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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Black Bean Pasta with Cilantro-Jalapeño Pepita Sauce

Chewy short pasta tossed with a bright, nutty cilantro-jalapeño sauce, seared zucchini, smoky black beans and salty queso fresco.

Black Bean Pasta with Cilantro-Jalapeño Pepita Sauce

Ingredients

  • 11½ oz320 gPasta, dryshort shape such as penne or rotini
  • 12⅔ cups3,000 gWater
  • 1¼ tsp8 gSalt
  • 2 cups340 gBlack beans, canned, drained and rinsed
  • 2 medium400 gZucchinihalved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
  • 1 medium110 gYellow oniondiced
  • 3 cloves9 gGarlicminced, divided
  • 2½ cups chopped40 gFresh cilantroleaves and tender stems, plus a little chopped for garnish
  • 2 whole28 gJalapeñoseeded and roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cup40 gPumpkin seeds (pepitas)toasted
  • 1 lime, juiced44 gLime juice
  • 3 tbsp40 gOlive oildivided
  • 1½ tsp3 gGround cumin
  • ¾ tsp2 gPaprika (sweet or smoked)smoked
  • ½ cup crumbled60 gQueso frescocrumbled

Steps

  1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add half the salt.
  2. Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry large skillet over medium heat until they pop, 3 to 4 minutes; tip them into a blender, saving 1 tablespoon for garnish.
  3. Make the herb sauce: add most of the cilantro, the jalapeño, one third of the garlic, the lime juice, half the olive oil and the remaining half of the salt to the blender with the pumpkin seeds. Blend with 2 tablespoons of the boiling water until smooth; set aside.
  4. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente; scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
  5. While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining half of the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini in one layer and sear until browned, 4 to 5 minutes, then push aside and add the onion; cook 3 minutes until soft.
  6. Stir in the remaining two thirds of the garlic, the cumin and the smoked paprika and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the black beans and cook 2 minutes to warm through.
  7. Turn the heat to low, add the pasta and the herb sauce, and toss, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water until glossy and coated.
  8. Serve topped with the queso fresco, the reserved pumpkin seeds and the chopped cilantro.

Contains: Milk, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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