Southwest Pasta Recipe (Ready in 60 Min)

A comforting vegetarian built around seashell pasta, sweet corn kernels and black beans — roughly 60 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.

You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.

How to make it

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the seashell pasta until just al dente according to the package timing, then drain and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the chopped onion and diced green bell pepper for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add the minced garlic and ground cumin and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Stir in the corn kernels, the rinsed and drained black beans, the salsa and the sliced black olives, then simmer for 5 minutes until everything is heated through.
Fold the drained pasta into the skillet, tossing well so every shell is coated in the salsa mixture, and season with salt to taste.
Scatter the shredded cheddar over the top, cover for a minute or two until it melts into the pasta, then serve warm.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Large pot · Saucepan

Tips & common questions

How long does Southwest Pasta take to make?

About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Southwest Pasta vegetarian?

Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.