I often have spaghetti noodles left when all the sauce is gone, so making Cincinnati Chili is my favorite way of using them up. I actually grew up making this meal on its own, fresh spaghetti and all, so you do you.
The best thing about this meal is that it is not necessarily a hot one and works well for scorching summer days.
Cincinnati Chili is filling but fresh.
Its almost like a salad on pasta.
Everyone can build their plate with ingredients they choose and any vegetable you want to add to the line up is great.
My new favorite way to garnish this dish is with fresh cilantro or basil!
Cincinnati Chili
Yield:
4 Servings
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
11 minutes
Total Time:
26 minutes
After a brief search on how to spell "chili" in this case, I have learned much. Let me warn you that this version is the 'poor missionary' version that I grew up with.
Ingredients
Toppings
- 3 Tomatoes
- 8 oz Cheese, grated
- Black olives, optional
- 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, optional
- 6 Leaves Fresh Basil, optional
- 1 Any Color Bell Pepper
- 1 Red Onion or 3 Green Onions
Sauce
- 1 t. Cumin, optional
- 1 T. Chili Powder
- 1 T. Garlic Powder
- 1 t. Salt
- 1 Can Black Beans
- 1 Can Tomato Sauce
Pasta
- 1 Pkg. Spaghetti
Instructions
- Chop all vegetables (I love that I can have this meal mostly ready ahead of time).
- Chop cilantro to mix into the dish (my favorite!) or save to garnish with leaves.
- Grate cheese, if necessary. (Another thing that can be done ahead or bought ready to go.)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Add pasta, cover with lid and turn off heat.
- Test pasta after 11 minutes. You may need to cook longer if it is chickpea or lentil.
- Combine and heat beans, tomato sauce and seasonings in a saucepan on medium high until they begin to bubble.
- Drain pasta.
- Serve beans over pasta and top with vegetables and cheese.
- Add chopped cilantro or garnish and enjoy!
Notes
- I switched to whole grain pasta a long time ago and prefer it now. You can use Lentil or Chickpea as well.
- Optionally, cook up 1/2 lb. of ground meat and add it to the bean sauce. It makes the meal a little heartier for those of you feeding ravenous meat-eating men.
- Honestly, if you think of something you like in a salad, you can pretty much add it to this meal.
- On days when I can't be bothered, I have made a pot of pasta, heated some beans, grated some cheese and eaten it just like that with no vegetables at all. I won't judge you.
- If you already have pico de gallo, guacamole or anything else made ahead, I have gladly substituted one or all of those for the vegetables in this dish!
