Name: Pasta Salad with Black Beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 8 oz Penne Pasta; 15 oz . can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed; 2 Medium Carrots, finely diced; 1 Small Red Pepper, finely diced; 1 Small Yellow Pepper, finely diced; 1 Small Onion, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Fresh Basil, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Fresh Oregano, finely chopped; 3 tbsps Vegan Mayonnaise (use regular mayo if not vegan); 2 tbsps Dijon Mustard; 2 tsps Maple Syrup; 1 tsp Italian Seasoning; To Taste Salt & Pepper

Jump to Recipe

This creamy and delicious cold pasta salad with black beans is a great recipe to make for potlucks and picnics. Recipe uses everyday pantry ingredients.

As the weather starts to get warmer, I start to look for recipes that don't require much cooking and standing in the kitchen. If the ingredients are pantry and refrigerator staples, then that is a big bonus. So today I have an easy and pasty Black bean pasta salad recipe that is sure to be a big hit with everyone.

This recipe is inspired from Jazzy vegetarian cooking show I watched on PBS. It's a very colorful salad with the addition of all the veggies and black beans. It is tossed in a mayo-dijon mustard dressing.

Ingredients

Pasta is obviously the main ingredient for this recipe. I used penne rigate or penne with lines or grooves. The grooves help to hold the dressing and make the salad taste great. You can use any small pasta like fusilli, macaroni, mini rigatoni etc. Just make sure they have the grooves for extra deliciousness.

The second important component in this cold pasta salad is the dressing. There are only 4 ingredients in the dressing:

Mayonnaise - I used vegan mayo since that is what I have at home, but feel free to use regular.
Dijon mustard - one of my favorite ingredients. Adds zing and spiciness to any dish.
Maple syrup - to give a touch of sweetness to the dish. Feel free to omit it.
Dried Italian seasoning - adds nice flavor and complexity to the dish.

Not but not the least are the canned black beans and fresh veggies. I used finely diced carrots, colored peppers and onions. Use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas would also work in this recipe.

White Bowl with veggies, pasta and beans

Instructions

Time consuming part of this dish is cooking pasta and chopping veggies. Once these two are done, the pasta salad comes together in no time.

Cook pasta until tender according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing and chop veggies.
In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, Italian seasoning, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Mix well.
In a mixing bowl, combine beans, chopped veggies, herbs and cooked pasta. Stir in the dressing and mix well to coat everything evenly.
Chill the salad for at least 3~4 hours for the flavors to mingle. Serve over crispy greens.