Vegan “Hamburger Helper” Taco Pasta

Why you’ll love this recipe: This “Hamburger Helper” taco pasta gives you all the comfort of the nostalgic cheesy beef macaroni dish, but is completely vegetarian (or vegan). Make this simple weeknight dinner in 20 minutes!

I know this sounds impossible, given my long history with snack foods and junk food and other indulgences, but believe this. I never ate Hamburger Helper as a kid.

It’s true! We had a lot of Rice-a-Roni and other salty sides, and by the time I got to college I was a pro at making single servings of Stove Top stuffing as well as the ubiquitous ramen.

But for whatever reason, a beefy pasta noodle casserole wasn’t one of the regulars in our family dinner rotation.

That’s why it took me until now to make a homemade version of Hamburger Helper taco pasta, and boy, am I sad I waited so long.

How I Make My Taco Pasta

Of course, my version has to be a vegetarian one, using plant-based ground beef. But the flavors are the same—actually, better!—than the original.

You’ll still be spooning up a creamy, spiced tomato sauce that really does taste like you’re eating ground beef tacos with your macaroni.

It’s similar to my one-pot chili mac, which uses black beans and (optional) ground turkey. So if you like that recipe, you’ll love this too.

And you can make this comfortingly cheesy taco pasta dish completely vegan if you use dairy-free sour cream and cheese.

If You’re Making This Recipe Ahead of Time…

Because I make a full portion of taco pasta and save half for leftovers, I do things a little differently than a lot of other recipes here.

Instead of stirring the cheese and sour cream into the sauce in the pot, I like to top each bowl of pasta with its own portion and let everyone mix it in on their own.

When I reheat this dish, I feel like the gooey, creamy texture doesn’t have the same ooomph as when I stir it in fresh. So I leave those two ingredients out until each bowl is ready to be enjoyed.

But if you’re serving the entire recipe to four people all at once, feel free to add the full portion of cheese and sour cream before dividing it up between bowls. It’s your call.

If you decide not to add the cheese and sour cream, it’s also easy to make the beefy tomato sauce portion of this meal on its own and freeze it.

That way, you can boil up pasta whenever you want and have the sauce and toppings ready to go.

While packaged pasta meals won’t be part of our routine (unless we’re camping), I’ll happily put this homemade taco pasta on our family meal plan every month.

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Vegetarian Taco Pasta (Hamburger Helper-style)

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This "Hamburger Helper" taco pasta tastes even better than the nostalgic cheesy beef macaroni dish, and is completely vegetarian (or vegan).

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 12 ounces (340 grams) rotini or other chunky-shaped pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 (12-ounce) package Impossible or other plant-based ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons (60 grams) tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 (10-ounce) jar Ro-Tel
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend, Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 tablespoons sour cream

Instructions

1. Bring a medium (4- to 6-quart) pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt when boiling, then stir in the pasta.
2. While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a medium to large (5- to 7-quart) Dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add the plant-based beef and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up into smaller pieces.
4. When most of the pink color has cooked out of the meat, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes more.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and taco seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes until the tomato paste darkens in color.
6. Add the Ro-Tel and broth, scraping to dissolve any sticky bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, until thickened.
7. If the pasta is not yet al dente, cover the pan and reserve off heat.
8. When the pasta is al dente, drain and stir into the sauce, along with the scallions and cilantro.
9. Taste and add salt as needed.
10. Divide between 4 bowls and top each serving with about 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon sour cream.
11. Stir the cheese and sour cream into the pasta while it's hot.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 391Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1693mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 19g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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