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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    Nov 22, 2017 · Modified: Feb 27, 2019 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    Nacho pasta bake

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    Total time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    4.86 from 7 votes
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    Nacho pasta bake - a creamy, spicy, vegetarian Mexican inspired pasta bake topped with tortilla chips and plenty of cheese!

    I do wonder what you must think of me sometimes. I put crisps in my avocado sandwiches. I make hot dogs topped with pizza. And now I'm putting tortilla chips on my pasta bake... I think I must just be entirely shameless. But as weird as it may seem, this nacho pizza bake really really works.

    Nacho pasta bake - a creamy, spicy, vegetarian Mexican inspired pasta bake topped with tortilla chips and plenty of cheese!

    My husband and I absolutely love nachos. Whenever we see them on a menu, we usually get a plate to share, with all the trimmings. But in an effort to make them a bit more appropriate for dinner, I thought I'd use them to top a pasta bake - with plenty of veggies, and black beans, and other more nutritious bits to (kind of?!) counteract the crisps.

    I like to tell myself it's no worse than topping a bake with breadcrumbs...

    Nacho pasta bake - a creamy, spicy, vegetarian Mexican inspired pasta bake topped with tortilla chips and plenty of cheese!

    The pasta underneath the nachos is coated in a creamy, spicy sauce. I added a bit of grated cheese underneath the nachos, as well as on top, so it melts and gets nice and gooey all through the pasta. If you're not into the nacho topping, to be honest the pasta would be great on its own as well, just topped with the grated cheese. But... nachos!

    By the way, I'm totally kicking myself for not serving my nacho pasta bake with guacamole, sour cream, etc - all my usual nacho toppers. I have no idea why I didn't think of that until now (is baby brain still a thing when your kid's 5 months old?). I'd recommend giving that a try, anyway. But this nacho pasta bake is great either way.

    Nacho pasta bake - a creamy, spicy, vegetarian Mexican inspired pasta bake topped with tortilla chips and plenty of cheese!

    Nacho Pasta Bake

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 730kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 350 g (~ 12oz) pasta
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 bell pepper, diced (I used orange)
    • 6 medium mushrooms, diced
    • 260 g (~ 1 ½ cups) tinned sweetcorn
    • 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 ¼ cups, when drained)
    • 400 g tinned tomatoes (~ 1 ⅓ cups)
    • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne chilli pepper
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • 2 tablespoon full fat cream cheese
    • 100 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 cup when grated)
    • 2 handfuls tortilla chips, slightly broken
    • To serve: guacamole, sour cream, fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)

    Instructions

    • Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, then drain.
    • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the pepper and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until fairly soft. Add the sweetcorn and black beans, along with the tin of tomatoes, spices, and plenty of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
    • When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce, and mix well. Transfer to a suitably sized baking dish.
    • Sprinkle over about ⅔ of the grated cheese, and top with the slightly broken tortilla chips. Add the remaining cheese, and bake at 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F) for about 15 minutes, or until the tortilla chips are golden brown and crispy. Serve topped with fresh chopped coriander (cilantro), with guacamole and sour cream on the side.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 730 kcal - Carbohydrates: 112.5 g - Protein: 27.3 g - Fat: 22.5 g - Saturated Fat: 8.2 g - Cholesterol: 35 mg - Sodium: 315 mg - Potassium: 775 mg - Fiber: 12 g - Sugar: 10.1 g - Calcium: 256 mg - Iron: 7 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

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    Comments

    1. Nicki Escudero says

      March 29, 2021 at 5:50 pm

      Another delicious recipe, Becca! I loved the variety of veggies in here and the protein from the black beans. I used a mix of bottom-of-the-bag tortilla chips and tortilla strips, and it was great! You're the best! Nicki5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        April 13, 2021 at 9:26 am

        Thank you lovely! Glad you enjoyed this one! :)

        Reply
    2. Candace says

      December 03, 2017 at 12:07 pm

      This looks so lovely. I've put crisps on top of bakes before but never nachos.

      Reply
    3. shaveta sharma says

      December 02, 2017 at 7:54 am

      wow looks yummy. I am also a chef from the India. I am a big fan of your recipes thanks for sharing lots of love from the India.5 stars

      Reply
    4. Nozomi Birmingham says

      November 27, 2017 at 11:20 am

      This really does look perfect for cold winter nights and the potato topping looks so tasty!4 stars

      Reply
    5. Jennifer Bliss says

      November 24, 2017 at 3:17 am

      I need to make a vegan version of this pronto! Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        December 05, 2017 at 9:34 am

        It would be really easy to veganise!

        Reply
    6. Annabel says

      November 22, 2017 at 2:33 pm

      I don't like ordinary crisps much, but I do like nachos! Definitely one to try.

      Reply
    7. Lauren says

      November 22, 2017 at 11:43 am

      Yum! I'm tempted to make like a Mexican cottage pie nacho topped thing after seeing this.

      Baby brain is DEFINITELY still a thing at 5 months - I still get it at 6 years sometimes!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        November 22, 2017 at 2:29 pm

        Ooh that sounds good too!

        Reply
    8. Helen Kennedy says

      November 22, 2017 at 10:11 am

      Nothing wrong with crisps in sandwiches! This sounds SO good, looking forward to trying it.5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        November 22, 2017 at 2:29 pm

        Thanks Helen :)

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

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