Description
A flavorful and hearty Cowboy Pasta Salad featuring rotini pasta, seasoned ground beef, fresh vegetables, and a creamy taco-inspired dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or as a satisfying side or main dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Pasta Salad
- 1 lb Rotini Pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
- 1 lb Ground Beef (chicken or turkey can also be used)
- 5 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 packet Taco Seasoning
- 1/4 cup Water
- 14.75 oz Can of Mexican Style Street Corn Fiesta Corn (or plain corn)
- 15 oz Can of Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 2.25 oz Can of Sliced Black Olives
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved (reserve about 1 tbsp for garnish)
- 1 Small Red Onion, diced (reserve about 1 tbsp for garnish)
- 1 Small Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Jalapeno, diced (optional for some heat)
- 1 Jalapeno, sliced (optional for garnish)
- 8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tbsp Sliced Green Onions (for garnish)
For the Dressing
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce
- Splash of Milk (to thin out the dressing)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the rotini pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta. Set aside.
- Brown Meat: In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the minced garlic until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
- Add Seasoning: Stir in the taco seasoning packet and 1/4 cup water with the cooked meat. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and the meat is fully flavored. Remove from heat and allow the meat to cool.
- Prepare Vegetables: Dice the red onion and red bell pepper, halve the cherry tomatoes, and dice the jalapeno if using. Reserve about 1 tablespoon each of cherry tomatoes and red onion for garnish. Slice the extra jalapeno for garnish, if desired.
- Make Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, taco seasoning, lime juice, hot sauce, and a splash of milk until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, seasoned ground beef, Mexican-style corn, black beans, black olives, diced vegetables, and shredded cheddar cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Garnish and Chill: Top the pasta salad with the reserved cherry tomatoes, red onion, sliced jalapeno, and green onions. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- Use chicken or turkey instead of ground beef for a leaner protein option.
- For a spicier salad, keep the jalapeno seeds when dicing or add extra hot sauce to the dressing.
- Mexican-style street corn adds a smoky flavor, but you can use plain canned corn if preferred.
- If you prefer a lighter dressing, substitute half of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
- Chill the salad for longer if possible to enhance flavor absorption.
- This salad can be made a day in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- Add avocado chunks just before serving for extra creaminess and freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
