This Easy Cheesy Veggie Pasta with Black Beans has become a new weeknight dinner staple at our house. It’s the perfect solution to the dinner question, especially when you’ve already hit the witching hour and you need something quick. You can have this on the table in less than 30 minutes, and chances are you have everything you need in the fridge and pantry already.
The kids like this meal because it’s pasta and it’s cheesy. I like this meal because it’s veggies and it’s easy. It’s a winner on all fronts!
A Quick and Easy Recipe to Solve the Dinnertime Dilemma
With school back in session and a new baby in the house, dinner keeps sneaking up on me. I’m packing lunches, carpooling, feeding baby, doing laundry, and then BOOM! Dinner Time! Suddenly, or so it seems, everyone is hungry all at once, bedtime is just around the corner, and I’m standing in front of the fridge wondering what comes next. You all know what I’m talking about, right? The weeknight dinner dilemma.
Gathering everyone around the table at the end of the day is important to me. Making sure everyone has a healthy, nourishing meal every day is also important to me. So, while a quick delivery pizza can sometimes be the answer to the weeknight dinner dilemma, most of the time, I need to get busy in the kitchen!
I make the vegetarian version of this when I’ve hit the weeknight rush because it’s even faster if you don’t have to cook any meat. The black beans add extra protein and assure that even though it’s meatless, it’s still healthy and filling for the whole family.
Easy Cheesy Veggie Pasta with Black Beans is Easily Adaptable
I’m in the lucky position this month of having a load of backyard garden produce to consume (it’s the best kind of problem to have!). Because I have fresh tomatoes on hand, that’s what I’ve been using to pull together this simple pasta dish. However, if you don’t have fresh tomatoes, just use canned and it will be nearly the same and still very tasty. You can easily adapt this recipe to use the veggies you have on hand. You can even pull from the freezer if you need to.
Though I’m always striving for healthy and delicious when I make a family meal, on a busy weeknight, I have to add quick and easy into the requirements to make dinner happen at all. Luckily, this Easy Cheesy Veggie Pasta with Black Beans fits the bill!
Easy Cheesy Veggie Pasta with Black Beans

Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotelle or ziti pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 4 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups packed chopped Kale
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and peppers for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute.
- Drain the pasta and return to its pot. Add the cheese and toss until combined. Cover and keep warm.
- Stir the tomatoes, beans, kale, and cilantro into the skillet with the onions and peppers. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices. Cover for 1 minute or until kale has softened. Stir in the salt, lime juice, and black pepper. Add the pasta and cheese mixture and toss well to mix. Cook over low heat for an additional minute or two until the mixture is warmed through. Serve immediately.
Stephanie says
YUM! This one is going into my recipe file – STAT! 🙂
Dantzel says
We made it tonight – very tasty! Though we may double the beans next time. Thanks!