One of our favorite vegan dinners that everyone in the family will eat is this casserole. While pasta brings the ingredients together, it is not an Italian meal! Soyrizo (vegan version of chorizo), pinto beans, salsa, and taco seasoning make this a flavorful, spicy meal.
A spicy and flavorful casserole that you don’t have to worry about being bland or boring!
- A high protein, high fiber meal that utilizes both soy protein and legumes – 24g/12g per serving!
- Hearty enough that no sides are needed!
- Easily customizable: use any sort of dairy-free cream for the sauce, use black beans instead of pinto, or seasoned ground ‘beef’ instead of soyrizo.
- A quick meal for weeknight standards!
There are lots of ways to title this meal – Mexican goulash, Tex-Mex casserole, taco pasta. Our toddler even loves this meal (with ample sour cream for the spice). This is our favorite soyrizo and the most affordable we have found: Cacique Soy Chorizo
Mexican Pasta Casserole
Gravy Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta, shells or elbow macaroni
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 TB taco seasoning (~1/3 packet)
- 9 oz soyrizo, crumbled
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 15 oz can of pinto beans
- 4 oz of vegan sour cream or vegan cream cheese
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- Black olives, avocado, jalapeños, sour cream (optional toppings)
Directions
- Boil water in a pot for the pasta. Add pasta and cook as normal. Drain with a colander.
- Over medium heat, add a splash of water or 1 TB oil. Add bell pepper and red onion. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally (~10 minutes).
- Add the soyrizo to one half of the pan and sprinkle the taco seasoning over the veggies. The cooking time of the soyrizo will depend on how soft/liquid-y it is. Cook for at least 5 minutes or until soyrizo is starting to brown before mixing together. Cook for longer if the soyrizo is still too soft and has not turned into crumbles yet.
- Stir salsa, cream cheese/sour cream, and chopped tomato into the pan.
- Add pinto beans and cooked pasta and mix.
- Pour the mixture into a baking dish and broil in the oven on High to crisp the top. Check after 3 minutes and remove if done to your liking.
- Serve with desired toppings, such as sour cream, hot sauce, olives, avocado, and cilantro.
* Sour cream/cream cheese can be left out for a lower calorie meal. Just note that the cream tames the spice level.
Nutrition Information (calculated using Cronometer) based on 1/4 of the casserole, using Cacique Soy Chorizo & Kite Hill plain cream cheese: 536 calories / 62 g carbs / 15.7 g fat / 24.5 g protein / 840.2 mg sodium / 12.7 g fiber
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