Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Keep At Dwelling Chef

This is without doubt one of the most filling pasta salads on the market! It’s filled with meat, cheese, beans, and greens. Carry to a BBQ or make as a fast and simple dinner at residence and we promise there gained’t be any complaints about leaving hungry!

For those who love this recipe, you’ll love our “cowboy caviar” Black Bean and Corn Salad.

Why Our Recipe

Loaded with all the good things. We’re speaking beef, bacon, cheddar, and veggies.
Our creamy selfmade salsa verde dressing brings a smoky kick you’ll love.
Makes for a brilliant filling dinner, or carry it to a potluck or BBQ to feed a crowd.

A Bowl full of Cowboy Pasta Salad displaying the ingredients on top.

Half of this pasta salad’s flavorful goodness comes from our scrumptious, selfmade dressing. It’s our secret ingredient! Keep in mind, pasta salad is just pretty much as good because the dressing you placed on it. Our cowboy dressing is made with salsa verde, lime juice, and loads of smoky spices and seasonings. The salsa means that you can actually mess around with the warmth degree, so in the event you prefer it scorching, be certain that to make use of medium to scorching salsa.

Ingredient Notes

Overhead layout of Ingredients for Cowboy Pasta Salad.

Rotini Pasta: Rotini’s nice for grabbing onto all that dressing. No rotini? Use one other brief pasta like fusilli or penne.
Floor Beef: We like utilizing 80/20 beef for the most effective taste. Floor turkey or hen works too if you need it a little bit lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings a little bit additional punch, however truthfully, any cheese you like will work. Pepper jack could be superior if you need a little bit kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Reduce them in halves or quarters so that you get the proper chew. A mixture of purple and yellow tomatoes seems actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely tremendous to make use of straight from the can, however you too can use uncooked recent corn or frozen corn.
Crimson Onion: Crimson onions are the most effective for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely optionally available! Recent jalapeños add a pleasant spicy crunch, or use pickled for rather less warmth.
Bacon: Crumble it up! Prepare dinner your personal or seize the pre-cooked form.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite gentle or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth degree you want.
Lime Juice: Recent-squeezed is at all times going to have the most effective taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Modify the Warmth

Among the best issues about cowboy pasta is how simple it’s to tweak the spice. For those who’re into warmth, seize a scorching salsa verde, bump up the chili powder, and toss just a few additional jalapeño slices on high. Not a fan of spicy? Stick to gentle salsa and skip the chili powder and jalapeños. Simple!

Closeup image of Cowboy Pasta Salad with dressing drizzled over it.

Make-Forward Directions

This salad’s tremendous simple to make forward. You’ll be able to whip up the dressing 1 to 2 days early and stash it within the fridge. Prepare dinner the pasta and floor beef the night time earlier than, too. Simply maintain them separate so all the pieces stays recent. While you’re able to eat, all you’ve obtained to do is chop the cheese and tomatoes and toss all of it collectively in an enormous bowl. Achieved and executed.