I love one pot pasta dishes more than just about anything. Today I’m bringing you a fusion version! This vegan one pot taco spaghetti tastes like a delicious tempeh taco in pasta form.
One box of spaghetti can make two batches of this taco pasta, so you’ll be stocked up for two weekday dinners!While it is an Italian favorite, I love to use pasta as a base for recipes that borrow flavors from all sorts of cuisines. In this recipe, spaghetti is the blank canvas for the spicy taco-inspired flavors that I’ve added. It cooks to a perfect al dente texture that pairs well with the tempeh crumbles, tomatoes and peppers.
I know there is already a one pot taco spaghetti going around the web – this is my vegan version. Because tempeh is not as naturally rich as the ground meat in the “original” version, I made sure to brown it in plenty of olive oil. I also added a splash of non-dairy milk to the pasta sauce, to give it a slight creaminess to make up for the lack of cheese.
I think you’ll find that between the wonderfully aromatic spice blend, veggies, fire-roasted tomatoes, and soy sauce (used for additional umami), you won’t miss the meat or dairy in this vegan taco pasta!
One Pot Taco Spaghetti
Ingredients
For the tempeh:
- 8 oz. tempeh grated, crumbled or finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
For the taco seasoning:
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (or other chili powder)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
For the one pot taco spaghetti:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 2 and 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 14 oz. diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
- chopped fresh cilantro and additional diced red onion (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, toss together the tempeh, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Add all of the taco seasoning ingredients to the bowl and stir well.
- In a large, wide pan - preferably nonstick - heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced red onion with a pinch of salt, and stir well. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the onion is browning slightly. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the tempeh mixture and diced bell pepper to the pan. Continue to cook until the spices are fragrant and the tempeh is starting to brown.
- Add the vegetable broth, non-dairy milk, tomato paste, nutritional yeast (if using), fire-roasted tomatoes, and spaghetti to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir it as best you can, and then reduce it to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes (timing will depend on pan size and exact temperature), stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente. If excess liquid remains, continue to simmer with the lid removed until thickened. If the mixture dries up before the pasta is cooked, add more broth as needed.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, chopped fresh tomato, and/or chopped red onion if desired. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious and AllRecipes. Don’t forget to check out my whole collection of vegan one pot recipes!
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Marie-Eve says
This was awesome and unanimously approved by the kids! They want it next week 😂
Susie DiVietro says
Yum!! Just made this for the second time and it’s delicious! I use the Banza chickpea pasta and throw in a few handfuls of baby spinach at the end. Fast, healthy, and tasty! This is now in my regular rotation. Thank you!
Aimee Brimmer says
This was good and I would make it again.. I did have to double the majority of the spices, although I do realize that everyone’s tastes are different. Next time, I think I might use rotini pasta or some other shape. I think it would be fun and a bit easier to stir. I kinda made a mess with the spaghetti, lol!
banana says
I made this with rice instead of spaghetti because… well, I don’t remember why, but I used rice instead, and it was amazing. I will definitely make it again multiple times with spaghetti or rice.
Kris says
This was incredibly good. I live somewhat remote and our little store did not have tempeh so I used a vegan ground crumble. I am an overworked RN and needed something quick, healthy, and that would provide me and my husband leftovers for our next day lunches. This fit the bill. Will certainly bookmark it and make it again. Shared with my vegan friend.
Cheryl says
Loved it, full of flavour. So easy to make!
Amanda Gingrich says
I made this meal for my very skeptical husband and he LOVED it! It was so delicious and pretty easy to cook!
Rachael says
I just made this for dinner, it was so good! Even my husband who does not like Tempeh gobbled it all up! I didn’t put any non-dairy milk in as I didn’t have any and it still tasted great. Cooking the pasta in the same pot is such a great idea, the sauce gets evenly distributed and one less pan to wash up!
Patti says
I don’t eat soy, so what could be substituted for the tempeh?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I think one good substitute would be chopped toasted walnuts. I know that sounds a little strange but they’d have the rich texture and umami flavor that the tempeh provides.
Isadora Guidoni says
With that first picture, I knew this recipe was delicious. I can’t wait to try it myself!!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
I love the sound of this! It’s different to spaghetti recipes I’ve had before 🙂