Southwestern Pasta with Ground Beef and Corn
Get ready for BIG flavor with this 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 is the perfect vehicle for carrying all of this goodness. 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.
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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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SERVE. Serve the Southwestern Beef and Corn Pasta on a platter or individual plates. Garnish with the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Enjoy!