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This cowboy bean pasta recipe is a high protein lunch or dinner, made with 3 types of beans, pasta, pantry staples, and loaded with fresh vegetables & spices! It’s tasty, inexpensive, and easy to make.

A hearty high protein meal with canned beans and fresh or frozen veggies that is ready in about 30 minutes. I love serving this up for a quick lunch or dinner with an old fashioned creamy cucumber salad and some oven baked garlic bread.

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Table of Contents

I’ve been making tons of new bean recipes lately, and this cowboy bean pasta has been one of my favorites. Cowboy or Cowgirl beans, we’re all for equality here! It’s a hearty and plant-based dinner that comes together quickly, and will keep you full all day.

This recipe is high in fiber and protein, and has a great texture from using 3 different kinds of beans. This stew is like meatless chili, but has a fun southwest flavor from the barbecue sauce.

This Cowboy Bean Pasta Recipe Is

Smoky
Sweet
Hearty
Satisfying
Loaded with Vegetables
Flavorful
A great recipe to use up canned beans
Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and high protein

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Meal Prep Bean and Pasta Recipes For the Win!

This cowboy bean pasta is the perfect recipe for homemade meal prep. I am a huge fan of meal prepping, batch cooking, and making recipes ahead. I love the convenience of cooking once and being able to enjoy esy homemade meals during the week when I don’t have time.

There’s a whole section of TheHerbeevore.com dedicated to my favorite tried & true meal prep recipes. With just a little planning and prep, you can have a week’s worth of recipes ready in the time it would take to make one portion. Just batch cook, divide into individual containers, and place in the fridge or freezer for later!

What’s In This Vegetarian Bean and Pasta Recipe?

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Macaroni Noodles – you can use regular or gluten free if needed.
Extra virgin olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Pinto Beans: are super creamy and protein-rich addition to this pasta.
Kidney Beans: These boxed kidney beans are a really fantastic alternative to canned beans.
White Beans: like the kidney beans above, these low sodium cannellini beans are a great addition to this soup.
Diced Tomatoes: I only use no salt added diced tomatoes, these boxed tomatoes are really great to stock up on!
Bell Pepper
Corn
Vegetable Stock
BBQ Sauce: Any variety you prefer!
Jalapeno

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Easy Pasta & Bean Dinners with Frozen Veggies

I used a few frozen vegetables (bell pepper and corn) for this recipe instead of fresh produce. Frozen produce is a great option for finding fresh and flavorful vegetables in the off season.

By using freezer ingredients, I can stock up when they are on sale, and use them in all kinds of great dishes. It saves me a trip to the store, and I can add amazing veggies right into the recipe. Frozen vegetables are often picked at peak ripeness, so they are a much better option than canned.

Check out all my recipes that use Freezer Ingredients on The Herbeevore – great for those nights when you want dinner ready fast! And check out my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples for long-lasting staples that I always keep on hand.

A Great Pantry Pasta and Beans Recipes

This vegetarian cowboy pasta recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious meals using a few staples you can rotate.

I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep stocked. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple ingredients in my Amazon shop here. By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!

How Do I Make This Cowboy Beans and Noodles Recipe?

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the beans, chili powder, onion powder, diced tomatoes, bell pepper, corn, vegetable stock, and barbecue sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes over low heat.
After the beans have cooked for 30 minutes and the veggies have softened, stir in the barbecue sauce and the cooked pasta. Test and adjust seasoning to taste.
When ready to serve, top with jalapenos if desired and enjoy!

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More Pasta and Beans Recipes You’ll Love

Chickpea Parmesan Pasta Recipe (Vegetarian, High Fiber/Protein)

Pasta Bean Salad Recipe (Vegetarian, High Protein)

Vegan Chili Mac Recipe (Plant Based, Gluten Free, High Fiber)

Bolognese Pasta Sauce with Lentils Recipe (High Protein)

Ditalini Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian & Vegan)

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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

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Tasty way to get my meatless protein and fiber