Sweet Potato and Black Bean Pasta
I always imagine summer is going to be this period where I have nothing to do and have endless amounts of time but invariably it seems to be the opposite. Living in Michigan I think that partially is owed to the weather. When I come home from work in January I’m usually not itching to go right back outside. Not so right now when the sun isn’t even beginning to set until around 9 PM.
Spending all this time outside combined with warmer temperatures means that I’m always looking for simple summer meals. The kind of ones that you can throw together pretty quickly and always appear to be way more work than they actually are. I first made this pasta dish a few weeks ago and as I write this I think I’ll make it for dinner again tonight.
We had our second wedding of the summer this weekend and were gone from Friday until later last night. Though it has been a while since we went shopping I only see three ingredients that I would actually need to buy.
The sweet potato and black bean combination is a great one that we have used in a lot of different recipes lately (made some good enchiladas). When you’re thinking about quick meals being able to make it all in one pan is a huge plus. Easy to make and easy to clean up.
We’ve got a two month break before the next wedding and will hopefully use some of that time to stock up the freezer. I might make some lasagna or possibly a few , let me know if you have any suggestions!
- 1 lb pasta of your choice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 C frozen or fresh corn
- 1½ C sweet potato puree (can be made from 1 large cooked sweet potato)
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 C milk
- ½ C vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 C shredded pepper jack cheese
- Chopped cilantro to taste
- If making the sweet potato puree, cook sweet potato in microwave (8-10 minutes on high) or oven (45 minutes at 400 F). Make sure to poke holes in the potato with a fork before cooking. When cooked remove the skin and mash into a puree.
- Cook pasta to package directions, drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking bring oil to medium heat in a large skillet. When hot add in the red onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add in the jalapeño, pepper, and corn and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes.
- Add the sweet potato puree, black beans, milk, broth, cumin, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Mike until well combined and then bring to a simmer.
- Stir often for 4-5 minutes, until the milk begins to thicken. After turn off the heat but keep the skillet on the burner.
- Add the pasta and cheese to the skillet and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
