Step 1

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain.

Step 2

Heat the oil over medium low in a large, deep skillet or wide pot. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and clear. Add the diced tomatoes. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until some of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated.

Step 3

Add the cooked pasta, tomato sauce, black beans, corn, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper if using. Heat everything through. Taste and add salt if needed (my tomatoes and sauce were salty, so I didn't have to).

Step 4

If using vegan shredded cheese, sprinkle it on top of the skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and let the skillet simmer for 3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. (If you're using queso, just skip the wait time; when the ingredients have heated through, drizzle the whole dish with queso as desired). Serve!