PASTA. When I get stressed, I crave pasta. Cheesy or creamy pasta. So, when I saw this recipe for Sour Cream and Jalapeño Chicken Enchilada Pasta, my stomach was all like, “FEED ME, NOW.”
But, I didn’t have any chicken on hand and meat has been really expensive lately, so I decided to try to make a vegetarian version… and I ended up changing it quite a bit in the process (what else is new?). Anyway, my version is still super scrumptious, very filling, and relies on beans and corn to help fill out the pasta. The pasta cooks right in a delicious mix of vegetable broth, green chiles, and spices to make the whole dish packed with flavor, not to mention really easy (one skillet!). Sour cream is stirred in at the end to make everything rich and indulgent, then just a little cheese is sprinkled on top. I went light on the cheese, cuz that’s been hella expensive lately, too.
Oh man… I just realized that a diced up avocado would be awesome on this. If you have extra cash, get an avocado! Do it!
Creamy Vegetarian Enchilada Pasta
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Creamy Vegetarian Enchilada Pasta
Servings 4 to 6 servingsIngredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 4 oz can green chiles ($0.87)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.60)
- 15 oz can pinto (or black) beans ($1.19)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.02)
- 8 oz wide egg noodles ($1.46)
- 2 cups vegetable broth ($0.27)
- 1/2 cup sour cream ($0.71)
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro (optional) ($0.25)
- 2 oz shredded pepper jack cheese ($0.69)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and sauté it in a skillet with olive oil over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Add the can of green chiles (with juices), frozen corn kernels, can of beans (rinsed and drained), cumin, and red pepper to the skillet. Stir well.
- Add the uncooked pasta and vegetable broth to the skillet. The broth will not fully cover the noodles. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to high, and allow the liquid to come up to a full boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let the skillet simmer for 10 minutes, stirring well half way through.
- While the skillet is simmering, slice the green onions, roughly chop the cilantro, and shred the cheese.
- After ten minutes of simmering, the noodles should be tender and most of the liquid absorbed. Stir the skillet well, then add the sour cream and stir until it has fully coated the pasta. Stir in most of the sliced green onions and cilantro, reserving a little to sprinkle over top.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the skillet, place the lid back on top, and let the residual heat melt the cheese. Once melted, add the remaining green onions and cilantro to the top of the pasta. Serve hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos
Begin my mincing two cloves of garlic, then sautéing them in one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
Next, add one 4-oz. can of diced green chiles, 1 cup of frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw them), one 15-oz can of beans (pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained), 1 tsp of cumin, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (less if you’re sensitive to heat). Stir these ingredients together well.
Add 8 oz. uncooked wide egg noodles and 2 cups of vegetable broth to the skillet. The broth will not cover the noodles, but that’s okay. While it’s simmering with the lid on, the steam will cook the upper noodles while the lower noodles simmer in the broth.
Place the lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to high, and let it come to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir it well once, half way through.
While the skillet is simmering, slice three green onions, roughly chop about 1/4 bunch of cilantro, and shred about 2 oz. of pepper jack cheese.
After simmering for ten minutes, the noodles should be tender and most of the liquid absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream. Add most of the sliced green onions and cilantro, saving just a little for the top.
Lastly, sprinkle the cheese over top, place the lid back on the skillet for a few minutes, and let the residual heat melt the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro and green onion over top, then serve.
Oooh, creamy comfort.
I made this recipe last night for my husband and I. I first cooked two chicken breasts in a pan with the oil, took them out, then sauteed some mushroom and green bell pepper for some added veggies. I also added some sliced black olives, used whole wheat pasta, and I topped it with cotija cheese when serving. This is a really great recipe that I think can be altered to fit whatever you have on hand. And it is delicious!
This turned out amazing. We didn’t get 6 servings out of it, but that’s just cause it’s comforting and delicious, and everyone kept eating more. I replaced the can of chiles for a good sized plop of Hatch green chile (I’m in New Mexico, so of course I did that), and Knorr tomato bouillon for the broth. I’m sure I also added more cheese because I always do. Me and my friends call it Mexican Bean Helper. I definitely recommend this recipe to anyone.
Who doesn’t love a little comfort food? I have included this in my June Real Food Meal Plan post. Thanks for sharing!
I was desperately searching for something quick and easy I could whip up for my lunch today; preferably something without meat (I don’t have a lot of meat on hand right now). I also can’t have any dairy (cow milk) products, but I realized I could alter things a little bit for my own purposes. Instead of sour cream, I mashed an avocado, a little lime juice, and some goat cheese into a creamy sauce and mixed it in. I thought it turned out delicious! And this dish reminded me a lot of that boxed Suddenly Salad stuff. But the awesome difference between Suddenly Salad and this, is that I could alter it to fit my own dietary needs/restrictions. With a box of something, I can’t take out the dairy stuff. Hooray for cooking from scratch!!!
I enjoyed this one. We got four servings out of it. I’m taking off one star because I thought it was a little bit bland. Maybe upping the cheese or spices a bit would make it more to my liking. It’s good enough to try again, though!
I had to stop myself from eating too much of this… the chiles make it really tasty. Thanks for a simple and delicious recipe to make over and over!
I agree with you about it being bland. I thought it was because I used reduced sodium broth… It was still good overall, but I would definitely up the cheese factor. I also put in more than 1/2 cup sour cream, hehe ^_^ I made mine with pinto beans, but next time I think I might like black beans better.
This was a tasty meal! I couldn’t find egg noodles where I shop, so I used linguine, and it turned out fine, although I had to cook it for a little longer. I think next time I’ll throw in a couple chopped fresh tomatoes at the beginning, and wilt in some fresh spinach at the end. My partner snarfed it down and told me to definitely keep the recipe! Thanks?
I mean, thanks! :)
This was amazing! I used roasted corn, and added a red bell pepper and some taco seasoning, and topped it with some pickled jalapeños. My husband and I both loved it; had it for dinner last night, and lunch AND dinner today because we loved it so much!
I am just wondering, do you have any tips for using other pasta? I’m trying to use w.w. for a healthier alternative. Should I increase the fluid amount or pre-cook it half the time? Thanks Beth! We love your site!
I’m sorry, I haven’t experimented with other pasta types. :(
I used linguine noodles tonight, although not whole wheat ones, and they worked fine! I had to cook it for about 15 minutes, instead of 10, but the 2 cups of broth was sufficient.
So good!! And great on the budget. I used whole wheat pasta and left out the red pepper for the sake of my kiddos. I used mozzarella in lieu of the pepperjack. YUM!
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing! Love the one pot aspect. For our dinner, I omitted the red pepper flakes for our toddler. He likes spicy (as spicy as a baby can) and in hindsight I should have added it. Also, I used cheddar and chicken broth instead because that’s what we had on hand.
This was delicious, thanks! I used black beans instead of pinto and chopped up a small jalapeno that was sitting in my fridge. Both my boyfriend and I gobbled it up last night. Great recipe to add into my rotation!
In general, thank you for the yummy and cheap recipes. This foodie grad student salutes you.
I followed this recipe exactly and it came out perfect and delicious!! My brother said it needed a little salt or pepper but that’s a no brainer. This is my go to website for delicious vegetarian and vegan noms :) Thanks for the amazing recipes!!
This was so delicious that we ate the whole thing. My husband was mad that there were not leftovers for lunch tomorrow. We will be making this again and again.
This was easy and delish!!