Southwestern Black Bean Pasta – A Guest Post

A Guest Post from Katie @ GoodLife{eats}

This is a great inexpensive meal to serve that is full of flavor and texture. I made this a lot in my early married days when money was not as abundant as it is now. Even while my husband was in graduate school, I still found the resources to experiment creatively on a budget. Black beans are my favorite bean to have on hand in the pantry. There are so many yummy meals and sides that can be made using them.

This is still a meal we enjoy today. It is super fast to put together and great for nights when you want to go meatless. Use whatever pasta you like, but we prefer medium shells, rotini, or gemelli. If you’d like to add a little heat, a tablespoon of roasted green chili would be an excellent addition.

Southwestern Black Bean Pasta

1 – 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 – 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if desired
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Lime wedges, grated Monterrey jack cheese, and cilantro for garnish
1/2 pound pasta

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onion sauté for 5 minutes, until tender. Add the chopped bell peppers and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, and then add the garlic and the spices and sauté 1 more minute. Stir in the beans and tomato sauce.

Let the sauce simmer over low while you prepare the pasta, about 20 minutes. Stir the prepared pasta into the sauce. Taste for flavor and add additional salt if you’d like. Serve topped with a lime wedge for squeezing, Monterrey jack cheese, and chopped cilantro

Note: Sauce can be made in advance and frozen.

More black bean recipes you might enjoy:
Black Bean Breakfast Burritos
Quinoa Taco Salad
Chicken, Black Bean, and Spinach Enchiladas
Black Bean and Zucchini Nachos
Crispy Black Bean Tacos

–Katie Goodman believes that part of the goodness in life is sharing good food with friends and family. She’s a SAHM determined to make family meal time a priority while providing a variety of healthy and delicious food choices. Katie blogs at Good Life Eats, where she shares what she finds good in the kitchen and in life. Katie also contributes to Paula Deen Online and Craftzine.


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