One Pot Black Bean Fajita Pasta

One pot black bean fajita pasta is creamy and delicious vegetarian pasta recipe. With bell peppers, onions, black beans and fajita seasonings, it's perfect for weeknight dinners or for meal prep.

One pot pasta is an absolute hero at our house. We love this Sun Dried Tomato White Bean Pasta and this One Pot Pasta with Chicken & Feta, but when we are craving something non-traditional, we go for this fajita pasta!

If you've never had it before, one pot pasta is going to knock your socks off. As the pasta simmers in the sauce, it absorbs SO much more flavor than if you cooked the sauce + pasta separately.

And this fajita pasta takes the 'easy' factor up a notch because you don't need to sautee anything...simply dump the ingredients into the pot and let it work its magic.

This also means you can assemble ahead as a freezer stovetop meal!

Recipe video

Want to see just how cheesy this fajita pasta is? Watch the 1-minute video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

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Let's talk ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this one pot pasta:

• Pasta- this recipe has been tested with several different shapes and works well with a variety of small shapes like rotini or fusili. Take the cook time as a guideline and adjust as needed when subbing different pasta shapes.
• Black beans- use canned or make your own with this Perfect Black Beans recipe
• Diced tomatoes- you can up the spice factor by using Rotel if you'd like
• Corn- fresh, frozen or canned will all work fine
• Veggies- sliced bell peppers and red onion
• Spices- chili powder, cumin, paprika and salt
• Lime- which sounds weird but brings balance to the flavors
• Cheese- I used Mozzarella but I bet Monterey Jack would be amazing in this recipe
• Stock- vegetable, chicken, bone broth, or even just water will work

Does gluten-free pasta work in this recipe?

Unfortunately I have not tested. If you give it a try, would you let us know in the comments below how it went for you?

Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?

I bet you could, but you might need to play with the water ratios. A good general rule is to *just* cover the pasta with water and use half the cook time that the box calls for. I hope to have some Instant Pot pasta recipes on the blog in the future!

Can I swap the pasta for rice? 

Check out my Instant Pot Black Bean Fiesta Rice Bowls. You can cook this on the stove top with double the water (20 minutes simmer + 10 minute rest)

More pasta recipes!

• One Pot Healthy Cajun Chicken Orzo
• One Pot White Bean Pasta with Leeks and Asparagus
• 19 Healthy One Pot Pasta Recipes
• Kale Chicken Pasta Salad
• One Pan Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

One Pot Black Bean Fajita Pasta

4.97 from 51 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

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One pot black bean fajita pasta is creamy and delicious vegetarian pasta recipe. With bell peppers, onions, black beans and fajita seasonings, it's perfect for weeknight dinners or for meal prep.

6 servings

Ingredients

To assemble ahead

• ▢ 2 bell peppers (sliced)
• ▢ ¼ cup red onion (sliced)
• ▢ 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (or 19 oz; both work well)
• ▢ 15 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed; or 19 oz)
• ▢ 7 oz can corn kernels (1 cup)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Add fresh when cooking

• ▢ 1 cup stock
• ▢ 2 cups small pasta shapes (6.5 oz; see note *)

Just before serving

• ▢ ½ lime (juiced; 1 tablespoon)
• ▢ 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Instructions 

• In a medium pot, combine all ingredients including pasta and stock. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
• Stir in the lime juice and mozzarella cheese, until evenly distributed and melted.
• (Optional) Serve with lime wedges and cilantro.

To assemble ahead:

• Combined all 'assemble ahead' ingredients in a large meal prep container or in a heavy duty freezer bag.
• Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
• If frozen, thaw completely before cooking as directed above. You may need to remove the pot lid during the last 5 minutes of cook time to allow the liquids to reduce.

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Tips:

Black beans can be replaced by two large chicken breasts cut into bite-sized cubes.

 

*this recipe was tested with rotini and fusili. Any small pasta shape should work, but adjust the cook time as needed if you do try a different one 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of batch, Calories: 305kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 1043mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 6g

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

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