Taco Pasta Salad
A flavorful and hearty pasta salad inspired by classic taco flavors, featuring seasoned ground beef, colorful vegetables, and a zesty dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a quick family dinner.
Prep
: 10
Total
: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini or fusilli pasta
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix 1 oz packet
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup corn kernels frozen and thawed or canned and drained
- 0.5 cup black beans rinsed and drained
- 0.5 cup diced red onion
- 0.5 cup diced bell pepper any color
- 0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 0.25 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey or agave
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until browned and fully cooked, breaking it into small pieces. Drain excess fat.
- Add taco seasoning and water to the beef. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, cooked beef mixture, cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, red onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
- Pour dressing over the pasta salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, substitute ground beef with crumbled tofu or plant-based ground meat. Serve chilled for best flavor.