it’s easy enough that the kids are able to make it on their own, so that’s a win!

Bush’s^® Beans, a family run company, has recently launched their Savoury Beans in Canada. This includes their Black Bean Fiesta, and I loved the addition of these beans to my family favourite recipe! They added some bold flavour to this Mexican-style baked pasta, and made this meal even better than it already was.

There is premium quality, variety, and flavour in every can of Bush’s^® Beans, and you can really taste the difference. This Mexican-style baked pasta is so much better with Bush’s^® Black Bean Fiesta included in it!

Do you cook pasta before making a pasta bake?

For this Mexican-style pasta bake, you do need to cook the pasta before assembling the casserole.

Boil your pasta according to the instructions on the package just until the pasta is al dente. You don’t want to overcook the pasta when boiling it or it will end up going a bit mushy while it’s baking.

Can I prepare this Mexican-style baked pasta ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare this recipe ahead of time and then cover it tightly and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. It will be fine in the fridge for up to two days before baking it.

You can also freeze this baked pasta after preparing it. Cover it well and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before baking it.

How to make Mexican-style Baked Pasta:

This Mexican-style pasta is super easy to make. If you can boil pasta and brown ground beef, you can make this tasty dish. It’s a family favourite here!
Make sure to drain the grease from your ground beef after browning it before you stir in the rest of the ingredients.
I’ve made this dish with plain black beans too, but I highly recommend Bush’s^® Black Bean Fiesta for this recipe as they add some great flavour to the pasta.
This recipe is highly adaptable. Feel free to add in some other veggies, such as bell peppers, black olives, chopped onions, or tomatoes. I usually keep it simple with just corn and black beans, but have added some bell peppers and olives at times, and we loved that too.
We like a combination of cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterey Jack cheese for this pasta bake, but if you prefer just one kind of cheese, that will work too.

Here are some more great pasta recipes for you:

Yield: serves 6-8

Mexican-style Baked Pasta

This Mexican-style baked pasta is so simple to make, and tastes fantastic. You can even prep it ahead of time for a super easy dinner!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

12 ounces (340g, about 3 cups) uncooked penne
1 pound (454g) lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 cup corn kernels (I use frozen)
1 can (398mL) Bush’s® Black Bean Fiesta
3 cups shredded cheese (combination of Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and cheddar)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the beef, stirring, until it is no longer pink, and drain the grease.
Add the salsa, corn, and black beans (with the sauce) to the beef, and stir to combine.
Cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes to blend the flavours.
Stir in the cooked penne.
Place half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle half of the cheese over top.
Add the rest of the pasta mixture in an even layer, and cover it with the rest of the cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is hot and bubbling.

Notes

If you don’t want to bake this right away, you can prepare the casserole, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake, up to 2 days ahead. You will need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.

This pasta dish also freezes well. Prepare the dish, then cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before baking it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 540Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 743mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 25g

Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.