Southwestern vegetarian pasta

Getting back into the swing of things has been fun, since I got a number of new kitchen tools, gadgets, and cookware for Christmas. I actually planned tonight's meal around this new cast iron baking dish. Beautiful, isn't it? The dinner was pretty darn good, too, though next time I've decided that I would use more chipotle, more tomatoes, and more cheese. I've already adjusted the numbers in the recipe to reflect that.

Southwestern vegetarian pasta

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
  ● 16oz. uncooked farfalle pasta
  ● 8 whole green onions, chopped
  ● 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  ● 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  ● 2 garlic cloves, minced
  ● 2 tsp. minced chipotle peppers
  ● 1 tsp. salt
  ● 1 tsp. ground cumin
  ● 2-1/4 cups milk
  ● 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided 
  ● 3 tomatoes, cut into large chunks
  ● 1/2 red onion, chopped
  ● 15 oz. black beans
  ● 15 oz. pinto beans

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. Stir in the flour, chipotle pepper, salt and cumin until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in beans and 1 cup cheese until melted.

3. Drain pasta and transfer to a large, heavy baking dish; toss with sauce, stir in tomatoes, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. I served this wil a dollop of sour cream and a side of wilted swiss chard.