Easy One-Pot Vegan Chili Mac

Chili meets pasta in this easy one-pot vegan chili mac to create a protein-packed dish that's budget-friendly and super satisfying. It's a perfect weeknight meal for those days when all you want is a bowl of comfort food without too much effort.

I love pasta and beans/legumes combos because you can get your carbs and proteins in the same bowl for a nutritious, effortless meal. I have more than one such recipe on rotation, like this creamy pasta e fagioli, for example, or this minestra di ceci if I want something filling and delicious for dinner.

This easy one-pot vegan chili mac is a file from the same playbook, but it's similar to mac and cheese instead of being a soup. It's a warming and flavourful one-pot dish with a mix of black beans, kidney beans, sweetcorn, lots of spices and finished off with vegan grated cheese.

You don't need to cook the pasts separately to make this vegan chili pasta — it all goes in the same pot, and it's ready in about 30 minutes for a speedy dinner the entire family will enjoy.

What do you need to make it?

Beans — I use a mix of red kidney beans and black beans to make this vegan chili mac and cheese, but you can use other beans if you want, like pinto or adzuki beans.

Pasta — Elbow pasta is the perfect choice for this one pot chili mac, because what's a mac and cheese without it? However, you can use any other short type of pasta you have on hand. For a really healthy chili mac, opt for protein pasta or whole wheat pasta.

Spices — I add a mix of chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, and the result is a rather spicy vegan chili mac. You can tone it down to suit your taste or make it even fierier with extra cayenne pepper or even some red chilli flakes.

Cheese — The grated cheese from Violife is my go-to option because it melts great, but you can use any shredded vegan cheese you like.

How do you make vegan chili mac?

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan and saute the onion for 4-5 minutes until translucent.

• Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for another minute until fragrant, carefully not to burn the spices.
• Next, add the tomato paste, passata, red kidney beans, black beans and corn and pour the stock on top. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 7-8 minutes.
• Stir in the pasta and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Add the vegan cheese and stir well until it melts. Season to taste, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes, and serve warm.

Extra recipe tips

• You can use dry beans that you simmer yourself instead of canned if you have the time.
• This recipe makes quite a big pot of chili mac, but the good news is that the leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
• Make it oil-free by cooking the onions and garlic in a bit of vegetable stock or even water.
• The exact timing for cooking the pasta varies according to the shape you use. Make sure you don't overcook the pasta — it should be al dente.

If you liked this easy one-pot vegan chili mac, have a look at some of my other tasty pasta recipes:

Vegan Pasta alla Norma

Vegan Caponata Pasta

Creamy Vegan Peanut Pasta

Vegan Spicy Miso Pasta

Tofu Bolognese

Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Walnuts (Tagliatelle ai Funghi)

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