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Difficulty Level: easy
If you’re looking for a colorful, filling side dish that works perfectly at cookouts, get-togethers, brunches, lunches, and even dinners, this creamy Southwest pasta salad recipe should be on your must-try list.
First, it’s incredibly easy to make. You only need two bowls for mixing and one pan for cooking the pasta. The preparation can take a little time because of the dicing, but outside of that, it’s a super-easy recipe with almost nothing that can go wrong. Just don’t overcook the pasta.
The creamy dressing is delicious, and you’ll likely use it on other salads because it tastes fantastic when chilled. It combines Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, and warming Southwest spices to give every bite a creamy and comforting taste.
The vegetables can be fully customized. If you don’t like black beans, leave them out. If you prefer pickles instead of tomatoes, go for it. We’ve tried this recipe with all kinds of vegetables, and because of the dressing, it always tastes great.
Check out the ingredients and cooking steps below for more.
Southwest Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
- 12 ounces of rotini pasta
- 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup of corn, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup of diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup of finely diced red onion
- 3/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
Southwest Pasta Salad Recipe Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the rotini. Cook according to the package directions until al dente. This should take around 10 minutes.
- Once al dente, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water until completely cool. Allow it to drain well so extra water does not thin the dressing.
- Place the cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the black beans, corn, tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, cheddar cheese, and cilantro.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and gently toss until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour. This gives the pasta time to absorb the dressing and allows the flavors to blend.
- Stir the salad before serving and add another squeeze of lime juice or a spoonful of Greek yogurt if the pasta has absorbed too much dressing.
- Serve while chilled.
Nutrition
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