Grandma’s Mexican Pasta
Delicious, saucy pasta dish with a Mexican flare that the whole family will love!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole wheat rotini (substitute any whole grain or gluten-free pasta or use brown rice)
- 1/4 cup water or veggie broth
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 - 4 ounce can chopped green chilies (or 1/2 poblano pepper, chopped)
- 1 tsp chili powder or to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin or to taste
- 1 - 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes no salt, undrained
- 1 - 15 ounce can vegetarian refried beans no fat
- 2 - 10 ounce cans enchilada sauce (green, red or homemade)
- 1 can black olives sliced (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) Or leave the oven off for the quick option below.
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Boil water in a large pot and cook pasta according to directions. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.
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In the same pan you used to cook the pasta, add the onions, garlic and water. Cook until softened, about 4 or 5 minutes, add more water as necessary to keep onions and garlic from sticking or burning.
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Add the green chilies, chili powder and cumin. Mix well.
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Add the tomatoes with juice, refried beans and enchilada sauce. Combine all, making sure the beans are blended into the sauce until smooth. Cook for 10 minutes until heated through.
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Add the cooked pasta and stir until combined.
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Drain and slice black olives (optional) and add to pasta.
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Spoon pasta mixture into a casserole dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes.*
Recipe Notes
*Quick option - For those days when you’re in a rush or don’t want to turn on the oven, you can skip the baking step. Heat the pasta mixture through until hot and serve it directly from the large pot.
