This Southwestern Pasta with Ground Beef and Corn is an easy family dinner with pasta, diced tomatoes, chipotle pepper, green chiles, and parmesan.
What could be better than a big ole pot of pasta with meat and tomato sauce? How about a big ole pot of Southwestern Pasta with Ground Beef, Corn, and Green Chile-Chipotle-Tomato Sauce! The sauce is thick and hearty with ground beef and chunky tomatoes. Then flavor bombs chipotle peppers in adobo, green chiles, and lots of smokey and spicy seasonings are added to bring in the warmth and a slight kick of heat. Corn kernels are added for a pop of sweet and texture, and grated Parmesan thickens up the sauce and adds creaminess. Finally, Pappardelle is mixed in and buttery toasted breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top for crunch.
You can make the sauce ahead and mix in the pasta right before serving for dinner on a busy weekend! Your family will love it.
WHAT MAKES THIS SOUTHWESTERN?
Southwestern cuisine is an adaptation of Mexican cuisine that you will typically find in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. It is similar to Tex-Mex which is also an adaptation of Mexican food.
Some of the common ingredients in Southwestern cuisine are chile peppers, corn, and beans. So, what makes this Pasta with Ground Beef Southwestern is honestly a loose interpretation of the cuisine. It’s the addition of the corn, the green chiles and the chipotle peppers in adobo. It’s not true Mexican, though Mexican was an inspiration. And it’s not Italian, though it was also a big inspiration. It’s a mash-up recipe which is how Southwestern cuisine evolved to begin with.
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EQUIPMENT NEEDED
For this recipe, you will need a large pot for cooking the pasta and a large pot or deep pan for the sauce. I used my dutch oven which is perfect for browning the beef, building the sauce, and then mixing in the pasta.
Oh, and mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
PREP-AHEAD STEPS FOR SOUTHWESTERN PASTA WITH GROUND BEEF
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
For this recipe, you can make the sauce entirely ahead! However, assuming that you just want to get ahead before cooking, then you can prep all of the ingredients for the sauce. Open the cans of tomatoes, chiles, and paste. Mince the garlic cloves and the chipotle peppers. Measure out all ingredients and add to a bowl for adding to the cooked beef. Store ingredients in the fridge if doing this ahead of time.
Next, you can husk the corn and remove any corn silk. Using a large knife, cut the kernels from the cob.
Last, using the back of the knife, scrape down the cob to remove any remaining kernels and the corn ‘milk’. Save all corn removed in the fridge until ready to add to the sauce.
COOK YOUR SOUTHWESTERN SAUCE
If you are cooking the sauce right before serving it, then you can start first by getting the pasta water going. If you’re making the sauce ahead to reheat later, no need to worry about the pasta right now.
The sauce all cooks in one big pot, starting with the ground beef and then adding the rest of the ingredients.
Once the tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles, minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo, Beef broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper are in the pot, stir and bring to a light boil. Then reduce the heat down to lowest setting, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, you can toast the breadcrumbs.
When there is just 2-3 minutes left in the sauce cooking time, remove the cover and add the corn. Stir to combine. Then cover again. At the end of the 20 minutes, stir in the parmesan cheese.
Boil the pasta until al dente. Using a Pasta spoon or tongs, transfer the cooked pasta directly from the cooking water to the meat sauce. Gently toss to combine.
RECIPE FAQS
How far in advance can I make this?
The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored sealed in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze this sauce?
Yes, though I recommend freezing it without the pasta and adding fresh-cooked pasta when you thaw and reheat it. To freeze the sauce, first cool it down in the fridge. Then transfer the sauce to a freezer bag or storage container and seal it airtight. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, you can thaw in the fridge 24 hours ahead. Then reheat it in a bot on the stove, covered, on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
Can I use frozen corn kernels?
Yes, of course! Just add them frozen to the sauce just as instructed for the fresh. The frozen will thaw and warm in the same time the fresh will take to cook.
Can I substitute Ground Chicken or Turkey?
Yes, ground chicken or turkey can very easily be substituted into this recipe. Cook according to the same instructions as the ground beef.
ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Southwestern Pasta with Ground Beef and Corn
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef I used 90% lean
- 1 teaspoon Extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 ounces Diced Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 4 ounces Green Chiles
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons minced)
- 1 tablespoon Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, minced
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
Final Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Corn Cob or 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 12 ounces Fettuccine Pasta, uncooked
- ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Butter, salted
Instructions
Prep-Ahead Steps
- MEASURE. Open the cans of tomatoes, chiles, and paste. Mince the garlic cloves and the chipotle peppers. Measure out all ingredients and add to a bowl for adding to the cooked beef. Store ingredients in the fridge if doing this ahead of time.
- PREP CORN. Husk the corn and remove any corn silk. Using a large knife, cut the kernels from the cob. Last, using the back of the knife, scrape down the cob to remove any remaining kernels and the corn 'milk'. Save all corn removed in the fridge until ready to add to the sauce.
Cooking Steps
- PASTA WATER. Fill a wide/large pot with 6-8 cups of water for the pasta. Heat on high to bring to a boil for dropping the pasta after the meat sauce is ready.
- COOK BEEF. Preheat a dutch oven or large and deep pot/pan on high heat. Add the olive oil and the ground beef. Break the beef up with a spatula and then let it cook, stirring every few minutes to break it up and brown on all sides. Should take about 8 minutes for all pink to be gone.
- COOK SAUCE. Once the beef is cooked, add all of the other Meat Sauce Ingredients – tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles, minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo, Beef broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to a light boil. Then reduce the heat down to lowest setting, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- CORN & PARMESAN. When there is just 2-3 minutes left in the sauce cooking time, remove the cover and add the corn. Stir to combine. Then cover again. At the end of the 20 minutes, stir in the parmesan cheese.
- PASTA. Once the pasta water is boiling (but no sooner than 5 minutes remaining on the meat sauce cooking time!), add a splash of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and stir so that it all is immersed in the water and doesn't stick it itself. Boil the pasta until al dente. Using a Pasta spoon or tongs, transfer the cooked pasta directly from the cooking water to the meat sauce. Gently toss to combine.
- BREADCRUMBS. Preheat a small pan on medium-low heat. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly, just until they start to brown.
- SERVE. Serve the Southwestern Beef and Corn Pasta on a platter or individual plates. Garnish with the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Enjoy!
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