Tex-Mex Plant-Based Protein Pasta Bake
with Mexican Cheese Blend, Monterey Jack & Scallions
- Wheat
- Milk
Dinner comes together in a snap thanks to this throw-it-all-together Southwestern-spiced pasta bake that stars hearty, spicy plant-based protein. A blend of Mexican-style cheeses melts together with cream cheese for a velvety sauce that clings perfectly to twisty cavatappi, creating a hearty, gooey landing for a topping of Monterey Jack (that’s right, even more cheese—don’t say we didn’t warn you!) and crisp, zingy sprinkle of scallion greens.
Ingredients
6 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Long Green Pepper
2 unit
Scallions
8 ounce
Tex-Mex Ground Plant-Based Protein
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
½ cup
Mexican Cheese Blend
(Contains: Milk)
¼ cup
Monterey Jack Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain.
• While pasta cooks, core and dice green pepper into ½-inch pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add green pepper and scallion whites; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. • Add plant-based protein* and cook, stirring, until veggies are browned, 2-3 minutes more. TIP: If plant-based protein starts popping, cover pan with a lid.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer plant-based protein mixture to a large bowl. Add cream cheese, Mexican cheese blend, and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings); toss to combine. • Add drained cavatappi to bowl; toss to evenly coat. TIP: If needed, stir in more pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce.
• Transfer pasta mixture to an 8-by-8- inch baking dish (9-by-13-inch baking dish for 4 servings); evenly sprinkle with Monterey Jack. • Bake on top rack until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling, 3-5 minutes.
• Top pasta bake with scallion greens. Divide between plates or serve family style directly from dish.
Plant-based protein is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165º.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the plant-based protein's taste, finding it surprisingly flavorful and similar to beef 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, though some found the cooking times for pasta and peppers needed adjustment.
- Suggestions: Consider adding extra spices, hot sauce, or cherry tomatoes for more flavor and brightness.
- Portions: Some felt the protein-to-pasta ratio was off; a few wanted more pasta or protein.
- Texture: A few found the dish slightly dry; adding more sauce or reserving extra pasta water could help.
Reviews from our home cooks
Really appreciate the plant-based meat substitute! The spicing of this Tex-Mex flavored meat substitute was good, too. Used all of the cheese in the dish and added some extra from my fridge for topping, because there is never enough cheese provided for either taste or texture.
Loved the plant based protein and the spice in this dish and the portion size was great
I like the Tex mex. The plant based was fun but it would have been better with hamburger meat for more substance. More sauce was needed as well. Saving the pasta water was not clear to me until that step was finished.
Wonderful dish. I appreciate the addition of plant protein which make it a heartier dish. I also like the long green pepper instead of jalapeño.
I LOVED the plant based protein Hello Fresh used to use from the Blue Butcher (both last year and earlier this year). But now they only seem to carry this "Plantly" "tex mex" one, which I don't really like. The problem I have with it, is that it's too spicy/smoky and the taste gets CLOYING after a while. I also did not use the spicy pepper in this recipe and instead used a regular one. I also added peas. But I had to add a LOT of water (and some maple syrup to sweeten) to make this edible at all. I loved the pasta and both cheeses, but the hot pepper and the new plant based meat are a "no" from me.
Delicious, I'm already craving more. I can't even tell the protein is plant based. And you get a good amount of food for 2 people.
This was delicious!!! Had such great flavor. Really loved the plant based protein, definitely one of my favorites.
Ration of protein to pasta was off. Needed more protein.
It was easy to make, and I used a slightly smaller than 8x8 baking dish (8x6.5).
The oven "bake" part was a presentation step I skipped. The cheese melted just fine over the hot pasta on the stove and I greedily ate every bite!!
