Cold Taco Pasta Salad
Mexican flavors come together in this Taco Pasta Salad with Catalina dressing! It's a great main dish to add to your weeknight dinner rotation, of your can take it to a potluck as a side dish.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- Half of a green bell pepper diced
- Half of a red bell pepper diced
- 4 green onions chopped green parts only
- 1 15 ounce can sweet corn, drained
- 1 15 ounce can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups Catalina dressing
- Tortilla strips for garnishing
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water if you prefer and cook the pasta according to the package directions. *Don't overcook it, we want it to be al dente or still have a little bite so it holds up with all the ingredients.
- Drain the cooked pasta and rinse with cold water. Tip: spread it on a rimmed baking sheet to cool faster.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the ground beef until no longer pink, crumbling as it cooks. Drain the grease if needed.
- Add your taco seasoning and a few tablespoons of water, just like making tacos. Cook on medium for 5 minutes until combined.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl combine the cooled noodles, cooled ground beef, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, corn and beans.
- Add your dressing and toss together gently until all combined.
- Cover and place in fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
Before serving top with tortilla strips.
Farm Girl Tips
To make ahead of time, make as directed but don't top with tortilla strips. Add the chips before serving.
It's easy to make your own homemade taco seasoning, too!
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 1203mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 22g
