Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Keep At Dwelling Chef

This is without doubt one of the most filling pasta salads on the market! It’s full of meat, cheese, beans, and greens. Convey 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!

When you 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 do-it-yourself salsa verde dressing brings a smoky kick you’ll love.
Makes for an excellent filling dinner, or convey 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, do-it-yourself dressing. It’s our secret ingredient! Bear in mind, pasta salad is barely 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 permits you to actually mess around with the warmth stage, so if you happen to prefer it scorching, be sure 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 one of the best taste. Floor turkey or hen works too if you need it somewhat lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings somewhat additional punch, however actually, any cheese you like will work. Pepper jack can be superior if you need somewhat kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Reduce them in halves or quarters so that you get the proper chunk. A mixture of crimson and yellow tomatoes appears to be like actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them an excellent rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely fantastic to make use of straight from the can, however you can too use uncooked recent corn or frozen corn.
Purple Onion: Purple onions are one of the best for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely optionally available! Contemporary 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 variety.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite gentle or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth stage you want.
Lime Juice: Contemporary-squeezed is at all times going to have one of the best taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Modify the Warmth

Top-of-the-line issues about cowboy pasta is how simple it’s to tweak the spice. When you’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? Follow gentle salsa and skip the chili powder and jalapeños. Straightforward!

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 evening 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. Carried out and achieved.