Easy Taco Pasta Salad (Print)

A flavorful Tex-Mex pasta blend with fresh veggies, cheddar, and zesty lime dressing for casual summer meals.

# Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz rotini or fusilli pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
04 - 1 cup canned corn, drained
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
07 - 1 avocado, diced
08 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Cheese

09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

→ Dressing

10 - 1/2 cup sour cream
11 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
13 - 1 packet taco seasoning
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

16 - 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
17 - Fresh cilantro for serving

# Instructions:

01 - Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly, rinse under cold water, and cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, red onion, avocado, cilantro, and cheddar cheese.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, taco seasoning, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
04 - Add cooled pasta to the vegetable mixture. Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
05 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld and salad to chill thoroughly.
06 - Top with crushed tortilla chips and additional cilantro immediately before serving.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for those moments when you realize you need to bring something and have barely any time.
  • The flavors are bold enough that people actually remember eating it, but it plays nice with almost any main dish or other side.
  • You can prep everything the morning before and just toss it together an hour before heading out the door.
02 -
  • Add the avocado right before you serve it, not when you first mix everything together—it browns quickly and turns from a gorgeous green to an unappetizing color within an hour or two.
  • The dressing will get thinner as it sits because the vegetables release their own moisture, so don't panic if it seems a little runny after chilling—that's exactly what you want.
03 -
  • Squeeze your lime juice fresh right before you make the dressing—bottled just doesn't have the same brightness and impact on the final flavor.
  • If you want to add protein, cooked ground beef or shredded rotisserie chicken turns this into a full meal that still works beautifully at a potluck.
Back