Southwest Pasta Salad
from kristineskitchenblog.comThis Southwest Pasta Salad is a flavorful dish that feeds a crowd! I've served it as both a side dish and a main dish, with chicken, steak or shrimp added for protein.
Servings: 12 side dish servings
Calories: 309kcal
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 lb. rotini pasta or another short pasta shape
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can corn rinsed and drained
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 ounces Cotija cheese crumbled (about ½ cup)
For the dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente (do not overcook). Rinse pasta in cold water; drain. Place pasta in a large bowl to cool.
- While the pasta cools, make the dressing. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once the pasta is cool, add the bell pepper, tomatoes, black beans, corn and red onion to the bowl with the pasta.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until evenly distributed. Gently stir in the cilantro and Cotija cheese. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Stir again before serving and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. This pasta salad tastes even better on the second and third day, after the flavors have had time to develop.
Notes
- Store pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 304IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
