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Vegetarian, Americas

Porotos con riendas (Chilean bean and noodle stew)

Porotos con riendas is a Chilean stew where white beans, butternut squash and broken spaghetti simmer together in a paprika broth. It serves 4, takes 50 minutes and is easy to make, at about €1.60 per serving. The trick is cooking the pasta straight in the bean broth so it soaks up all the flavor.

Porotos con riendas, a Chilean dish where beans simmer with squash and spaghetti, seasoned with paprika.

Porotos con riendas (Chilean bean and noodle stew)
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.60
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

In this dish, white beans turn creamy as the squash slowly breaks down in the broth. Spaghetti, snapped in half, cooks right in the middle of this mixture and soaks up the paprika, giving it an almost melting texture, quite different from a regular pasta dish. Pebre, a fresh sauce made separately with tomatoes, red onion and chili, wakes everything up right before serving.

This is a winter evening dish, the kind that warms you up without demanding much attention once the base is going. Kids tend to love the soft texture of the pasta and squash, while adults can spoon on extra pebre for more heat. It works just as well on a weeknight as for a slightly different Sunday meal.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Canned white or cannellini beansoften in the pantry 800 g
  • Sweet paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Spaghettioften in the pantry 200 g
  • Vegetable brothoften in the pantry 80 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Espelette pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Butternut squash 400 g
  • Onion 2
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Red onion 1
  • Cilantro 0.5 bunch
  • Lemon 1

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Chop the onions and garlic, sauté them in 3 tablespoons of oil with the paprika. 8 min

    The paprika should infuse the oil without burning.

  2. Peel the squash, cut it into cubes and add it with the broth, salt and pepper. 15 min

    Cut two centimeter cubes, they partly melt into the stew.

  3. Add the drained beans and let it simmer. 10 min

    The stew should be just covered with liquid.

  4. Break the spaghetti in half, drop it into the stew and cook, stirring. 10 min

    Add a little broth if the stew gets too thick.

  5. Make the pebre by mixing tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, chili and lemon with oil, and serve it alongside the dish.

    The spicy pebre perks up the creamy stew.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a ripe butternut squash, its sweet flesh balances the paprika and the chili in the pebre.
  • Don't cook the spaghetti too far ahead of time, it keeps thickening the stew as it cools.
  • Taste the broth before adding the pasta, that's the right moment to adjust the salt.

The variations

  • Swap the butternut squash for red kuri squash, the texture stays close and you can eat the skin.
  • For a spicier version, double the amount of chili in the pebre.
  • For kids, serve the pebre on the side so everyone can control the heat in their own bowl.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with lemon
  • Bread for dipping
  • A cold sparkling water

Storage

The stew keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can freeze it without the pebre, which should be made fresh right before serving. Reheat gently in a saucepan, adding a splash of broth or water if the pasta has soaked up too much liquid.

Questions about this dish

Can I use dried beans instead of canned?

Yes, as long as you soak and cook them ahead of time. About 200g of dried beans will give you roughly the same cooked weight as the canned amount.

Do I need to cook the spaghetti separately first?

No, that's the whole point of this recipe. The broken spaghetti cooks directly in the stew and picks up the flavor of the paprika broth.

What exactly is pebre?

Pebre is a fresh Chilean sauce made with tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and chili. It adds crunch and heat that contrast nicely with the creamy stew.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can make the bean and squash base a day ahead, then add the spaghetti when reheating. Make the pebre just before serving so it stays fresh.

How long does it take to make a porotos con riendas?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a porotos con riendas?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a porotos con riendas cost?

About €1.60 per serving, or €6.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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