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.
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...
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
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 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
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Nicki Escudero says
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! Nicki
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Thank you lovely! Glad you enjoyed this one! :)
Candace says
This looks so lovely. I've put crisps on top of bakes before but never nachos.
shaveta sharma says
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.
Nozomi Birmingham says
This really does look perfect for cold winter nights and the potato topping looks so tasty!
Jennifer Bliss says
I need to make a vegan version of this pronto! Thanks for the inspiration!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
It would be really easy to veganise!
Annabel says
I don't like ordinary crisps much, but I do like nachos! Definitely one to try.
Lauren says
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!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Ooh that sounds good too!
Helen Kennedy says
Nothing wrong with crisps in sandwiches! This sounds SO good, looking forward to trying it.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thanks Helen :)