Vegetarian Chilli Mac (One Pot!)

We all know that chilli and rice go well together - but have you ever tried chilli with pasta?! This vegetarian chilli mac combines two of my favourite dinners to create something that's way more than the sum of its parts:

mac and cheese + spicy vegetarian chilli = vegetarian chilli mac!

It's packed with vegetables, beans, and of course, plenty of gooey cheesy pasta!

If that hasn't already convinced you to try this recipe, perhaps this will: This vegetarian chilli mac be made in just one pot! If there's one thing that can make a tasty meal even more irresistible, it's knowing that you'll only have one pan to wash afterwards!

This is a one pot pasta recipe, meaning everything - even the pasta - cooks right there in the homemade enchilada sauce, helping to make it thick and luscious.

❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It. Is. Delicious!
• It's the perfect one pot dinner - so there's minimal faff, and minimal washing up!
• You can adjust the spices and vegetables to your own preferences - you can use it as a bit of a fridge clearer.
• This chilli mac is irresistible comfort food, but it's still full of vegetables and protein-rich beans - the best of both worlds.
• It's hearty enough to serve on its own, but just like all the best Tex-Mex meals, it can also be dressed up with your favourite toppings, like avocado, sour cream or tortilla chips!

🥗 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. You'll also need some kitchen staples, like oil, salt and black pepper.

A few ingredient notes:

• pasta - I used fusilli, but any similar shape will work, e.g. penne or spirali.
• onions - I actually used frozen diced onions, but fresh onion would be great too!
• bell pepper - I used a few mini ones, because that's what I had on hand. One large pepper would also be great - red, yellow or orange would be the tastiest.
• mushrooms
• garlic
• kidney beans - black beans would be great too.
• spices - smoked paprika, ground cumin, and mild chilli powder. Use more chilli if you like it spicy!
• passata - this is a tomato sauce that is literally just made from sieved tomatoes. If you can't find passata, any other similar tomato sauce will be fine.
• grated cheese - I used the pre-grated stuff, but cheese grated from a block would be even better.

See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

🔄 Ingredient Swaps

Here are a few ways you could adapt this recipe:

• Swap the vegetables for whatever you already have in the fridge. Sweetcorn, courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), tomatoes, etc. would all work well.
• You could try using wholegrain pasta if you prefer. It usually takes a few more minutes to cook than white pasta, so may also need an extra splash of water.
• If you like things really spicy, swap the cheddar cheese for your favourite kind of spicy cheese - or, use something like mozzarella if you want your chilli mac to be mild and gooey.
• Mix through a dollop of cream cheese just before serving to make an extra creamy chilli mac.
• Black beans would work really well instead of kidney beans, if you prefer.

📋 Instructions

Here's how to make this recipe - see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Start by cooking off the onions, peppers and mushrooms for a few minutes, until they're beginning to soften.

Step 2: Add the spices and kidney beans. The spices will begin to create the rich, spicy sauce as they coat the vegetables.

Step 3: Add the uncooked pasta and the passata. Bring to a simmer.

Step 4: When the pasta is cooked, stir through some of the cheese to make the whole dish nice and creamy. Melt the remaining cheese on top.

Step 5: Serve with your choice of toppings or side dishes. I chose fresh parsley and sliced avocado.

🌶 Chilli Mac FAQs

🍝 More Pasta Recipes