Three-Alarm Spaghetti & Pinto Bean Chili

I love to read books. I go to the library so often that I wouldn't be surprised if one day I walk in there and the librarian says "Hey Kristin, we got your books in the other day, let me grab them for ya." Usually I get your average run of the mill reading book but one day I thought "I wonder if they have cooking books too?" So I went to the library's website online and started searching their cooking section. What do you know, they have a ton of cookbooks at the library. The cookbook I chose was Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian. I have tried a handful of recipes already and only one of them wasn't to the Mr. and my liking. This one was the first one we tried and I instantly knew that this book and I were going to be inseparable for the remaining 3 weeks that I have it checked out. If you are looking for a recipe that not only pleases the vegetarians but the meat eaters too, then this is the recipe to try. You don't even realize that there is no meat in there.


I did change the recipe a tiny bit because I didn't have what was on hand and I don't use canned beans. So I did alter the recipe below to what I did. If you don't already use dried beans and you prefer the canned beans then you can use a 14.5 oz can of beans (rinsed and drained) instead but I am telling you now that you are really missing out. This dish is a one pot wonder, which aside from the slow cooker method is one of my favorite ways to cook. I hate doing the dishes and so does the Mr, so the less dishes in the end, the better. Cooking the pasta in the chili thickens up the chili causing it to make a thick sauce for the pasta. I really enjoyed this dish a lot and found that towards the end I realized, "wait there was no meat in this dish!". It is so hearty and delicious that I had totally forgotten that this was a vegetarian recipe.

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 3 c. water
• 1/2 c. taco sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• 4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti, broken into thirds (1 1/2 c)
• 1/2 c. dried pinto beans
• sour cream (if desired)
• jalapenos (if desired)

1. Soak beans in water over night making sure to cover the beans in at least an inch of water.
2. Boil beans for one hour; drain set aside.
3. In a 4 quart sauce pan heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until crisp-tender.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients except spaghetti, beans, sour cream and jalapenos. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in uncooked spaghetti and beans. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium, cook uncovered 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Top individual servings with sour cream and jalapenos.

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday
Take-A-Look Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Make it Yours Day
Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Three Cooks
It's a Keeper