Southwestern Pasta 'n' Beans

I'm always on the lookout for new side dishes to try. Seems like we have the same veggie, potato or salad dishes. It's fun to change it up a bit. I came across this recipe in an old magazine, it's something different and I had all the ingredients already on hand.

This made for a quick weeknight meal before softball games. I served it alongside some grilled chicken and it was delicious. We'll definitely be making this more often for a change of pace.

Any big plans for the weekend? Now that everyone in our house seems to be feeling a little bit better, I'm hoping to actually relax a little bit. I am excited to do a little bit of freezer cooking though, planning to make some spaghetti sauce using tomatoes from our garden. We're also planning on freezing a bunch of sweet corn this weekend so we'll have that to enjoy through the winter.....yum!

Southwestern Pasta 'n' Beans

Ingredients:
8 oz bow tie pasta
1 med red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used some pinto beans that I already had in the freezer)
3/4 c vegetable broth
3/4 c salsa
2 tsp cumin
1/3 c minced fresh cilantro

Directions:
Cook pasta according to instructions on package. While that's cooking, in a large skillet, saute pepper in oil (feel free to use some onion as well if you family likes that) for about 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add garlic, cook for another 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in beans, broth, salsa and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, let simmer, uncovered for 6-7 mins or until heated through. Drain pasta, stir into bean mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.