Let’s talk easy, satisfying meals.
Pasta is definitely up there for me!
Not homemade homemade pasta of course—haven’t tackled that beast of a task yet.
We’re talking the convenient, store-bought variety!
Chickpea pasta in particular, but feel free to put your favorite short-cut shape to work.
Spaghetti might be a littlee weird considering the textures going on here, although I’ll let you be the judge of that!
So what’s the sauce!?
Sauteed green bell pepper (usually my least fave bell pepper, but they’re typically cheaper and it works!), earthy ground cumin, chili powder for a lil kick, canned diced tomatoes, sweet frozen corn, black beans, zesty lime juice, hot sauce of choice (Mexican/Southwestern food friendly… put that Sriracha away folks), herbaceous cilantro, nutty toasted pepitas, creamy diced avocado plus salt of course!
Grab a bowl then serve with more cilantro and lime wedges.
Because we’re big on flavor.
I highly recommend toasting up a couple handful of tortillas chips in a 425 degree oven for 5-6 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant.
On a baking sheet of course.
But you knew that…
Mmmmm.
P.S. You could certainly top your bowl o pasta off with Trader Joe’s vegan feta! Not exactly “Southwestern” butttt it’s kind of like cotija. Maybe. Sorta. Not really. It tastes good at least! ha.
P.P.S. It’s not exactly easy to score good natural lighting for photos this time of year but I’m doing my best. Sigh.
Vegan Southwestern Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 cup short cut pasta (I use Banza Rotini chickpea pasta)
- 1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder (or to taste)
- 2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup frozen corn
- 1/3 cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- Hot sauce, to taste (I used Cholula)
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon toasted pepitas
- 1/2 cup diced avocado (about 1/3 medium-large avocado)
- Salt, to taste
For Serving
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
- Toasted tortilla chips
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions—I cook Banza Rotini for about 7 minutes. If using Banza, drain then rinse under cool water. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a medium-large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the green bell peppers. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cumin and chili powder, then cook one minute more. Stir in the canned tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime, and hot sauce. Simmer for two minutes over medium-low, or until hot.
- Fold in your cooked pasta, stirring and cooking for one more minute, then fold in the cilantro, pepitas, avocado, and salt. Taste and adjust the ingredients if you'd like.
- Spoon into a bowl, and top with more cilantro if you wish. Serve with lime wedges and toasted tortilla chips.