One Pot Southwest Pasta – Dinner in under 30 minutes in one pot! Pasta, black beans, corn, and bell peppers with Rotel and taco seasoning.
One Pot Pasta
One pot pasta recipes are so easy!  Simply put uncooked pasta, veggies, seasoning, and broth into a large pot, cover it, and let it cook for about 12-15 minutes. That’s it! The pasta absorbs the cooking liquid and creates an almost creamy sauce.
This southwest style pasta gets a spicy kick from a can of Rotel (tomatoes and green chilies) and taco seasoning.
How To Make This Southwest Pasta Recipe
*Note: Â The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
- Add uncooked pasta to a large pot.
- Add corn, bell peppers, onion, Rotel, taco seasoning, salt, olive oil, and broth.
- Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Add a can of drained and rinsed black beans.
- Add shredded Mexican cheese cheese blend to the pasta.
- Stir well.
- Let the pasta rest for a few minutes to absorb the remaining liquid and melt the cheese.
This recipe calls for whole wheat pasta, but regular pasta could also be used.
Try These Other Great 1 Pot Pasta Recipes
Watch The Step By Step Recipe Video For One Pot Southwest Pasta Below
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One Pot Wonder Southwest Pasta Recipe
One Pot Wonder Southwest Pasta - Dinner in under 30 minutes in one pot! Pasta, black beans, corn, and bell peppers are spiced up with Rotel and taco seasoning. It's an easy vegetarian meal.
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (13.5 oz.) box of whole wheat rotini or any pasta you like
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
- 1 (15 oz.) can Rotel canned tomatoes and chilies, I used the Mexican blend with lime and cilantro
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning, I used Old El Paso, medium
- 1 tsp. salt*
- 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend, plus more for topping (Optional)
Instructions
- Add all but the last 2 ingredients (beans and cheese) to a large pot. Stir, cover, and bring to a rolling boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. There should be ¼ to ½ inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot when it is done.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the black beans and cheese (optional). Let it rest for 5 minutes to warm the beans, melt the cheese, and absorb the excess liquid.
Notes
*if the taco seasoning you use contains a lot of salt, you may want to reduce this
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8th of the recipe | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.1g | Protein: 11.7g | Fat: 4.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Fiber: 7.4g
I used chicken sausage and no beans. We loved it!! Thank you will definitely make again.
Very yummy recipe! I added extra taco seasoning, eyeballed the amount of broth put in, and added ground beef and me and my husband are loving it!
This was ASTONISHINGLY easy. I thought it would turn into a Pinterest fail when I saw how little liquid there seemed to be, but it was PERFECT. I used gluten-free pasta (a chickpea-based one) and it was done within about 8 minutes, and the pasta held up really well. Definitely adding to the rotation for a quick weeknight/busy night recipe!
Thought I’d leave a few comments – the broth you use really matters in this recipe. I made it with the Trader Joes broth, which is really intense, so I would use half of a very strong broth and half water.
I also used diced canned tomatoes and fire roasted green chillies, and cajun seasoning instead of taco seasoning.
I’d say these adjustments worked very well… I would caution not to add extra salt because when I did, the dish became a bit unbearable.
Good job to the author, and I would recommend that whoever tries this recipe tries it in various forms before they find a mix that works best for them! Recipes like these are great for finishing up whatever you have on hand
Have you tried making this in a slow cooker?
This was awesome and super easy! I added chorizo and cilantro. Will definitely make this again soon. Thanks!!
I made this yesterday with quesodillas as a side. Big hit with me and the husband not so much the kids haha
I did change a few things – i cooked the onion and peppers in the pot before adding everything else, also i used salsa instead of the tomatoes. Worked great! We always have salsa in the house – i didn’t want to go to the store haha
Definitely just as good if not better the second day!
That looks easy and delicious!
I will be adding a little cream cheese in at the end to give it a little more creaminess!!! Can’t wait to try it!!!!
OMG, I never leave comments on recipe websites but I have to for this
I just finished cooking this and holy shit balls its so amazing! i didn’t put cheese in because i’m vegan but it is that good it really isn’t missed. i can’t wait to share this with my friends and family. its a perfect flavour and consistency
Does it keep well? i want to freeze some of it for lunches
This turned out really good…but spicy!! And I’m no spice wimp. 😉 I did have to make some substitutions (I didn’t have tomatoes with chilies so I used a can of tomatoes and half a can of chillies), and it’s possible my taco mix was a spicy one. I added some Greek yogurt to my bowl and it helped cool down the spice. Will definitely be making it again though.
I made this just as directions said but I had so much liquid left, I had to drain it all bc the noodles were almost too done. Luckily I’m making tortilla soup soon and I can use the broth I drained off. My first time making a ” one-pot” meal. Flavors came out good, but don’t know what I did wrong .
NEVERMIND!! I’m such a dummy. I accidentally doubled the broth! That’s what happens when you’re trying to cook with a 4 year old whining about everything. Hahaha
This used up 3 quarter-boxes of random pasta shapes and a slightly wilted green pepper (among other things). I mixed in some cooked shredded chicken at the end with a touch of cumin. Somehow (cheese added at end?) the dish was slightly creamy. It was wonderful!
Oh my goodness this was absolutely amazing!! It was a hit among all of my college roommates (: Thanks for an awesome and oh so easy recipe!
Has anyone ever tried freezing half of it? I’m due in a few weeks and I need some freezer meals.
Thanks
This was a big hit at our house tonight! Husband loooves the “southwest” food genre so he was very pleased. Thanks for a great recipe! 🙂
Great Recipe!
I featured it on my blog with a link back to you!
I’m making this as I type… We are having a vegan version I think it will be a winner! I am still amazed at how easy it was! Thank you!
Tried this recipe today, it turned out delicious!!! The hubby asked for seconds and is even taking it for lunch tomorrow. Thank you 🙂
Is 1/4 cup taco seasoning correct? How many packets would that be?
Thanks!