Instant Pot black bean taco pasta
Pasta shells, black beans, corn and salsa cooked together and stirred with melty cheese, like taco night in a bowl.
- 30 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.35 a serving
- 710 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 12 oz medium pasta shells
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup salsa
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar
- ½ cup sour cream, to serve (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 710 calories, 30 g protein, 102 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $2.35 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No black beans? Pinto beans or kidney beans work.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No salsa? Pico de gallo works.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion and the garlic.
Dice. Dicing means cutting food into small, even cubes, usually a quarter to half an inch across. Pieces the same size cook at the same speed, so nothing burns while the rest catches up.
How you’ll know: Your pieces are little cubes about the size of a chickpea, and they all look close to the same.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Set the Instant Pot to , add the oil, and cook the onion 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and taco seasoning for 30 seconds, then press Cancel.
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Timer: 3 min 30 sec
Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom well so nothing is stuck.
Add the shells and press them under the liquid.
Scatter the beans and corn on top, then spoon the salsa over everything. Don’t stir.
Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
Timer: 4 min
Dolly’s tip: It takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the countdown starts. That’s normal.When it beeps, carefully turn the valve to Venting with a long spoon, keeping your hand and face away from the steam.
Stir well, then stir in the cheese until and let it sit 2 minutes to .
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Timer: 2 min
Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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