Creamy Cajun Pasta with Pinto Beans
and bell peppers / spinach
This spicy and creamy pasta is loaded with colorful vegetables. We've given it a pretty significant makeover, but it is inspired by a meal we featured in 2015.
Smarts: The bell peppers are added at the end of cooking so that they retain some crunch. If you’d like them more tender (or if they are in large pieces), you can add them at the beginning of cooking with the garlic.
Smarts: The bell peppers are added at the end of cooking so that they retain some crunch. If you’d like them more tender (or if they are in large pieces), you can add them at the beginning of cooking with the garlic.
Proteins
Cuisines
Ingredients
Creamy Cajun Pasta with Pinto Beans:
- Pasta, any fun shape - 8 oz
- Bell peppers, any color - 2 , diced
- Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
- Green onions - 2 , chopped, green and white parts separate
- Limes - 1 , wedges
- Tomatoes, diced and preferably fire-roasted (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained
- Beans, pinto (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
- Butter - 3 Tbsp
- Flour, all-purpose - 2 Tbsp
- Milk - 1 1/2 cups (sub stock but the sauce will be less creamy)
- Jerk or Cajun seasoning - 2 tsp
- Baby spinach - 5 oz
Prep
- Pasta - Cook pasta according to package directions. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Bell peppers / Garlic - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Green onions / Limes - Chop green onions, keeping green and white parts separate. Slice limes into wedges.
- Tomatoes - Drain well.
- Beans - Drain and rinse.
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Make
- Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add butter. When butter melts, add flour, white parts of green onions, and garlic. Saute until no dry spots of flour remain, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in milk while whisking. Bring milk to a simmer, whisking constantly. Once mixture is simmering, simmer for 2 minutes to allow sauce to thicken slightly.
- Stir in Jerk seasoning, drained tomatoes, baby spinach, and bell peppers. Continue simmering until spinach is wilted, about a minute more.
- Fold in pasta, beans, and green parts of green onions.
- Taste pasta and season with some salt and pepper and / or more Jerk seasoning. If you’d like some tart flavor you can squeeze juice from some of the lime wedges into the pasta.
- Serve pasta with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!
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