Easy Chilli Pasta Bake Recipe - Comfort Food Dinner

Comfort food recipes are back on the menu! And our hearty easy chilli pasta bake recipe is ticking all the boxes.

Why You'll Just LOVE Chilli Pasta Bake

Absolutely Delicious! Chilli and pasta are our two favorite dinners combined, then throw on some cheese? What's not to LOVE?

Super easy recipe - if there's one thing we're there for it's EASY dinner recipes (that taste great)

You can add in extras - you can swap and change the ingredients, or add in any extras you fancy so that this chilli pasta bake is exactly how you like to eat it.

Chilli Pasta Bake Recipe 

Serves - 4

Prep Time – 10 minutes

Cook Time – 50 minutes

Total Time – 1 hour

Our Most Popular Alternative – Bolognese Pasta Bake

Equipment Needed 

• Chopping board
• Vegetable knife
• Large oven and hob safe skillet pan with a lid
• Teaspoon
• American measuring cups
• Wooden spoon or cooking spoon
• Cheese grater

Chilli Pasta Bake Ingredients 

Everything you'll need to make a delicious chilli pasta bake casserole for dinner.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion - diced
• 1lb (450g) ground beef (minced beef)
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 16oz (400g) can kidney beans
• 14oz (400G) can crushed tomatoes (passata)
• 11oz (300g) dried pasta - we use fusilli
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese - shredded
• ¼ cup jalapeño slices

How To Make Chilli Pasta Bake 

It's super easy to make our tasty chilli con carne pasta bake - easy enough for weeknights!

Step One - make the chilli con carne

• Add the olive oil to the pan, gently fry the onions for 5 minutes.
• Then tip in the ground beef and fry until the meat browns.

• Next, add in the tomatoes, chilli powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano and garlic powder. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Then, tip in the kidney beans.

• Bring the pan to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes.

Step Two - cook the fusilli pasta

• After the chilli sauce has been cooking for 10 minutes, cook the pasta as per the packet instructions - then drain using a colander and set to one side.

Step Three - preheat the oven

• Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C - grab our handy oven temperature conversion chart here - with free printable to keep in the kitchen here.

Step Four - make up the chill pasta bake

• Then make up the pasta bake - toss the pasta with the chilli con carne, and tip into a casserole dish (if you're not using a skillet pan that's hob and oven safe)

• Scatter the top of the chilli pasta bake with grated cheddar cheese and dot on the sliced jalapeno.

Step Five - bake the chilli pasta bake

• Bake in the hot oven for around 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and turning golden.

Step Six - serve

• Remove the chilli pasta bake from the oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes then serve with your favourite side dishes.

Get All Our Casserole Recipes Here

What To Serve With Chilli Pasta Bake 

Chilli pasta casserole bake goes great with salads, cooked veggies or garlic breads.

• Tomato And Cucumber Salad
• Red Cabbage Slaw
• Air Fryer Corn On The Cob
• Herby Diced Potatoes
• Homemade Garlic Bread

Get More Mexican Recipes Here

Find More Pasta Bake Recipes Here

Recipe Tips Straight From Our Kitchen 

How To Store Leftovers 

Cool any leftovers quickly (within an hour of making) and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day.

How To Reheat Leftovers 

When reheating leftover pasta you can do this in a saucepan on the hob - it's often helpful to add a splash of water when reheating pasta, to loosen it up. Make sure that pasta is heated through properly to a minimum of 75C all the way through. And only reheat it once.

Get food safety tips for reheating pasta here

Ingredient Swaps And Add-Ins 

Make it gluten free - you can easily convert this dish to gluten free - just swap the wheat pasta for a gluten free variety and double check that all other ingredients used are labelled as gluten-free too.

Make it vegetarian - swap the ground beef for your favourite plant-based variety.

Add in extra vegetables - want more veggies? Load it up - try adding mushrooms, a can of sweetcorn, shredded carrots even a can of lentils.

Need Some Family Meal Ideas?

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Love Our Chilli Pasta Bake? Here's More Easy Ground Beef Recipes To Make For Dinner 

• Spicy Spaghetti Bolognese
• Dirty Rice
• Mexican Cottage Pie