Cowboy Pasta Salad

When you can’t decide between taco night or pasta night, this recipe is your answer. A warm pasta salad with the classic flavors of a crunchy taco salad all brought together with a smoky lime dressing. Canned corn and beans keep this a quick and easy recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes, making it a perfect summer side to switch up your picnic or BBQ bash.

How To Make Cowboy Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

• Pasta: I love bowtie pasta, but like most pasta salads, you can switch out the pasta choice for whatever you have on hand that will catch all of the dressing (fusilli or elbow macaroni would also work great).
• Ground Beef: Ground beef gives that taco salad flavor that I was looking for, but if you’re looking for a vegetarian option, swap out the ground beef for our easy vegan ground beef!
• Seasoning: I season the ground beef with a mixture of chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and some salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can make our easy homemade taco seasoning to use for countless taco nights.
• Dressing: I tie this whole pasta salad together with a simple dressing of olive oil, lime juice, chipotle en adobo, and honey. I love this sweet-spicy combination, but if you’re a die-hard creamy dressing person, try out the Greek yogurt-based dressing in our Southwestern pasta salad.
• Mix-Ins: My chosen mix-ins for this pasta salad were canned corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, Monterey Jack, and scallions. Optionally, red onion and red bell peppers would be great additions, but those are optional. While I love this pasta salad as-is, you can switch it up based on what you have on hand. Switch up the canned corn for grilled, swap out the Monterey Jack for cotija or cheddar, or add in extra mix-ins like fresh cilantro, or avocado to make things creamy.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, we’ll make the dressing for our pasta salad. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, fresh lime juice, chipotle en adobo, honey, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until well combined.

Then, we’ll move on to cooking our pasta. Boil a large pot of water (don’t forget to salt it!), and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When done, drain the pasta, and while it’s still warm (this is important), dress the pasta with half of the dressing. This allows the pasta to absorb the dressing instead of simply acting as a coating.

Set that aside, then heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, then season well with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, break up the meat, and cook until no pink remains. One of my top tips for this recipe? Don’t overcook the ground meat. When cooked until well browned, the ground beef will feel crunchy and dry in the salad. Instead, cook the meat until it is crumbled, cooked through and just starting to brown. Then take it off the heat, and drain any excess fat before adding your seasonings and mixing well.

Now it’s time to combine everything! In the bowl with the pasta, add the ground beef, corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onion and bell pepper (if using), and the remaining dressing. Season with a bit more salt, then fold in the cheese and scallions and serve!

Full list of ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe below.

What To Serve With Cowboy Pasta Salad

• Veggie Burgers: Switch up the burgers + fries game by adding this cowboy pasta salad to the plate.
• Creamy Chicken & Corn Skillet: This dinner is summer in a skillet, and pairs perfectly with this fresh pasta salad.
• Summer Squash Sheet-Pan Tacos: Just can't pass up taco night? Pair this salad with sheet vegetable-packed tacos, made even easier on our sheet-pan hack.

Storage

While this salad is best served freshly made and warm, any leftovers will keep for several days in the refrigerator.