Southwestern Pasta loaded with beans, corn, onion, peppers and flavored with taco seasoning! Made in the Instant Pot, this makes an easy weeknight meal for busy days!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil (22 ml)
  • 3-4 large garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1/2 jalapeño (de-seeded and chopped)
  • 1 small red onion (chopped)
  • 1 cup black beans (from a can)
  • 1/3 cup sweet corn (I used frozen corn)
  • 1 medium red pepper (sliced)
  • 2 teaspoons taco seasoning (or to taste)
  • 1 cup water (8 oz)
  • 8 oz penne pasta (I used whole wheat, around 3 cups penne pasta)
  • 1.5 cups pasta sauce (12 oz, I used Rao's marinara sauce)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (+ more to garnish)
  • 3/4 cup Mexican cheese blend (shredded)
  • diced avocados (to serve, optional)

Method

  1. Press the saute button on the instant pot. And then press the adjust button to set saute to "less". Once it displays hot, add the olive oil. Then add the garlic, jalapeño, red onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and fragrant.
  2. Add the black beans, sweet corn, red pepper. Then add the taco seasoning and mix.
  3. Stir in 1 cup water, followed by pasta and pasta sauce. Do not stir after adding the pasta sauce. You can spread it though over the pasta using a spatula.
  4. Add salt and close the pot. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes (I will probably do 4 minutes if using regular pasta in place of whole wheat). Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.
  5. Open the pot and stir everything together. Add the cilantro and mix. Also add the cheese and stir until it melts.
  6. Cover the pasta with a lid for 2 to 3 minutes for all the flavors to mix in together after adding the cheese.
  7. Serve southwestern pasta with more cilantro and avocados!

Stove-top Instructions

  1. Boil pasta according to instructions on the package. You can reserve some pasta water (around 1/4 cup) to thin out the sauce later.
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook the garlic, onion, jalapeno for 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the beans, corn and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes and then add the taco seasoning. Cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Add in the boiled pasta and pasta sauce. Mix everything together. You can add reserved water from boiling pasta at this point if the sauce looks thick. Add the cilantro and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Serve pasta with cilantro and avocados.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.