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one ordinary bowl of fusilli, browned ground-beef crumbles and pinto beans in a pale green salsa-verde sauce with melted white Jack and a small amount of crushed tortilla chips on top, with no red tomato sauce, corn or garnish
Rachel Kim

Taco Pasta Skillet

Salsa verde gives this taco skillet a sharp green-chile sauce, with cumin, pinto beans and short fusilli making a substantial supper around one pound of beef. Use a salsa whose heat you already like. Cooking it with pasta softens its edge, but it won't make a very hot jar suddenly mild. Add crushed tortilla chips only after the Jack melts so they keep a little crunch instead of thickening the whole pan into taco filling.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup prepared salsa verde
  • 1 can 15 oz pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 10 oz dry fusilli
  • 2 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 cup water reserved as needed
  • 4 oz Monterey Jack grated
  • 1/2 cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips

Method
 

  1. Brown beef and onion in a deep 12-inch 5-quart saute pan over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, breaking up the meat and cooking to 160°F. Drain excess fat.
  2. Stir in cumin, oregano and garlic powder for 30 seconds. Add salsa verde, pinto beans, fusilli, broth and salt and bring to a simmer.
  3. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until pasta is tender; add reserved water in small amounts if the sauce dries too early.
  4. Remove from heat and fold in Monterey Jack until melted. Rest for 2 minutes so the sauce settles around the pasta.
  5. Divide between bowls and scatter the measured crushed chips over the portions immediately before eating.