Pasta with Black Beans and Kale

From a Reader's Digest cookbook that I've had longer than I remember, but which I never really use anymore. I came across this recipe a while back and the idea of using black beans in a pasta sauce intrigued me. They combine with the cheese to make a very tasty and creamy sauce. I bought a prepared bag of kale from my local supermarket, but if you can't find it then spinach would be a good alternative.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

400g pasta
1 large onion, chopped
1 pepper (any colour will do; I used red pepper), chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
340g fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 x 400g tins of black beans, rinsed and drained (or 200g dried beans, soaked overnight and cooked)
200g kale, roughly chopped
225g cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Fry onion and garlic until beginning to soften. Add pepper and continue to fry for 5 minutes or so.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, and salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the kale and stir in the pan. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the beans and cook for three minutes to heat through.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain, and add to the sauce with the cheese. Stir over the heat for a minute or two until melted and thoroughly mixed.