Bring the flavor and festivity to any meal with this perfectly dressed crowd pleaser. This vibrant taco pasta salad blends all the ingredients of a classic taco salad with a creamy Mexican-style dressed pasta and a bit of crunch for a delicious twist on a standard picnic favorite.
Ingredients
This taco recipe starts with cooked and cooled al dente pasta, which is much simpler than it sounds. You can choose any kind of short-cut pasta you prefer, but curly shapes like fusilli or rotini allow for a nice even coating of sauce. Tube shapes like penne or large macaroni also work well.
- lean ground beef
- taco seasoning
- dry short-cut pasta – such as rotini or macaroni
- red and green bell peppers – bell peppers of any and all colors fit this recipe and you can even add a small jalapeno for a little kick
- canned black beans – drained and rinsed
- black olives – drained and sliced
- red onion – while white onions are often milder, red onions add a little extra sweetness and bite
- cherry tomatoes
- cheddar cheese – shredded
- fresh cilantro
- tortilla chips – you can use plain or choose your favorite flavor like zesty cheese or sweet chili heat
- mayo
- sour cream
- hot sauce
How to Make it
- Brown beef. Brown the beef in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Take the pan off the heat, add the 2 tbsp. taco seasoning to the beef and mix well. Set aside.
- Cook pasta. Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Make the dressing. Mix the dressing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Toss together. In a large bowl, combine the pasta and beef with the rest of the ingredients. Add the dressing and mix well.
- Serve. You can serve right away or cover and chill for later. Garnish with chopped cilantro when serving. If desired, you can also crush some tortilla chips on top (when serving) to add some crunch.
What is Al Dente?
The pasta should be cooked al dente. ‘Al dente’ simply means tender, but not too soft. Taste and test your pasta often, then drain as soon as it is soft enough to bite. Then you rinse the pasta with cool water to stop it from continuing to cook and to rinse the starchy coating off.
Servings Suggestions and Substitutions
The vegetables in this salad couldn’t be simpler, but you can always adjust for taste. Stick to the recipe or swap in a couple of your favorites like corn or avocado, perhaps. This taco pasta salad is made without lettuce, but some people prefer to add it.
For a mellower flavor all around, sauté the onions and peppers in the hot pan after browning the beef. Keep in mind that doing so will take away any crunchy bits from the salad. To remedy this, simply crumble spicy Doritos over the top for some exciting added crunch.
Assembling this easy taco pasta salad is half the fun! Add your favorite hot sauce to the dressing for a signature flair. Serve cold with zesty lime wedges for some citrus kick.
Nutrition Per Serving
Note: Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
Calories: 586kcal Carbohydrates: 49g Protein: 25g Fat: 32g Saturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 65mg Sodium: 1025mg Potassium: 493mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 1175IU Vitamin C: 28mg Calcium: 142mg Iron: 3mg
This fresh and delicious taco pasta salad is ready for taco Tuesday, aren’t you? Let me know in the comments how it turned out and please share the recipe!
Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 3 cups dry short-cut pasta - such as rotini or macaroni
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper - diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper - diced
- 1 cup canned black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup black olives - drained and sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion - diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
- 1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
- fresh cilantro - chopped (to garnish)
- tortilla chips - (optional)
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce - optional
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Brown the beef in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Take the pan off the heat, add the 2 tbsp. taco seasoning to the beef and mix well. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Mix the dressing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta and beef with the rest of the ingredients. Add the dressing and mix well.
- You can serve right away or cover and chill for later. Garnish with chopped cilantro when serving. If desired, you can also crush some tortilla chips on top (when serving) to add some crunch.
Notes
- ‘Al dente’ simply means tender, but not too soft.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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