This black bean pasta is the perfect choice for those nights when you want a treat that has loads of protein. Easy to make in just 25 minutes, this pasta dish is chock-full of veggies and a real crowd-pleaser!
This black bean pasta is loaded with flavor and also a quick and easy way to boost your protein intake in a delicious way.
To make this black bean pasta sauce, you only need basic pantry ingredients such as canned black beans, crushed tomatoes, and herbs.
I also like to add veggies for extra flavor and nutrients, and you can easily customize the sauce as you like by adding sweet corn, mushrooms or any other veggies you want.
Why you'll love this black bean pasta
- Super easy to make — This pasta dish is super easy to make using very simple ingredients, and you can have it on the table in 25 minutes.
- Full of protein — Black beans are an excellent way to boost your protein intake while enjoying a bowl of pasta.
- Budget-friendly — All the ingredients you need to make this pasta dish are affordable and readily available.
Ingredients and substitutions
Olive oil — You only need a bit of olive oil to saute the veggies. This step sets up an excellent flavor base for the pasta sauce. If you don't cook with oil, you can saute the veggies in a bit of vegetable stock instead.
Onion, carrot and bell pepper — This veggie trio infuses the sauce with loads of flavor and nutrients. You can also add some diced celery.
Garlic — Freshly chopped or minced garlic is perfect in this sauce, but if you don't have any on hand, some garlic powder or garlic paste would also work.
Fresh herbs — I used a mix of fresh rosemary and thyme to flavor this pasta dish. You can substitute with 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and dried thyme each or use 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix.
Red chili flakes — Feel free to adjust the amount of red chili flakes to make the pasta as fiery as you like.
Tomato paste + crushed tomatoes — I find that using concentrated tomato paste and crushed tomatoes results in the best flavor for this sauce. Diced tomatoes are another option if you don't mind little tomato chunks in your sauce.
Black beans — Canned black beans are perfect in this sauce as they're convenient and don't require extra cooking.
Pasta — I used fusilli, but any other type of short pasta would be perfect with this sauce.
How to make black bean pasta sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and saute the onion, carrot and red bell pepper for 5-6 minutes on medium heat until softened.
Add the garlic, rosemary, fresh thyme, red chili flakes and salt and continue to cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, black beans and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water.
Bring to a boil, then cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
If you want the sauce to be thicker, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well to cover in sauce.
Stir in the fresh parsley, season to taste and serve immediately.
Leftovers and storage
- Any leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat the pasta in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a bit of vegetable stock if the pasta has soaked up too much of the liquid.
- If you want to freeze this black bean pasta sauce, it's best to do so without the pasta. Allow the sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe notes and tips
- Add some extra beans such as red kidney, pinto beans, or crispy bits of tofu to increase the protein content even more.
- Make the sauce cheesy by stirring in some vegan shredded cheddar.
- Use a taco seasoning mix instead of fresh herbs for a Mexican-inspired flavor.
If you liked this black bean pasta sauce, you might also like some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:
- Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce
- Vegan Leek and Mushroom Pasta
- Easy Hummus Pasta
- Vegan White Bean Pasta Sauce
- Vegan Lemon Garlic Pasta with Kale
Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Black Bean Pasta
This black bean pasta is the perfect choice for those nights when you want a treat that has loads of protein. Easy to make in just 25 minutes, this pasta dish is chock-full of veggies and a real crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz (250 g) pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can (400 g /14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (400 g /14 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and sauté the onion, carrot and red bell pepper for 5-6 minutes on medium heat until softened.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, fresh thyme, red chili flakes and salt and continue to cook for another minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, black beans and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water.
- Bring to a boil, then cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- If you want the sauce to be thicker, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well to cover in sauce.
- Stir in the fresh parsley, season to taste and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 536mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 13gSugar: 8gProtein: 15g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Katrina
If I wanted to make this in one skillet, could I just add more water and uncooked pasta? If so, how much water? Thanks in advance!
Paris
Pasta is always cooked separately!
Kimi
First of all I’ve not made this yet, but I’ve made several pasta cook in recipes. I’ve noticed that a 500gr bag of pasta to 6 and 3/4 cups of water/stock works for me. It’s the same volume of pasta to water. Just keep an eye on it to ensure the fluid is enough.
HTH