Creamy Ninja Foodi Taco Pasta

Ninja Foodi taco pasta is so delicious! Creamy cheesy noodles packed with sausage and diced tomatoes. This easy one pot comfort food meal takes our Instant Pot taco casserole to a whole new level using both the pressure cooker and air fryer functions.

Cheesy Ninja Foodi Taco Pasta

If you use a roll of spicy ground sausage it really takes this meal over the top with tons of flavor. Even the kids said this was a winner winner pressure cooker dinner. You could use ground beef instead if you didn’t want any heat but I suggest the other.

As far as the noodles use what you like. I have made this with shells, elbow macaroni and penne as you see here. Whatever is on sale is typically what I throw in there.

Ninja Foodi Taco Casserole

The first step is the same as our Instant Pot taco pasta where you set your pot to saute and add your sausage, onions and a bit of olive oil to brown. Of course you don’t have to include onions but they will soften and the kids won’t be the wiser. You could also add some diced bell peppers if you wanted at this point. 

We’re going to cook our meat until the outsides are no longer pink. Yes you could substitute for ground beef or turkey if you’d like. I HIGHLY recommend ground spicy sausage though because then you really don’t need any other seasonings. It’s packed with tons of flavor as is. If you have only done the normal Ninja Foodi butter noodles before, you’re in for a treat.

The best is to use fresh or thawed proteins for sure. I do show you how to thaw ground beef in a pressure cooker though in case that is all you have at home. It will take a bit more time to defrost but a lot faster than if you were to sit in a bowl of cool water in the sink.

Ninja Foodi Taco Pasta Ingredients

• Ground sausage – spicy is great, or use half regular, half spicy
  • or ground beef / ground turkey
• Taco seasoning packet or make homemade taco seasoning
• Noodles medium size like shells or penne work well
• Olive oil will help you brown the meat in the first step
• Diced tomatoes – I like petite versions
• Beef broth is better than water to add more flavor
• Sour Cream dollop is great at the end
• Cheese we add at the end to melt on top

Onions go in everything I make, this and I dice some fine into our air fryer macaroni and cheese. Slice them larger or dice smaller just for taste. Up to you entirely. Use salt and pepper to taste. Diced chives are optional to add to the top when you’re serving this up.

How do You Make a Ninja Foodi Casserole?

• Turn machine to saute onions and ground sausage
• Add can of diced tomatoes and seasonings
• Sprinkle your uncooked noodles over the top of this layer, do not stir.
• Close your pressure cooker for 4 minutes.
• Do a quick release, set to saute again.
• Stir in sour cream and 3/4 c of cheese melted and thickens
• Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c. cheese on top and close air fryer lid.
• Press air crisp 400 degrees for 3 minutes

This is very similar to the one made in an Instant Pot except you can air crisp another layer of cheese on the very top. The reason you don’t stir is that it can trigger an inaccurate burn notice to occur. We have a ton of other pressure cooker pasta recipes you can try after you thoroughly enjoy this one like our cheesy Ninja Foodi spaghetti.

And if you weren’t aware, you can use just about any Instant Pot recipe in your Foodi as well. It works the same way with the pressure cook function anyway. So let’s be clear. We aren’t counting calories on this recipe. Just enjoy it will ya’.

How do you make dairy free taco pasta?

Certainly, there are always options as far as dairy products go. Nowadays you can find most ingredients with a lactose free option. That is what I typically focus on and haven’t had an issue. Daiya has great shredded plant based cheeses which I recommend for this and our Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese.

What is a good replacement for sour cream?

You can mix coconut cream or the thick part of coconut milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Adjust the acidity to taste. Chill in the refrigerator to thicken. Blend 1 cup of silken tofu with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt until smooth.

Million Dollar Cheesy Taco Pasta in Ninja Foodi

This is another name for this popular dinner idea. Other Ninja Foodi recipes you should try once you find that this one is the bomb are:

• Instant Pot taco soup is another Mexican meal to make in this
• Ninja Foodi hot dogs – or make ’em into chili dogs
• Pressure cooker chicken tacos are the bomb too