Mexican Pasta Salad
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 443kcal
This Mexican Pasta Salad is a fiesta of tender pasta, black beans, sweet corn, and crisp veggies, all tossed in a creamy, zesty chili-lime dressing. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that's as easy to make as it is delicious.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Whisk
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces rotini pasta or other favorite pasta shape
- 2 cups frozen corn thawed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup black olives halved (optional)
- ½ small red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced (and seeded if less heat desired)
Dressing
- ¾ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons adobo sauce the sauce that comes in jars of chipotle peppers
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- To the bowl with the pasta, add the corn, cherry tomatoes, black beans, red onion, cilantro, bell pepper, olives and jalapeno. Stir to combine. Drizzle on the dressing and toss gently to combine.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Notes
Storing
- Store your assembled Mexican pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It’s normal for the pasta to absorb dressing while in storage, so you may like to mix in additional dressing before serving again.
- I don’t recommend freezing this salad due to the creamy dressing.
- The pasta dressing can be stored separately in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to add to your fresh salad, give the dressing a good stir. If it’s thickened in the fridge, a drizzle of olive oil or a splash of lemon juice will bring back its silky texture.
- Unfortunately, freezing isn’t recommended, as the thawing process can compromise the dressing’s creaminess.
- Always taste the pasta salad dressing after whisking the ingredients together. You may find that you want to adjust the flavor by adding an extra kick of heat with a touch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, more lime juice to balance the richness, or mix in additional salt and pepper.
- Adjust the consistency of the dressing to your liking. Stir in some water or milk for a thinner dressing or mix in more sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mayo for a thicker consistency.
- You could reserve pasta water if you want it as an option to loosen the salad dressing. The pasta water is flavorful and won’t dilute the flavor of the dressing like plain water would.
- Make a double batch of Mexican pasta salad dressing and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Stir leftover dressing with additional liquid (if needed) as it will naturally thicken in the fridge and the ingredients may also separate.
- Use frozen corn to make this pasta salad. It’s often cheaper when bought in bulk and works really well, directly mixed into the salad once thawed.
- Instead of fresh garlic, use roasted garlic for a mellow savory flavor in the dressing.
- Cook your pasta only until al dente. I like to cook my pasta for about a minute less than the package directions call for to ensure that it still has a slight chewy texture. To stop the cooking process, drain and rinse your cooked pasta under cold water.
- Use different herbs - Swap the cilantro for another fresh herb, like basil or parsley. Check out all of these substitutes for cilantro here.
- Blend with another acid - Swap out the fresh lime juice for another acidic liquid, such as lemon juice, white or apple cider vinegar.
- Make it spicy - Leave the seeds in the jalapeno, use a hotter pepper like serrano pepper, or mix in some cayenne pepper!
- Boost of protein: Stir in some cooked shredded chicken, sliced chicken breasts, flaked salmon filet or some sauteed shrimp.
- Try a different dressing of sauce - Experiment with other dressings and sauces to coat your pasta and salad ingredients in. Creamy Avocado Pasta Sauce, Cilantro Lime Crema, or Chipotle Crema are some tasty alternatives. Adjust the consistency as needed.
- Pasta types - I’ve used rotini pasta, but you can use any type of short spiral or tubular pasta that catches dressing and sauce well.
- Gluten-free - Use gluten-free pasta when catering to food allergies.
- Dairy-free - Use a thick plant-based yogurt and mayo.
Nutrition
Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 1952mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1107IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg