Description
This Taco Pasta Salad is a flavorful and satisfying dish that combines Tex-Mex flavors with pasta comfort. It features seasoned taco meat, crisp vegetables, creamy dressing, and perfectly cooked pasta, making it ideal for lunches, potlucks, or weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- 225g rotini pasta
- 250g ground beef or turkey
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 75g cotija cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or neutral oil
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
- 100g canned corn, drained (optional)
- 100g black beans, rinsed (optional)
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- jalapeños, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef or turkey. Drain excess fat, then stir in taco seasoning and a splash of water. Simmer until well coated. Let cool.
- Chop the cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, mix olive oil and juice from half the lime. This will act as a light dressing for your taco pasta salad.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, taco meat, chopped vegetables, cotija cheese, and optional add-ins like corn or beans for your taco pasta salad.
- Pour the dressing over the taco pasta salad and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Taste and adjust with extra lime juice, salt, or pepper if needed for your taco pasta salad.
- Cover and refrigerate the taco pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with avocado, jalapeños, or crushed tortilla chips just before serving your delicious taco pasta salad.
Notes
- Use fresh herbs and vegetables for best flavor and crunch in your taco pasta salad.
- Let the taco pasta salad chill before serving to enhance flavor and texture.
- Add crunchy toppings like tortilla strips right before serving to prevent sogginess in your taco pasta salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing & Sautéing
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
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